ISRAEL’S specialist operators are putting Eilat on sale earlier this year to meet expected increased demand for winter and the approaching millennium period.
Pullman Holidays is launching its winter brochure in April, while Peltours is axeing its dedicated Eilat brochure and featuring the resort in the main programme, on sale this week.
Pullman Holidays managing director Simon Blutstein said: “We have laid on four extra flights on December 26-30 and already have a lot of advanced bookings.”
Longwood is also laying on extra flights, on December 22-23 and 26-27.
Its latest brochure features Eilat only, with the Jordan/Egypt content in a new programme which is due out in May.
Peltours marketing manager Darren Panto said by dropping the dedicated Eilat programme the operator will reduce costs.
Sales to the resort were badly hit last year when Thomson evacuated clients in response to Foreign Office advice, issued when a second Gulf War looked likely.
Panto said: “By putting Eilat on sale two months earlier than usual we can catch early bookings for the millennium.”
Israel specialist WST Charters sent agents a flyer last month featuring millennium packages. The brochure launch is set for May. WST marketing manager Adam Huberman said: “People are booking early. We have sold 30% of our capacity from London and Manchester for the December 26 flight to Eilat.”
WST prices for the New Year period are up to 30% more expensive than the same time last year. Ten nights at the Holiday Inn Patio now costs ú1,095.
Despite the evacuations, operators including Thomson, Sunworld and Unijet are sticking with the resort next winter.
Unijet general manager short-haul John Riley said: “The destination has so much to offer it would be foolhardy to pull out.” Unijet has dropped all charter capacity and is flying scheduled with El Al.
Details of hotels offering millennium celebrations are also highlighted in Thomson’s Faraway Shores brochure.