Amex shows its faith: American Express is sticking with the region with a brochure to Egypt, Israel, Jordan and
Turkey. (Destination: Eastern Mediterranean).(Brief Article)
Author/s: James Ruggia
Issue: March 18, 2002
Give American Express credit--it puts its money where its mouth is. In launching a full-color brochure of Egypt, Israel,
Jordan and Turkey, the company underlines its unofficial slogan: American Express: Here yesterday, here today and here
tomorrow. It's a bold, even brazen move to stand by this troubled region while most other operators are looking
elsewhere. A Major Player Says Michael Stolowitzky, director of international business development: "We want
to continue to be a major player in this region. We were a major sponsor of the international peace conference in Jordan in
2000, and we will be there when peace returns. We are American Express. Our decisions are based on long-term
considerations." In light of current events, it's fair to ask why a travel agent would try to sell or a traveler
would go to the Eastern Mediterranean. "They go for the same reasons they always went," says Stolowitzky, "because it is the
home of the Holy Land, the pyramids and of Western civilization. It has always been a major destination and whatever the
current situation is, it will continue to be a major destination. If we didn't believe in it, we wouldn't be sending people
there." Israel at the Heart Israel is at the heart of the brochure. The cover of the new brochure is of the
Bahai Gardens in Haifa. This is an interesting choice, as followers of the Bahai faith, though persecuted in Iran, face no
political friction in Israel. The brochure includes the three-night "Glory of Haifa" package, priced from $281, which visits
the Bahai Gardens and Shrine as well as a nearby Druze village. The package uses the Dan Haifa, and includes five meals, and
full- and half-day tours. The nine-night "Shalom" tour, which visits Tel Aviv, Caesarea, Haifa, Nazareth, Tiberias,
Jerusalem, Bethlehem, the Dead Sea and Masada, at $1,519, offers a slightly more secular appreciation of Israel than the
seven-night "In His Footsteps," from $1,149 and nine-night "Holyland," from $1,369. These packages include meet-and-greet
services, transfers, deluxe motorcoach transportation, all breakfasts and dinners, six days of sightseeing and the services
of an English-speaking guide. Amex also sells city-packs to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Tiberias and Eilat. Clients
interested in combining two countries can purchase the two-night" Eilat and Petra" package, starting at $445, which includes
accommodations in Eilat at the Dan Panorama or Dan Eilat, a full-day tour of nearby Petra, Jordan, breakfast daily, taxes
and service charges. Independent Travel The brochure branches more extensively into Israel and its neighbors.
The sections for each of the four countries begin with a handful of independent city-packs, to Amman, Jordan; Cairo and
Luxor, Egypt; Istanbul, Turkey; and Haifa, Israel. Each section also features longer, more comprehensive independent
packages that cover the entire destination. In Jordan clients can choose the four-night "Jordan in Luxury," from $729, and
six-night "Grand Tour of Jordan." The latter combines Amman, Jerash, Petra, Kerak and the Wadi Rum Desert from $979.
Egypt is represented by the nine-night "Splendors of the Nile," which combines four nights in Cairo with a five-night
cruise from $2,069; and the seven-night "Nile in Style," from $1,439, which combines three nights in Cairo with a four-night
cruise. The company's nine-night Turkey package, priced from $1,325, visits Istanbul, Bursa, Canakkale, Izmir, Ankara,
Cappadocia and Kayseri. All prices are per person double, land only.
Obviously, this is an unusual time for visiting many of these countries, but if you are sending clients to the Middle East,
you might as well choose an operator with two feet firmly on the ground, and that includes American Express. The company can
afford to offer a liberal cancellation policy, and has a broad network of offices and resources to look after your
clients.
For additional information, call 800-241-1700 or visit the Web site [www.americanexpress.com].
©Copyright 2001, Travel Agent
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