Gunship
17th Aug 2005, 10:24
Thousands of tourists from the Middle East could be expected in South Africa this summer now that more flights were arriving from the Arabian Gulf, Rashid Mordiffi, the general manager of Qatar Airways, said yesterday.
Travel agents said South Africa had become a more popular destination for Arab tourists now that they felt less welcome in the US and the UK.
However, Mordiffi said they were also coming because South Africa had a large Muslim population and Halaal food was easy to obtain.
These were among the reasons that Malaysia attracted 100 000 Arab tourists every year and he expected South Africa to do the same
"They will benefit South Africa's tourism industry because they spend freely. They stay in five-star hotels and take holidays of two or three weeks, unlike Chinese tourists who come on package holidays for about one week and budget carefully," Mordiffi said.
Qatar Airways, which introduced three flights a week to Johannesburg and Cape Town earlier this year, will fly daily to both destinations from the beginning of November until April.
This coincides with the peak holiday season and also the start of pilgrimages to Mecca. The flights will help to ease the normal seasonal shortage of airline seats in both directions.
Qatar Airways will be competing with two newcomers from the United Arab Emirates, Gulf Air and Etihad, as well as the more established Emirates Airline.
Gulf Air has announced the start of daily flights from Johannesburg from December 3 and Etihad has requested four arrival and departure slots a week at Johannesburg International Airport from October.
The Link (http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=566&fArticleId=2840222)
Travel agents said South Africa had become a more popular destination for Arab tourists now that they felt less welcome in the US and the UK.
However, Mordiffi said they were also coming because South Africa had a large Muslim population and Halaal food was easy to obtain.
These were among the reasons that Malaysia attracted 100 000 Arab tourists every year and he expected South Africa to do the same
"They will benefit South Africa's tourism industry because they spend freely. They stay in five-star hotels and take holidays of two or three weeks, unlike Chinese tourists who come on package holidays for about one week and budget carefully," Mordiffi said.
Qatar Airways, which introduced three flights a week to Johannesburg and Cape Town earlier this year, will fly daily to both destinations from the beginning of November until April.
This coincides with the peak holiday season and also the start of pilgrimages to Mecca. The flights will help to ease the normal seasonal shortage of airline seats in both directions.
Qatar Airways will be competing with two newcomers from the United Arab Emirates, Gulf Air and Etihad, as well as the more established Emirates Airline.
Gulf Air has announced the start of daily flights from Johannesburg from December 3 and Etihad has requested four arrival and departure slots a week at Johannesburg International Airport from October.
The Link (http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=566&fArticleId=2840222)