Destinations
Dive Into Wellness At Hotel Xcaret Arte
Chef Miguel Bautista is dipping white oyster mushrooms into a sauce and placing them onto a small charcoal grill. Today’s goal is to cook up a very common Mexican dish — tacos al pastor — but without a key ingredient: pork. “Once you identify the proteins in the vegetable world you can find substitutes,” notes Bautista, explaining that the grilling process mimics the charred flavour of meat skewered on a spit. Although there is a need for a vegan restaurant at the new 900-suite Hotel Xcaret Arte located in the Riviera Maya based on demand alone, the chef behind BIO...
A Picture Of Optimism
New research indicates that the tide of Canadian consumer sentiment towards air travel is changing. Expedia Group -- in collaboration with ARC – offers some new insights into emerging Canadian traveller trends -- as well as opportunities for travellers to capitalize on. Following a tumultuous year and a half, IATA has shared its view of a light at the end of the tunnel, fueled largely by the North American domestic market. Here in Canada, Expedia Group’s data shows that there has been a 210% year-over-year growth in air searches between 2020 and 2021, with Toronto and...
Club Med Quebec Charlevoix Is Rainbow Registered
Club Med Québec Charlevoix will be the first resort in the brand's portfolio to receive the Rainbow Registered accreditation with Canada’s LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce ahead of its opening in December. The national accreditation allows LGBTQ+ friendly businesses and organizations to be easily recognizable as an establishment that has met a stringent set of standards to ensure that guest feel welcomed and safe. (For the full story on the Rainbow Registered program check out Canadian Travel Press) In a study, researchers found that the majority of participants felt that they...
U.S. Border, Vaccine Moves Good News For Industry
It was a good news week for Canada’s travel industry as the United States announced that it would be reopening its borders – both Canada and Mexico – to fully vaccinated travellers. And the Biden Administration and the U.S. CDC also indicated that they would recognize vaccines approved by the U.S. and those approved by the World Health Organization (WHO). Over the weekend, news that the U.S. would also accept travellers who have been inoculated with a mix of those approved vaccines, removing a great deal of concern and providing a clear path forward for Canadian...
St. Vincent And The Grenadines Picks Its Winners
At last week’s St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ 2021 Roadshow – held virtually -- two lucky travel advisors were the big winners of the day, each being randomly selected for a trip for two. The roadshow featured a welcome from Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Sustainable Development and Culture, Hon. Carlos James, an update from Glen Beache, CEO of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority, as well as overviews of the various islands and a few of the many hotel options available in the destination. After the presentation, participants were able to chat directly...
UPDATED: U.S. Set To Open Border Nov. 8
November 8, 2021. Save that date. That’s when the U.S. will open its borders to fully vaccinated travellers after being closed since March 2020. The reopening applies to travellers who are arriving by air, land or aboard passenger ferries. For those arriving by air, they’ll need to show a pre-departure negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of travel prior to boarding their flight. The same policy applies for air travellers coming to Canada from the U.S. And for those taking non-essential trips across the land border, they’ll be required to show proof of...
Sandals, Beaches Adds More Topics
Sandals Resorts has announced the final six topics for its new training series “Sandals and Beaches Resorts … in 10 Minutes” that take place on Friday afternoons at 1:00 pm EDT. Developed exclusively for Canadian travel advisors and led by Lorna Richards, national training manager, Unique Vacations Canada Inc, the live virtual training sessions are concise yet do provide a comprehensive overview of the featured subject. There’s still time for travel advisors to participate in the word scramble puzzle for a chance to win one grand prize. Simply receive the “letter of the...
The Excellence Collection Opens New Punta Cana Resort
The Excellence Collection saw the grand opening of Finest Punta Cana on Oct. 1. This resort is the first of the collection’s Finest Resorts brand in Punta Cana, and "offers high-end all-inclusive vacations for all ages." Finest Punta Cana sits along the same stretch of golden sand beach as the collection’s two Excellence Resorts-branded properties for adults-alone in the destination: Excellence Punta Cana and Excellence El Carmen. Resort layout caters to guests of all ages at Finest Punta Cana, with different areas for families and for adults to share moments with loved ones in the...