Airlines & airports Sharm El-Sheikh airport A NEW terminal in Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport will be inaugurated in April following construction works costing LE465 million. The new building is equipped with hi-tech and entertainment facilities. Situated on 45,000 square metres, it consists of two floors, 40 counters and can accommodate four million passengers annually. It can receive 92 per cent of all foreign travellers coming to Egypt and eight per cent local passengers. E-booking starts EGYPTAIR passengers can now book their ticket via the company's website. The new system allows the passenger in any part of the world to select the destination he wants to travel to via the Internet. EgyptAir officials say passengers can confirm their bookings on the Internet, saving time, effort and money. For more information log on to www.egyptair.com.eg.www.egyptair.com.eg./i Hotels & resorts Torii anniversary MARRIOTT Cairo Hotel recently celebrated the second anniversary of its Japanese restaurant Torii. Members of the diplomatic community, tourist businessmen and VIPs enjoyed a selection of sushi, sashimi and tempura dishes prepared by sushi chef Marcelo Mahinay and his team. Torii offers All-You-Can Eat promotions four days a week for LE120 per person excluding taxes. Guests can choose from All- You-Can Eat Sushi Night every Saturday and Monday where they can eat as much sushi as they like and All-You-Can Eat main course delights' buffet on Sundays and Tuesdays where they can enjoy a mouthwatering hot items buffet between 6pm and mid- night. Stay and play SHERATON Montazah has inaugurated its gym room which includes top of the line cardio and strength equipment, the latest technology with built-in LCD screens and TVs and music. The new Sheraton Fitness and Gym is available 24 hours and is exclusive to hotel guests. "It is a new facility that caters for guests who seek high energy, passion and well-being," said Atef Wilson, the general manager. Media tour... IN COLLABORATION with the Egyptian Tourist Authority (ETA), Conrad Cairo sponsored a press trip of media icons from top notch magazines in the US. The trip, organised under the patronage of Zoheir Garanah, the minister of tourism, focussed on the allure of Egyptian tourism -- hotels, cruises, travel agents and sightseeing -- in an attempt to attract more American tourists to Egypt. The luxury of the suites and its outlets impressed the visitors as well as the standard of services provided by the Conrad team. Kids do it better IF YOU want to enjoy an excursion on the Nile with your children, consider booking a cabin on Radamis I Nile cruise. On board, your kids will enjoy a set of activities including cooking lessons where they will learn how to prepare meals themselves. With the assistance of the executive chef they will spend time each day learning various dishes in the kitchen, wearing cooking outfits. Mother's Day ON THE OCCASION of Mother's Day, most hotels in Cairo are preparing a special celebration. In Ramses Hilton Hotel mothers will eat free when dining among four members of her family at the Terrace Café, either lunch or dinner buffet. You can also order your special Mother's Day cake from the Garden Court Café. For more information call +202 394 6902. In Conrad Cairo you can celebrate at the Felucca Café for LE110 for lunch and LE125 for dinner exclusive of service charge and taxes. Again, like Ramses Hilton, Conrad offers a complimentary meal for mothers when dining among four members of her family. For information call +202 580 8410. Grand Friday GRAND Hyatt Cairo Hotel is currently holding a Grand Friday extravaganza for families and kids, filled with sumptuous meals and lively entertainment, all with the spectacular view of the Nile in sight. At El Sakya indoor and outdoor restaurant you can experience cuisine from around the world offering a sumptuous buffet while your children are entertained at the Kids' corner with exciting surprises, face painting, a balloon artist, Play Station, drawing contests, prizes and a kids' buffet. Golf on Aqaba Gulf GOLF fans can have an unforgettable experience at Taba Heights Marriott Resort on the Gulf of Aqaba. Both local and international clients can play unlimited golf rounds packaged with the Green Fee, Golf Cart and hotel accommodation. Meanwhile, their partners could always indulge in an unforgettable experience of soul refreshment and special care in the resort's Health Club & Spa where enchanting treats for mind, body and soul are revealed in the sauna, steam, Jacuzzi or with a multiple of massage types -- Thai, Swedish, Aromatherapy and Reflexology . For more information call +202 305 8822. Five-star Khartoum luxury ROTANA Hotels recently opened its second property in rapidly developing Khartoum -- Al Salam Rotana Hotel. Al Salam Rotana Hotel is situated three kilometres from the international airport near the renowned Afra shopping mall and just 15 minutes away from the capital centre. "As a sign of confidence in the country, we are proud to introduce Rotana Hotels five-star hospitality with the opening of Al Salam Rotana Hotel. Sudan is a land of vista where prosperity blends with opportunity to produce unparalleled growth," Selim El-Zyr, president and CEO of Rotana Hotels, said. The property has 235 spacious rooms and suites, a restaurant and café, a ballroom with state-of-the-art meeting facilities and a business centre. These are complemented with the Bodylines health and fitness club and a swimming pool. First Egyptian manager AHMED Khalaf has been appointed hotel manager at Four Seasons Cairo at Nile Plaza. Khalaf is the first Egyptian hotel manager appointment in the Canadian luxury-based chain in Egypt. His move follows three successful years as director of rooms at the hotel. Khalaf, who joined Four Seasons group in 2000, has over 20 years experience in the hotel industry. After graduating from Helwan University with a BA in hotel management, he joined InterContinental, gleaning operational knowledge via supervisory and managerial positions in front office and rooms divisions. As hotel manager, Khalaf will be coordinating and managing the day-to-day running of the 365-room luxury property which opened in August 2004 on the banks of the River Nile. Ramses Hilton appointments MEDHAT Samir has been appointed as director of business development at Ramses Hilton. He has held several managerial positions in sales, revenue and operations fields with Hilton International, Ramada, Accor and Rotana News Marketing Egypt abroad IN AN ATTEMPT to market Egypt abroad and to attract more travellers from potential markets, Egyptian tourist officials participated in a number of tourist fairs, including the BIT in Italy, the EMITT in Istanbul and soon the ITB in Germany. From 22 to 25 February, Egypt participated in the 28th round of the BIT in Italy with a delegation headed by Minister of Tourism Zoheir Garanah and including Ahmed El-Khadem, head of the Egyptian Tourist Authority (ETA), and representatives from the Egyptian Federation of Tourist Chambers. The Egyptian pavilion covered 400 square metres, including 21 booths representing hotels, travel agencies and the ETA. On the sidelines, Garanah and El-Khadem met the head of the Italian Tour Operators Federation and head of the Italian Tourist Companies Federation. They also appeared on the Italian channels RAI 2 and LA7 and in major tourist magazines in Italy. "The contribution in the fair is an attempt from the ministry and the ETA to restore the Italian tourist movement after it was affected by a number of events during the past period. The Italian market is really very important for us," said El-Khadem. He said the number of Italian tourists who travelled to Egypt during 2006 was 786,000 tourists who spent six million tourist nights. The Turkish market has also become important to Egypt which participated in an East Mediterranean travel and tourism fair in Istanbul. An Egyptian night was held during which a number of senior Turkish tour operators and travel agents were invited. "Egypt is paying attention to the Turkish market," El-Khadem said. "The recent tourist movement from Turkey shows a 45,000 increase in the number of Turkish tourists last year, an increase of 12.5 per cent." Egypt will participate in the ITB fair in Berlin, considered one of the most important travel fairs for those who work in tourism. Come more often DURING a recent visit to the Red Sea, US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone said he supports tourism in Egypt as well as tourist investments. Ricciardone told Al-Ahram Weekly that he loves touring all parts of Egypt. "I love the water sports, the ancient monuments. I love camping in the desert, trekking the mountains and the beaches. And I try to encourage my countrymen to come and visit your beautiful country more than once." The number of US tourists to Egypt dropped drastically after 11 September 2001. However, in 2006 the number rose and the US market, for the first time, was listed among the top 10 countries sending tourists to Egypt. According to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism, Egypt received 228,183 American travellers in 2006 compared to 195,800 in 2005, an increase of 16.5 per cent. Ricciardone said the US administration never told Americans to stay away from Egypt. "On the contrary, our job is to advertise Egypt. But we tell Americans to avoid situations where there could be higher risks than others. We don't say stay away from the Sinai, for example. We simply say there were bombings last April and before that, in July. You make your own decisions but we do not exaggerate," he said. Speaking about US-Egyptian cooperation in antiquities, Ricciardone stressed that the US Agency for International Development (USAID), besides building water, sewage and power plants, infrastructure and schools, has done much to preserve the Egypt- Pharaonic, Coptic and Mediaeval Islamic monuments. "Mediaeval Cairo was ignored and tourists would only come for the Pharaonic monuments," Ricciardone said. "So nearly 20 years ago we started to turn some of our assistance to this part. We are not restoring the monuments but helping the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) develop its categories so that you have many Egyptians who would study these things and perform the actual restoration." Ricciardone added that the US worked with the SCA on Islamic Cairo in several mosques while in Coptic Cairo and the Luxor Temple they helped the water drainage system stabilise.
