MyTravel to offer China package from next year

MyTravel to offer China package from next year

	Published : Wed, 22 Mar 2006 08:00 By : James Rowe Print this Story

LONDON: U.K. tour operator MyTravel Group Plc. is planning package tours out of Britain to China. The company will start selling the tours next week under its Airtours brand. The first batch of tourists will leave for China next year.

The 1,240-pound package comprises a two-week vacation that covers the well known beach resort of Sanya and visits to places including Beijing.

MyTravel is planning the China foray as many European travel companies are now upbeat on China, which according to estimates is expected to see the largest number of tourists than any nation except Germany and Japan by 2020.
A Spanish airline, Air Europa, has already started direct flights to China.

Airtours will ferry the tourists to Sanya, a city on the tropical island of Hainan, in a 15-hour flight. Hainan is known as the place where the Miss World finals were hosted in the past three years.

According to MyTravel, charter tour bookings for this summer in the U.K. have seen a decline of 3.5 per cent, compared with a 7.6 per cent decline for the market as a whole.

The first batch of holidaymakers will be flown from Manchester and Gatwick airports on charter flights in May 2007. They will be lodged at the 390-bedroom four-star Eadry Resort Sanya City. They can opt for a two-night break in Beijing, where they will be taken to important landmarks, including Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Great Wall. Trips to Hong Kong and Xian can be arranged for an additional charge.

Rival tour operator Kuoni has been offering China trips from this year for 1,500 pounds. The trip covers Sanya Beijing, Xian and Shanghai.

Two other tour operators -- Thomas Cook and Thomson -- offer China packages, but at the higher end of the price tag. While Thomson's 10-day trip costs 1,300 pounds, Thomas Cook charges 1,450 for 10 nights. The other major operator, First Choice does not include China under its plans.