Approximately 15,000 Israelis will spend the Passover vacation in the Sinai, “but Sinai is not the preferred destination for Israelis this year’s holiday,” according to travel agents.
The figures have surprised the tourist industry given that it is just six months since 34 people, including 12 Israelis, were killed in a series of blasts on the peninsula.
Last Passover some 30,000 Israelis visited the Sinai. Most of the vacationers this year are Israeli Arabs and young people who have booked the cheap hotels.
Some Sinai deals seem to be quite inexpensive, such as $35 a night in a three star hotel and NIS 1,390-1,550 per couple for half-pension for 4 nights in hotels in the Taba area, which had the highest demand this season.
More: haaretz.com
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Egypt's vital tourist industry was dealt another blow after three young Islamist militants were killed in attacks in the heart of Cairo that left a number of foreign visitors injured.
One man blew himself up as he jumped off a bridge near the world famous Egyptian Museum on Saturday, and less than an hour later two women - the man's sister and his fiancee - died in an abortive attack on a tourist bus.
The attacks by what appears to be a new generation of young extremists without links to traditional Islamist groups followed a bombing in Cairo last month
NOEL Gallagher confessed his stunning lover Sara McDonald's claims that he is unromantic are true.
And the rock 'n' roll star says Sara criticises him for never wooing her with grand gestures.
"I think I’m really romantic, but my girlfriend insists that I am the most unromantic person of my generation", Noel told Word magazine.
And the Oasis frontman even claims not to celebrate Valentine's Day or buy birthday or Christmas presents for anyone over the age of 12.
Noel added: "I can’t work that 'cause I think I’m really, really romantic.
"But when I list the things I do, I’ll admit. I don’t
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Orthodox believers on the Radiant Resurrection of Christ."I am sending my sincere greetings to all Orthodox believers, all Russian citizens who celebrate the Radiant Resurrection of Christ," says the message disseminated by the Russian President's press service."Easter has become a national holiday widely celebrated throughout the whole Russia. On that joyful spring day, I would like to acknowledge an increasing positive influence of Russian Orthodox Church and other traditional Christian denominations on the improvement of moral and spiritual climate in the Russian society, education of the young generation, solution of urgent issues in the cultural
Emirates Holidays, the tour operating arm of Emirates Airline and one of the largest wholesale tour operators in the Middle East, declared a revenue of Dhs 355 million (US$97 million) for the financial year ended 31st March 2004 - an increase of 23 per cent over the previous year.
Around 100,000 tourists travelled with Emirates Holidays over the past twelve months, with the top destinations proving to be the U.A.E, Malaysia, Thailand, the United Kingdom, Egypt, Mauritius, the Maldives, Singapore, Lebanon and India. The six destinations growing fastest in popularity were Singapore, Australia, Switzerland, Austria, Hong Kong and New Zealand.
The past
Romantic country stars FAITH HILL and TIM McGRAW have a special reminder of the night they decided to get married - a full-length mirror.
Hill scrawled her romantic answer to McGraw's impromptu proposal on the mirror, and made sure it was the first thing he saw when he came off stage after performing live.
She recalls, "He's about to walk out on stage and he's like, 'Will you marry me?' and I said, 'What? Of course, yes.' He knows I will but I wanted to answer... 'Darling, I've waited for you all of my life.'
"While he's on stage there's this (touring) case