Destinations
Discover The Great Taste Of Ontario
The Culinary Tourism Alliance (CTA) will be leading a dynamic recovery program aimed at supporting local businesses along the food tourism value chain and encouraging hyperlocal travel within the province. The program is complemented by a strategic, collaborative marketing campaign entitled “The Great Taste of Ontario," that brings together over 90 DMOs from across Ontario working in partnership with sector organizations, provincial organizations, media, charities with a focus on food security and industry representatives under one common goal. The effort has been made possible...
Cruise Tourism Resumes To St. Kitts & Nevis
St. Kitts and Nevis are celebrating the resumption of cruise tourism with the recent arrival of the Seabourn Odyssey, which will make a port call every week during the period July to October 2021. To mark the occasion of the ship’s arrival, there was a symbolic ship-to-ship salute, live steelpan performances and the renown drummers greeted the Odyssey, her passengers and crew as it docked at South Friars Bay. Prime Minister, Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris said: “Today is indeed a wonderful day for people of St. Kitts and Nevis as we warmly welcome the luxurious Seabourn Odyssey...
On Hold
There is no doubt that the biggest crisis in the history of the tourism industry is continuing to weigh on the recovery of international tourism. The latest data from the UNWTO reveals that between January and May, international tourist arrivals were 85% below 2019 levels -- or a 65% drop on 2020). And despite a small uptick in May, the emergence of COVID-19 variants and the continued imposition of restrictions are weighing on the recovery of international travel. On the positive side of the ledger, domestic tourism continues to rebound in many parts of the world. During the...
More Ways To Pay With Porter Airlines
Porter Airlines is giving its customers more payment options when purchasing flights on the company’s website. The carrier is partnering with Ingenico to provide alternative secure and convenient payment methods, starting with PayPal and WeChat. New channels are also being considered for future introduction. As well, customers who want to travel, but prefer to spread out their costs, can finance purchases of $300 or more by paying through easy monthly installments using Uplift. Customers will see the total cost of their trip at the time of booking, along with the monthly...
Whitaker Is Back In Miami
David Whitaker has been named the next President & CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB). The appointment marks a homecoming for Whitaker, who served as a member of the GMCVB team for 17 years (1990 – 2007), most recently as the organization’s Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer. Five years prior to that, he served on the executive staff of the United Way of Miami-Dade. Whitaker left Miami initially in 2007 due to an appointment to the role of President & CEO of Tourism Toronto (now known as Destination Toronto). Over...
Small Ship Sightseeing Sets Sail In Ontario
With Ontario now in Stage 3, small ship sightseeing tours operating in South Eastern Ontario are ready to welcome visitors for summer and fall tours, with all the necessary safety protocols and social distancing measures in place. Each sightseeing tour offers passengers an chance to experience some of the scenic routes along Ontario’s waterways, including the 1000 Islands. All ships operate with strict COVID-19 Health and Safety programs in place including protocols for reduced passenger capacity, mask usage and physical distancing onboard. Passengers cruise through...
ACV Expands Sun Routes In Western Canada
Air Canada Vacations has released details of its new lineup of 2021/2022 flights to sun destinations this winter. The roster includes a full flying program in Western Canada, with nonstop flights from major Canadian cities to Mexico and connections to an additional 31 destinations in Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. Nino Montagnese, Vice President, Air Canada Vacations, said: “Our customers have been dreaming of sunshine, clear blue waters and warm sand between their toes for over a year now, and we want to make it easier than ever for them to turn those dreams into...
U.S. Extends Canada-U.S. Border Restrictions To Aug. 21
The United States is extending the Canada-US border closure to Aug. 21. Not surprisingly, ACTA president, Wendy Paradis, said that the association “is disappointed that the United States has decided to continue its land border closure until August 21, even to fully vaccinated Canadians.” Paradis pointed out that: “American leaders across political parties have called for months for Canada to open its border. And yet, despite Canadians having a higher vaccination rate and substantially lower transmission of COVID-19, they have refused to reciprocate and follow a science-based...