The State of Travel
in the Mideast
Spiekermann Travel
Give a little background
on your agency : where are you located, what is your specialty, etc.
[Spiekermann Travel] STS has been in business since 1947 but it specialized
and became a major Tour Operator for the Middle East in 1971. It was
one of the largest EGYPT suppliers but in 1990 it started branching
into other Mideast places: Syria, Jordan, Iran, Tunisia, etc.. We always
pioneered in opening new markets for the American travelers, last of
which is Libya which as soon as the travel ban was lifted our programs
were in the market.
Why should people use a travel agent
instead of just going online and buying a ticket on their own?
[Spiekermann Travel] If the clients only want to buy a ticket, we certainly
don't have time for them, and the Internet is better! Our tours are
very specialized they include many other services aside from an airline
ticket: guides, hotels, transportation vehicles, visa procedures, internal
flights in overseas countries and most importantly we offer expertise
in planning and executing successful trips.
How is the war in Iraq reflecting on
travel to the Middle East?
[Spiekermann Travel] It is NOT at all, our fall 2004 trips all went
through despite the proximity of our destinations to Iraq: Eastern Turkey,
Iran, Syria/Jordan, the clients we receive are the educated, open minded,
curious ones that do not get frightened by unthreatening situations.
What kind of clientele (where from)
do you mainly deal with?
[Spiekermann Travel] From all over the US. We advertise in Archaeological
magazines that only cater to the affluent, educated, most often seniors
who do not like to travel in herds of large groups, who want trips led
by expert historians and small size groups.
Where are your people traveling to
and why? (i.e. are people going to Egypt for tourism, or the UAE for
shopping/business…).
[Spiekermann Travel] You can look up our web site, our tours are mainly
archaeology, culture and history oriented. Our destinations cover: Egypt,
Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Ethiopia, Mali, Iran
and Lebanon
Have you noticed any trends in travel
to the Middle East from your area?
[Spiekermann Travel] We don't deal with travelers who live in Michigan
so I can't tell you trends in my area?
The overall trend is that most Mideast bound travelers are the upscale
type, we less and less get requests for budget oriented people, these
are the ones that usually will shift to other destinations when they
hear the media talk about the Middle East.
Where should people consider going
(where they currently aren't going) and why?
[Spiekermann Travel] Algeria... we just started opening tours to Algeria
and we'll be the first to send Americans to that archaeological paradise.
Should you focus on one country? Or
is a package/travel tour a better option?
[Spiekermann Travel] It depends... some countries are owed a full trip
by themselves, like Egypt, Tunisia, Libya.. Each needs at least 2 weeks
so to combine them with neighboring places will be a disservice to the
tour. While others like Jordan and Syria can be combinable because in
2 weeks you can completely cover 2 countries.
How is traveling on land through countries?
[Spiekermann Travel] Generally easy. The only problems would be between
Syria/Israel/Jordan due to Israeli/Syrian sensitivities.
What are the best times of years to
visit the Middle East? Why?
[Spiekermann Travel] Fall and spring because weather is Neither TOO
hot (summer) nor cold and dreary and rainy (winter).
Ihab Zaki
Spiekermann Travel
Ph: 800-645-3233(outside MI)
pH: 586-775-9550
Fax: 586-775-9556
www.mideasttrvl.com
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