COX & KINGS LAUNCHES ITS MIDDLE EAST PROGRAMME FOR 2018 INCLUDING NEW ESCORTED TOURS AS WELL AS SUGGESTIONS FOR FAMILIES AND SOLO TRAVELLERS

London – 7 August 2017

Cox & Kings, which celebrates its 260th anniversary in 2018, has launched its new brochure to the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia and the Gulf. Alongside the comprehensive programme of escorted group tours and private travel options, there are new escorted tours in Morocco, Jordan, and Iran. The lead-in tour is Splendours of Jordan, a 7-night escorted tour priced from £1,495 per person.

Passenger numbers travelling to the Middle East so far this year have increased by almost 50% compared to the same time last year. Cox & Kings' escorted tours have increased by 40% and tailor-made numbers by 69%, showing renewed confidence in the region's security.

Owen Walker, Cox & Kings' Middle East product manager says, “We are thrilled to see that customers' confidence in the region is returning and our bookings are growing year on year. We continue to increase the range of escorted tours and private travel options that we offer but there is very little that our well-travelled experts can't arrange.”

NEW: MOROCCO: Just a short flight from the UK, Morocco is an easy destination to visit for a complete change in culture and traditions and offers excellent value for money. Moroccan Explorer: Imperial Cities to Desert is a new 9-night tour priced from £1,695 per person. Travelling from Casablanca to Marrakech, the tour discovers imperial cities and diverse scenery on the way. Highlights of the tour include a stay in the medina of Chefchaouen and a 4x4 excursion into the desert at sunset.

With a significant increase in demand for solo traveller tours, a new 4-night tour to Marrakech has been introduced. Mystical Marrakech is priced from £1,195 per person and includes a cookery class, hammam and visit to the picturesque Ourika valley. Cox & Kings' solo traveller tours have no single supplements and include single occupancy of twin or double rooms as standard.

Morocco Family Adventure is a new suggested itinerary combining the exotic city of Marrakech, with the Atlantic coast and Atlas mountains. The 8-night itinerary is priced from £1,570 per person.

NEW: TREASURES OF JORDAN: With passenger numbers booked on the Splendours of Jordan group tour in 2017 up 70% compared to this time last year, Cox & Kings is increasing the number of departures in 2018 from 12 to 16. The tour is currently one of the company's top five bestsellers so is introducing a new solo traveller tour for 2018. The 7-night Treasures of Jordan tour is priced from £2,195 per person and includes a cookery class in Petra as well as a return visit by night to see Petra by Candlelight.

NEW: IRAN: Since reintroducing tours to Iran at the end of 2015, Cox & Kings' Treasures of Persia tour has consistently sold well and confirmed bookings for 2017 are up 20% compared to the same time last year. A new 11-night solo traveller tour to the country has been introduced for 2018: Persian Odyssey is priced from £3,295 per person and includes a visit to see the crown jewels. 

As awareness of the country grows, there is more interest in exploring lesser-known sites. Western Iran Explorer is a new 13-night private tour priced from £5,845 per person combining the popular highlights in the heart of the country with the seldom-visited west. North-West Iran & the Caspian Sea is an 11-night private tour priced from £4,695 per person and features the mountainous region near the Caspian Sea as well as visiting impressive mosques, Armenian churches and ancient settlements.

NEW: OMAN: Passengers booked on the escorted tour to Oman so far for 2017 are up over 60% compared to last year and with more luxury hotels opening in the country, this trend looks set to continue. Cox & Kings is introducing a new family tour for 2018 as well as new suggestions for private travel. Oman Family Explorer is a 9-night tour priced from £4,195 per person and includes dolphin watching in the Gulf of Oman, 4x4 drives in the Shaqiya Sands along with a camel safari and sand boarding. Islands, Mountains and Desert of Oman is a 7-night tour priced from £4,195 per person combining the Al Hamra mountains and a night under the stars in the desert with an overnight catamaran cruise around the Damaniyat islands.

All prices include international flights, transfers, excursions and accommodation with breakfast daily unless specified otherwise.

Please see www.coxandkings.co.uk/middle-east for the full programme to the Middle East.

RESERVATIONS: 0207 873 5000 / www.CoxandKings.co.uk 

PRESS INFORMATION: KATIE COSSTICK

PRESS OFFICE: 020 7808 5694 / Katie.Cosstick@CoxandKings.co.uk

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NOTE TO EDITORS

Cox & Kings is the world's longest established travel company. Its history stretches back more than 250 years to 1758 when Richard Cox was appointed regimental agent to the Foot Guards (later the Grenadier Guards). The company's fortunes grew hand in hand with the British empire and by the early 20th century the company was acting as agent and banker throughout the armed forces and as a shipping agent. In 1922 Cox & Co merged with the Henry S King bank, which had strong connections with India. The bank became part of Lloyds and the shipping agency grew separately, evolving into the modern travel company.

Today, built on the high quality service and attention to detail established by Richard Cox in the 18th century, the company continues to flourish as an independent tour operator, with operations in London, the US, Japan, Australia and throughout India. Cox & Kings organises escorted small-group tours and private tailor-made travel in the Indian Subcontinent, Latin America, the Middle East, the Far East, Africa, Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific, and the Caribbean.