12 June 2006

Longwood Holidays, the UK’s leading independent Red Sea specialist, has developed its programme further for 2006-07 with the introduction of a Red Sea Cruise, seven new hotels and two new tours.

The new brochure also features a selection of Eilat hotels (from Longwood’s existing Eilat programme) for the first time. “We’ve included the Eilat hotels as it seemed like a great opportunity to cross sell. Eilat has a lot to offer, and is quite a different proposition to the other Red Sea resorts, making it quite easy for agents to sell to customers who may not have considered it before.” said Rafi Caplin, Longwood Holidays MD. “ We’re destination specialists and we approach the Red Sea as a whole – having the Red Sea resorts of Egypt, Israel and Jordan all in one brochure certainly drives this point home.”

The Red Sea cruise, on board a 50 metre sail cruiser, departs from Hurghada and operates on an 8-day itinerary that provides a comprehensive view of the diversity of resorts and activities of the Red Sea.

“As Red Sea specialists, it seemed logical for us to introduce a cruise that gives people a chance to see all that the Red Sea has to offer.” commented Caplin. “The resorts visited allow for an exciting range of excursions and activities to be included – from a day trip to Petra one day, to partying in Sharm el Sheikh the next and snorkelling the reefs the next. I’m confident that this will appeal to a lot of people as it offers an alternative to the traditional beach holiday the region is best known for.”

New hotels include the 5* Baron Palms in Sharm el Sheikh, the first 5* all-inclusive in the resort to be included in Longwood’s selection. “There are a lot of people out there selling 5 star all-inclusives in Sharm at the moment.” said Caplin “Unfortunately many of those hotels don’t conform to the standards that we, as an operator, set – and our clients expect. We wanted to bring in a product that could fulfil the demand for an all-inclusive, but would also offer quality and value.”

Other hotels include the 5* Radisson SAS in El Quseir, the 3* Swisscare in Nuweiba, the 5* InterContinental in Taba Heights, the 5* InterContinental in Aqaba, the 3* Ali Pasha in El Gouna and the 3* Fantazia in Sharm el Sheikh. Meanwhile, the Nile cruise 5* Ra 1 has been added to Longwood’s selection of cruise options.

The two new tours, ‘Nile Delights & Southern Sights’ and ‘Hilton Combination’ add to Longwood’s range of Classical itineraries, an area in which the operator has seen much growth over the last year. ‘Nile Delights & Southern Sights’ combines a 4 night Nile Cruise with 3 nights in fascinating Aswan.

After being awarded Hilton Egypt’s Top UK Producer Award for the third consecutive year in March, Longwood has capitalised on it’s successful relationship with Hilton by introducing the ‘Hilton Combination’. The tour comprises 5 nights at the 5* Hilton Luxor followed by 7 nights at the 5* Hilton Waterfalls, Sharm el Sheikh.

Agents wishing to order a supply should contact the Agency Sales team on 020 8418 2550 or visit the brochure request page at www.longwoodholidays.co.uk.

Prices start at £345 for 7nts half board at the 4* Sea Star, Taba, including flights from London Gatwick, in-flight meals, transfers, taxes & surcharges.

Red Sea cruises start at £1365 for 7nts half board, while ‘Nile Delights & Southern Sights’ starts at £599 for 7nts – 4nts full board on the 5* Presidential Nile Cruise, and 3nts BB at the 5* Movenpick Resort & Spa Aswan. Price includes flights from London Gatwick, in-flight meals, transfers, taxes, surcharges and, on the tour, excursions as per the Nile Cruise itinerary.

Prices in Eilat start at £429 for 7nts self catering at the 3* Isrotel Riviera Club (based on a twin share studio room). Prices include flights from London Luton, in-flight meals, transfers, taxes and surcharges.

Regional flights available at a supplement.

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Notes to editors: Longwood Holidays is the UK’s leading independent Red Sea specialist, offering over 160 hotels across Egypt, Israel and Jordan. As well as package holidays to the Red Sea, the operator also offers a comprehensive tailormade programme, guided tours and an extensive diving programme.

Reservations: 020 8418 2525
Agency Support: 020 8418 2550
www.longwoodholidays.co.uk

Please contact Tara Bradberry on 020 8418 2550 or tara.bradberry@longwoodholidays.co.uk for all press-related queries.