COX & KINGS ANNOUNCES 67% GROWTH IN MIDDLE EAST AS IT LAUNCHES ITS NEW BROCHURE TO THE REGION FOR 2009.

Celebrating its 250th anniversary in 2008, Cox & Kings has launched its new Middle East brochure for 2009, featuring a comprehensive programme of escorted group tours and private tailor-made travel to the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia.

The company has announced record figures to the Middle East in the last twelve months, with a 67% increase in booking numbers to the region overall. Cox & Kings� Middle East Product Manager, Mark Stacey, says �we are delighted to see such a resurgence in the popularity of the Middle East. From Uzbekistan�s Islamic cities to Jordan�s Crusader castles and Morocco�s winding souks � the region has so much to offers visitors in the way of sites, history and culture. It also benefits from almost guaranteed weather conditions and short flight times.�

Syria has seen the biggest growth in the region, with passenger numbers up 365% on the same period last year. �Our group tour in Syria is extremely popular with first time visitors� explains Stacey �but we are also seeing more and more people opting for tailor-made visits to Syria. The Arab Capital of Culture for 2008, Damascus is a fascinating city that makes a great short break destination just five hours from the UK, or it can be combined with Istanbul and Aleppo by train�.

Iran is seeing encouraging growth as its unique culture and wonderful architecture receive more exposure. Cox & Kings� Treasures of Persia group tour (page 56) has re-entered the brochure after a year of strong sales from the website. The eight-night introductory tour combines the Islamic architecture of Isfahan and Shiraz, the ancient Achaemanid capital of Pasargadae and the wonderful bas-reliefs of the palace of Persepolis. From �1,495 per person.

Bookings to Egypt have doubled in the last year, with a dramatic surge in Nile cruise bookings in particular. The 2009 brochure�s extended cruise portfolio comprises a number of luxurious new vessels from Oberoi, Movenpick and Sonesta, amongst others. The launch of the Oberoi Zahra in October 2008 upped the ante for luxury Nile cruisers and it�s still the best on the river. Cox & Kings offers an 11-night private journey, including a seven-night cruise on Zahra, from �2,895 per person.

Looking forward to the year ahead, the company predicts further growth in the Tailor-Made sector. Tailor-Made journeys organised to the Middle East in the last year have included a month-long Northern Africa Explorer tour, combining Morocco, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, and a three-week overland trip from Istanbul to Cairo, passing through Syria, Jordan and the Sinai peninsula. �Cox & Kings offers one of the most comprehensive programmes in the Middle East� explains Mark Stacey. �We have the experience and the expertise to offer complete flexibility in the region and there�s actually very little we can�t arrange�.

The first in a new-look collection of brochures from Cox & Kings, the Middle East 2009 programme features an extended range of private journeys and tailor-made options in Egypt and a new itinerary in Jordan venturing further off-the-beaten-track.

NEW: Treasures of the Nile (Page 16): This eight-night private journey combines a comprehensive stay in Cairo, including Egypt�s ancient capital of Memphis, with a three-night cruise aboard the Sonesta Star Goddess. Visit the Valley of the Kings in Luxor and the Temples at Kom Ombo and Edfu. From �1,745 per person including flights with British Airways, eight nights� accommodation with breakfast (full board on the cruise) all transfers and excursions.

NEW: Connoisseurs� Tour of Egypt (Page 20): This tour travels the length of the Nile Valley, from Cairo to Aswan, and offers a comprehensive overview of the land of the Pharaohs. Visits to the superb archaeological sites of Upper and Lower Egypt are combined with the fascinating and lesser-known sites of Middle Egypt. The 13-night private journey costs from �2,295 per person, including flights with British Airways, 13 nights� accommodation with most meals, transfers and all excursions on a private basis.

NEW: Footsteps of the Pharaohs (page 21): This new private journey is ideally suited for those wanting to see the sights of Egypt while staying in hotels, rather than from a cruise. Start in Cairo, take in the Valley of the Kings, and continue to Aswan by car, visiting the temple complexes at Edfu and Kom Ombo en route. The nine-night private journey costs from �1,195 per person including flights with British Airways, nine nights� accommodation with breakfast, and all transfers and excursions on a private basis.

NEW: Crusader Castles & Petra (Page 36): This tailor-made itinerary suggestion visits the great Crusader castles of Kerak and Shobak, the castles at Ajlun, the desert �castles� of the Umayyads and the classical sites of Jerash and Petra. Seven nights from �1,495 per person.

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See www.coxandkings.co.uk for full details of Cox & Kings� Middle East programme.

If you would like to receive a copy of the new 2009 brochure, please contact:

Laura Smith on 020 7873 5006, or email laura.smith@coxandkings.co.uk