Country roads

Country Holidays, specialists in outbound travel to Asian destinations, recently opened its doors in Dubai, UAE.

Louen Tang, general manager, Country Holidays Dubai, tells TTN: 'In the UAE, we position ourselves as a proven expert in Exotic Asia, based on more than 20 years’ experience within the Asian market.'

'We have been planning to open an office in Dubai for the Middle East market for some time, as Dubai is the metropolitan hub of the Gulf region. For the time being, the itineraries on our website depart from Dubai and our prices are quoted in dirhams. However, we customise packages for any client’s city of residence and in any currency.

'In fact, just a few months after opening, we already have customers from Saudi Arabia, and are more than happy to accommodate their needs and the needs of customers from around the region.'

Strategy

'Personal experience of the destinations and in-depth product knowledge allow us to develop and offer unique holiday experiences. This in-depth knowledge and experience is our greatest strength in the industry, as we only sell tour packages we know and trust. All of our travel specialists have rich travel experience in our destinations, which allows us to deliver the best luxury travel experience for a given itinerary.'

Being located in Dubai not only gives Country Holidays the logistical advantage of being in the same location as its customers, it also allows them to pay particular attention to regional cultural needs that are often overlooked by other travel specialists in Asia.

'For example, we can arrange halal meals, choose accommodation that caters to the needs of Muslim families and take prayer timings into consideration while designing each tour.'

'Our offices in Singapore, China and Hong Kong have been bringing travellers to the Middle East for more than 10 years for in-depth tours, in addition to our 20 years of experience in Asia, and in those Asian markets we’re considered to be a leading expert in Middle East travel.

'Iran and Jordan have traditionally been our most popular destinations in the Middle East,' he reveals.

Responsible tourism

'Our ultimate goal in bringing our customers to their holiday destinations is to make them happy and create an unforgettable experience.

'Nevertheless, we in the travel trade cannot ignore that we are guests of the destination countries and we’re privileged to work alongside the local people and local environment.

'They play a crucial role in international tourism and they are the ones who create lasting memories for our clients. Minimising our impact within destination countries will not only maintain the beauty of those destinations, it will also make the travel business more sustainable.'