Mykonos Greece

By  Nabila Rahhal  executive-magazine.com

As the weather heats up, the Lebanese people have turned their eyes to the upcoming summer season, earnestly planning their next grand escape. Whether potential travelers take matters in their own hands and book through an international or local online travel agency, or whether they consult with one of the many travel businesses in Lebanon, one thing is for sure: the busiest period for many of the country’s travel agents is upon us.

Summer Fun

With school children off for the summer, and employees’ productivity challenged by the long warm days, it is no wonder that around 60 percent of outbound tourism trips are scheduled between mid-June and mid-September, according to travel agencies interviewed for this article. “We cater to the holiday travelers, and the bulk of our work is in the summer – we don’t cater a lot to business travelers,” says Elie Nakhal, general manager of the travel agency Nakhal.

For many Lebanese, the summer getaway is the only vacation they take all year and is, therefore, perceived as a reward for their hard work, according to Charbel Kahaleh, head of marketing and communications at Kurban Travel.

Travelers take many factors into careful consideration when planning for that all-important holiday, the most important being proximity, ease of access, price and activities at the destination, according to those interviewed by Executive.

Bringing the world closer

When traveling for a short getaway (the average summer trip is for up to seven days according to those interviewed for the article) it is very important not to squander precious time in airports waiting for connecting flights.

Indeed, ease of access to a destination through a direct flight is a strong indicator of the location’s popularity among summer leisure travelers. While certain locales may be attractive in their own right, a lack of direct flights can affect their success. “Past experience has shown us that good flight connectivity and easy access can significantly increase the destination awareness to the leisure travelers. The uncomfortable flight connection from Beirut to Thessaloniki is not an ally in our effort to showcase our luxury resort group, and the unique destination of northern Greece and Halkidiki to the Lebanese travelers,” explains Periklis Gompakis, senior market development manager at Sani Resort, adding that they counteract that issue by putting in extra effort into marketing Halkidiki to the Middle Eastern market through industry fairs, press trips and joint activities with their travel partners in the region.

Our prayers are with the Coptic victims! We denounce these barbaric attacks

by AP - At least 26 Coptic Christians have reportedly been killed by gunmen in Egypt. The Christians were travelling by bus to a monastery when they were attacked. Many of those killed were children, according to the New York Times. Health officials said that the attack happened on Friday while the bus was travelling on the road to the St Samuel Monastery in the Minya governorate, about 220 kilometres, or about 140 miles, south of the Egyptian capital. The health ministry has said there were between eight and 10 attackers dressed in military uniforms, according to witnesses. Khaled Mogahed, the health ministry spokesman, said that the death toll had reached 26 but feared it could rise further. According to Copts United news portal, only three children survived the attack. Arab television stations showed images of a damaged bus along a roadside, many of its windows shattered. Ambulances were parked around it as bodies lay on the ground, covered with black plastic sheets. Though no one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, it had all the hallmarks of Egypt’s Islamic State affiliate. Egypt has seen a wave of attacks on its Christians, including twin suicide bombings in April and another attack in December on a Cairo church that left over 75 people dead and scores wounded. The Islamic State group in Egypt claimed responsibility for them and vowed more attacks.

The Associated Press –BEIRUT (AP) — The Lebanese government has reappointed Lebanon’s long-serving Central Bank governor for another six year term. The …

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