Destinations
Contiki Ecuador FAM delivers adventure and authentic experiences
After an adventurous week in Ecuador on a Contiki FAM trip packed with adrenaline-pumping activities like canyoneering down waterfalls, whitewater rafting and climbing up a steep mountainside via ferrata, Kathleen Anckner of Modern Travel Professionals shared that she has a renewed belief in touring vacations. “Being on this Contiki FAM restored my faith in touring as a mode of travel because it was so active, social, friendly and engaging. Not all tours that I’ve been on previously had the same level of service and personal touch that Contiki did,” Anckner revealed in Quito...
Message from the Minister — Best Way To Support Jamaica is to Visit
Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett says that “the best way to support” Jamaica’s “tourism sector and economy is to visit us.” In a statement updating the current situation on the island following the impact of Hurricane Melissa, Minister Bartlett wrote: “We understand how challenging this situation has been for locals and visitors alike, as the island seeks to protect lives and build back in areas that have been affected from the passage of the hurricane. The government remains committed to working tirelessly to get our sectors back to normal as soon as...
Cuba reports operations resume in Holguín
The Cuba Tourist Board reports that tourism operations in Holguín have fully restarted, following a brief pause caused by Hurricane Melissa. The first two commercial flights from Canada arrived on Nov. 5 at "Frank País" International Airport in Holguín, operated by Air Transat and WestJet, marking a swift return to normal operations. Recovery and rehabilitation efforts have been completed in record time, a testament to the joint efforts of local authorities, national task forces, and tireless hotel staff. Intensive sanitation work has been conducted, and essential services...
On location in Ecuador for TTC Tour Week 2.0 with Contiki
This month 400+ travel advisors are taking part in simultaneous FAM trips around the world as TTC Tour Week 2.0 officially gets underway. Joining a group of travel advisors from Canada, the U.S. and Australia, Baxter Media is currently in Quito taking part in the adventure-packed Ecuador in a Week itinerary. “This TTC Tour Week we are running nine FAM trips across the world, and across our touring brands,” shared TTC Tour Brands’ Jenni Berg, director, strategic accounts. “Destinations featured include Peru, India, Egypt, France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, the Czech...
Eastern Cuba accelerates recovery efforts as tourism infrastructure rapidly reopening
There’s continued good news from Cuba as the Cuba Tourist Board reports significant progress in the recovery efforts across the eastern part of the island following the recent passage of Hurricane Melissa. Under the leadership of the National Defense Council and with support from task forces across the country, essential services and tourist operations are being restored in record time. Recovery efforts have focused on the rapid sanitation of affected areas and the repair of critical infrastructure, including water, electricity, communications, and transportation services. And...
Mazatlan ready to welcome more Canadians this winter
Mazatlan is expecting a significant jump in the number of Canadians it hosts this winter and the following months, and is crediting WestJet in part for the expected increase. Carlos Berdegue Sacrista, president of the Hotel Association of Mazatlan, told Travel Press Today during last week's Fiesta Amigos Mazatlan 2025 tourism show that Mazatlan expects the number of Canadian visitors it sees this winter to be 20% to 30% higher than it was last winter. The prediction follows reports of heightened interest in the Pacific-fronting city from WestJet and Sunwing. "We hope you guys...
Destination Dubai: No End of One-of-a-Kind Experiences
The world just keeps discovering Dubai – there’s absolutely no doubt about it. In fact, in the first half of 2025, Dubai welcomed 9.88 million international visitors -- a 6% increase year-on-year. And tourism officials make it clear that Dubai’s evolving destination offering, driven by impactful public-private partnerships and amplified through a robust global marketing strategy, resulted in those gains. Clearly, the combination of Dubai’s unique offerings, safety and connectivity has established it as a preferred travel destination for visitors from both traditional and...
The Bahamas issues all clear
The Bahamas Department of Meteorology, in coordination with the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Authority, issued an All Clear for the entire country, confirming that all hurricane watches and warnings had officially ended. Following the announcement, the Bahamas Airport Authority conducted safety inspections at airports across the Central and Southern Bahamas. Most airports reopened, while operations at the following locations remained under review: Rum Cay Airport, Rum Cay Deadman’s Cay Airport, Long Island Stella Maris Airport, Long Island Authorities reported...