LEISURE

Classic Travel exceeds 50, 000 fans on facebook

Setting high standards in the travel industry, Classic Travel, yet again completes a proud milestone by reaching 50, 000 plus fans on their official Facebook page. Classic Travel thrives on customer satisfaction and as a result of their social media page on Facebook, customers and fans alike are always updated with information, tour packages, healthy discounts and competitions.

“Surpassing 50, 000 plus fans on our Facebook page is an exceptional feeling, Classic Travel is humbled by this achievement and we wish to thank our fans, customers, partners and clients for their loyalty and continuous support. We are looking forward to a great year ahead with many promotions and give a ways and we are confident that our Facebook page will continue to grow and help enthusiastic travelers with adequate information that they so deserve” said Suresh Mendis, CEO of Classic Travel.

Whilst looking forward to reaching 100, 000 fans as our next milestone, Classic Travel embarks as one of Sri Lanka’s leading travel companions to date. Facebook has provided Classic Travel to become a voice for travel enthusiasts around the world and with the internet being the core portal for information, the company executed a plan to create a Facebook page which was launched in May, 2011. It has thus become a mainstay as daily updates on new tour packages, cruises and flight packages draw the attention of thousands within the group’s page.

Among the updates, the page also offers the avid traveler with news, views, opinions, competitions and other interesting posts. Classic Travel interacts with the fans almost spontaneously, by answering their many queries, chatting with their fans and also providing travel information when required. Special posts are made during the festive season together with seasonal discounts and other benefits.

Classic Travel has conducted many competitions within its page and some noteworthy mentions are the raffle draw competition for a return air ticket to Bangkok, the Mother’s Day competition for a return air ticket to Chennai and the like & share Facebook promotion for a return air ticket to Bangkok.

The page currently offers its readers a “999 Places to see while you are alive” post which features a country everyday so the keen traveler could find an abundance of information when they plan their next family vacation.

Speaking about Facebook posts Rimzan Hameed, Senior Manager Operations added that “Our intention of providing information about travel destinations through “999 places to see while you are alive” has been welcomed by our Facebook fans and we are sincerely thankful for their patronage. We engage them in our page by interacting, questioning and by posting very interesting travel quotes rather than boring them with regular advertisements”. Classic Travel incorporated in 1994 as an IATA accredited travel agent based in Sri Lanka and is a member of the prestigious Expolanka Group of Companies.

They specialize in providing a total travel solution to both the corporate and leisure markets.

Whilst being strategically located in the heart of Colombo with easy access from the Galle Road, Classic Travel provides ample parking facilities for their customers, providing them with ease and convenience. Classic Travel is the only travel agent in Sri Lanka to be open 24 hours, 365 days of the year. Travel enthusiasts can call over or walk in anytime to obtain flight information, purchase air tickets, book hotels, get visa advice or even discuss their holiday travel plans.

Classic Travel is the direct agent to all airlines represented in Sri Lanka and is ranked within the top 3 travel agents for all other major airlines. Their rapport with airlines goes beyond their sales and performance.

Classic Travel is a preferred sales agent for Star Cruises Singapore, which is the leading cruise liner in the Asia Pacific region. Cruises depart from Singapore visiting exotic destinations in Thailand and Malaysia.

In keeping with the Vision and Mission of the company, Classic Travel, embodies on providing its clients with a professional, efficient, warm and friendly services.

Chamber of Tourism delegation meets EP Minister

A Delegation from the Chamber of Tourism and Industry Sri Lanka met Nazeer Ahamed, Minister of Tourism, Eastern Provincial Council and discussed on several proposal related to development and promotion of Tourism in the Eastern Province.

At this meeting, the Chamber of Tourism was in the opinion that first of all community awareness campaign on tourism and it’s benefit to the province should be launched prior to any major Tourism Development is to take place in the Province as the community is still in suspicion of Tourism due to adverse impact of tourism visibly seen in some areas where Tourism has been Develop haphazardly.

The community participation in Tourism is considered as a vital factor for Tourism Development In the province.

It was agreed to consider empowering the community and developing self confidence among the community which would make locals welcome Tourist and treat them well that is sure way of ensuring repeat visitors to the province.

It was accepted that the community must have direct interaction with Tourists visiting the area and make them comfortable.

Therefore the community participation needs to been encouraged true community awareness campaigns in order to sustain the Tourism Industry in the Province.

The delegation from the Chamber of Tourism and Industry who met the EP Tourism Minister comprised its president A. M. Jaufer, Secretary General U.P.S. Pathirana, Chief Executive Officer Daya Weerasekara and Director/SLDDA P.U Rathnayaka.

Healing Journey launches website

Vishmi Wijeratne

“Healing journey”, the latest healthcare tourism company launched its website www.healingjourney.lk. The Director of Healing Journey, Sanjaya Padmaperuma, told the ‘Daily News Business that they were confident that they could reach their target of 200 patients without doubt and would possibly attracts 300 patients.

“Sri Lanka is a known medical destination, thus we are quite confident that we would be able to reach and possibly surpass our target. At present we have around 200 to 250 beds,” Padmaperuma said.

For this latest concept, “Healing Journey” joined hands with Ceylon Tours and Durdens Hospital. According to Padmaperuma, medical tourism is a solution for souring prices in the medical industry.

“A patient can save nearly 50% of his medical costs by travelling to the country. Also Ceylon Tours would promote the destination, providing the patient with a beautiful experience and a vacation,” Padmaperuma said.

‘Healing journey’ would provide several packages that would make the patient aware of the amount they may have to spend on the service they needed. There would be consultations provided and the patients or the user could acquire knowledge concerning the doctors and the services before hand.

“The patients would be able to visit any hospital of their choice. At present, Durdens is the only hospital that we posses in our network and we are currently having discussions with leading hospitals such as the Nawaloka and Asiri Surgical and we would be able to get them on our network, while we would also be having discussions with more doctors to join the team and there would be many more developments before the end of the year,” he said.

Sri Lanka is a famous destination for Ayrvedic medical care and the introduction of Ayurvedic medical services will be one of the next steps taken by ‘Healing Journey.’ Since most patients are covered by insurances, it is necessary for this company to establish an agreement with several insurance companies overseas.

“Our immediate attention would be having discussions with ‘American Insurance” and later on, we would contact more international insurance agencies.

However, most of our doctors are internationally recognized, while most patients would still be able to get their insurance companies to pay for them. We hope to contact famous ‘veda mahathayas’ to our network too,” Padmaperuma said.

First gas-powered passenger ferry handed over in Finland

Finnish cruise company Viking Line took possession Thursday of the world’s first large passenger ferry powered by liquefied natural gas, calling it an “environmental pioneer in the cruise industry.”

The M/S Viking Grace is 218 meters (715 feet) long and over 30 meters (98 feet) wide, can carry up to 2,800 passengers, and features 880 cabins. “By using natural gas the hazardous emissions will decrease to a minimum.

Nitrogen emissions and particulates are reduced by 85 percent and greenhouse gases by 15 percent.

Sulphur emissions are practically zero,” Viking Line said.

The vessel has a hydro-dynamically optimized hull shape that minimizes swell waves, and according to Viking Line also has “propulsion machinery that saves energy”. The ship, which can sail at a speed of up to 22 knots will go into service on January 15 between the Finnish ports of Turku and Mariehamn and the Swedish capital Stockholm.

AFP

Refurbishment of DXB’s Terminal 1 to begin in 2013

New facility will provide passengers with improved service and accessibility:

A major refurbishment of Dubai International’s Terminal 1 is due to begin in the first quarter of this year which when complete will offer passengers a vastly improved travelling experience.

The refurbishment includes more efficient and streamlined baggage screening in the departures hall, the replacement of all check-in desks, upgrade of baggage systems and the modernisation of all public areas. The upgrade is expected to be completed by the end of next year.

The new baggage screening process will greatly improve passenger flow by eliminating a queuing point, reducing the time it takes passengers to move from the forecourt in Terminal 1 to the departure gates. The additional space created by streamlined baggage process will be used to transform the departures hall into a more spacious and welcoming environment and when combined with upgraded wayfinding signage, provide a more easily accessible building for the travelling public.

The refurbishment programme also includes the reconfigured and expanded arrivals hall where all meeters and greeters will be accommodated within a fully air-conditioned space with new food and retail outlets. The arrivals immigration hall is also being refurbished to improve passenger flow and reduce processing times for arriving passengers. The adjoining arrivals forecourt will be reconfigured to improve traffic flow and create a safer pedestrian environment for all passengers leaving the Terminal 1 arrivals hall.

Once the refurbishment of Terminal 1 is complete, it will be linked via a new elevated train system to Concourse D, which is currently under construction. Concourse D will become the new home of the more than 100 airlines that fly to and from Dubai International when it opens in 2015.

“Dubai Airports is continually striving to enhance the service we offer all our passengers while expanding our facilities to meet the growing number of passengers passing through the airport. In addition to significantly increasing our capacity, the upgrade of Terminal 1 together with the construction of Concourse D will offer our passengers a more inviting and comfortable environment in line with the newer facilities across the terminals at Dubai International,” says Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports.

Dubai Airports owns and manages the operation of both of Dubai’s airports Dubai International as well as Dubai World Central. Dubai International is the world’s fourth busiest airport in terms of international passenger and cargo traffic.

Libya investment hopes hit

by attacks on diplomats

A weekend attack on an Italian diplomat in Libya caused no casualties but dealt a body blow to the government’s efforts to woo foreign investors to rebuild the war-ravaged North African country.

The assault on consul Guido De Sanctis, which Rome denounced as a “vile act of terrorism,” came four months after militants torched the US mission in Benghazi and killed four Americans, including the ambassador.

“This attack will certainly be a reason of concern for many oil companies who are operating in Libya or planning to return to Libya,” said Tripoli-based analyst Claudia Gazzini of the International Crisis Group.

“It can have a negative impact on their decision to stay or return. This is negative because it comes at a time when the Libyan government is making a wholehearted effort to convince foreign companies to return.” Italy is Libya’s former colonial ruler and enjoyed close ties with the slain dictator, though it later joined NATO efforts to unseat Kadhafi. It is also the biggest foreign investor in Libya’s energy sector.

In December after a post-revolution pause, Italian energy giant ENI announced it had resumed oil exploration in Libya, becoming only the second foreign firm to do so after Algeria’s Sonatrach.

Benghazi-based analyst and historian, Mohammed al-Mufti, said the attempt to assassinate De Sanctis was “an embarrassment for the authorities who need foreign investment to boost the economy.” The shooting came two days after Mohammed Megaryef, president of the national assembly and Libya’s de facto head of state, travelled to Rome for talks with business leaders.

-- Wait and see approach -- European trade delegations visit Tripoli periodically but many businessmen have adopted a wait and see approach, keen to see whether the interim government, which took office in November, can get a grip on security.

The French foreign ministry’s delegate for French nationals abroad, Helene Conway-Mouret, was in the Libyan capital last week to assess the situation and encourage French companies to do business.

“Security issues weigh on our companies,” she said in an address to Tripoli’s French community, which remains small and male-dominated in the absence of wives and children. The French school is open but two-thirds of its pupils are Libyans.

She told journalists on Sunday that although there is a great degree of optimism with regards to the opportunities ahead in Libya, many entrepreneurs are waiting for the security situation to improve.

“Big companies have security protocols, but for small entrepeneurs who come alone, the motivation is not there because the images we see of Libya in France are not ones in which security is assured,” she said.

Two hours of her trip were spent discussing security measures, she added. In the Libyan capital, diplomats and businessmen travel in armoured vehicles with security advisers. Many governments advise against all but essential travel outside Tripoli.

In 2012, several governments withdrew or scaled back their diplomatic presence in the eastern city of Benghazi, including Britain, France, the United States, Egypt and Tunisia, in response to attacks targeting their envoys.

The deadliest was a September 11 assault by militants against the US mission, which killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.

AFP

In Argentina, final stop for world’s oldest metro car

To the chagrin of nostalgic Argentines, the world’s oldest running subway commuter train, a dimly lit, century-old wooden car beloved by tourists and Buenos Aires residents, is scheduled to make its final stop this weekend. Unless defenders of the old trains secure a last-gasp court order or law to keep it in service, the Belgian-made carriages will be mothballed on Saturday before being replaced by slick new cars made in China.

With a curved roof, wooden benches and blue and grey exterior, the trains made by the company La Brugeoise, Nicaise et Delcuve in Bruges, Belgium have graced the tracks of the southern hemisphere’s first subway line since 1913.

But the capital’s government believes it is time to retire the underground trains for fear they could be dangerous, even though the ancient Line A has only recorded one accident with passengers in its history.

Several lawmakers have introduced legislation and made court requests to save the Brugeoise trains, affectionately known as “Las Belgas” (“The Belgians”) or “Las Brujas” (“The Witches”).

But the legislature and the courts are closed this week because it is the summer holidays in the southern hemisphere.

“These trains can work perfectly for 100 more years,” said Cesario Blanco, one of 130 mechanics in the century-old subway car repair shed known as el polvorin, the powder keg.

“They have such class when they arrive at a station,” said Blanco. The director of the National Library, Horacio Gonzalez, said the closure of the Line A trains amounted to a “historic demolition.” Only the subway cars of Budapest, from 1896, are older but the Hungarian trains are only used for tourist tours.

AFP