Destinations
Make Your Voice Heard
TIAC is urging those in this country's tourist trade to plead their struggling industry's case directly to elected officials as Ottawa's budget draws near. TIAC president Beth Potter told an April 9 TIAC industry update that the tourism industry has been particularly hard hit by the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic and MPs and senators need to be made aware of that. TIAC formed the TIAC Industry Recovery Committee in response to pandemic. “We are asking for support for the hardest-hit businesses,” Potter said. TIAC has met with over 100 MPs since February, conveying...
Canadians Are Ready To Explore
Not to put too fine a point on it, the impact that COVID-19 has had on people’s daily lives has made the past year one of the hardest people have had to endure. And while there may still be tough days ahead, new research from Booking.com reveals that the appetite of Canadians to explore the world remains undiminished and after months of restrictions. In fact, thanks to the roll-out of vaccines and the development of other break-through medical advances in the battle against COVID-19, Canadian travellers are finally starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. Booking.com’s...
Disneyland Set To Open Avengers Campus
Disneyland Resort – inside the Disney California Adventure Park – will open Avengers Campus on June 4 – an entirely new land that will be dedicated to discovering, recruiting and training the next generation of Super Heroes. Now guests who are lifelong fans of Super Heroes – along with those discovering them for the first time -- are being invited to team up with the Avengers and their allies to live out their Super Hero dreams in this fully immersive land that mixes innovative technology and fun for all ages. Ken Potrock, president, Disneyland Resort, said: “We are so...
Restaurants Canada, Uber Eats Providing Support To 400
Restaurants Canada and Uber Eats distributed $1 Million in grants to 400 independently-owned restaurants across Canada this week. The program is part of a partnership announced in February to support restaurants that have had to keep their dine-in service closed or restricted with capacity limits. It is part of the “Eat Local Relief Effort”, a Canadian Uber Eats initiative to provide support to restaurants when they need it most. Lola Kassim, General Manager of Uber Eats Canada, said that: “As we continue past the one-year mark of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, it’s...
JTB Captures The Character Of The Industry
The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) is celebrating Travel Agent Day 2021 by creating hundreds of unique, personalized caricatures to share with Canadian travel specialists. The JTB is partnering with Toronto-based caricature artist, Cesar Vargas, who will design customized illustrations for 200 travel agents as a token of gratitude to Canada’s hardworking travel trade community. Needless to say, the caricatures will reflect each agent’s individual style and personality and will be hand-drawn featuring island-inspired details and backgrounds. Canadian travel agents are invited...
Registration Open For Caribbean Travel Marketplace
Registration is now open for the Caribbean Travel Marketplace which will be hosted virtually by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) from May 11 to May 14, 2021. Vanessa Ledesma, CHTA’s Acting CEO and Director General, foresees a dynamic and robust gathering as “the world emerges from COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and the pent-up demand for travel fuels the revival of the Caribbean’s main bread earner, tourism.” To accommodate expanded offerings, Caribbean Travel Marketplace will be held over the course of four days instead of its traditional two-day...
TruTravels Making It New In Canada
For the first time, TruTravels – which specializes in youth travel and social adventure – is expanding its trade sales into Canada. Timing of the move to sell via the trade comes as the company is making it easier for agents to connect travellers to the right trip by categorizing its collection into four styles of travel. According to TruTravels’ co-founder, Mark Pope the pause in international travel caused by the pandemic has given the company the opportunity to rethink its product positioning in terms of changing traveller needs and wants, and how they can make their...
A Light At The End Of The Tunnel
A number of Caribbean islands are making considerable headway in making themselves look attractive to coronavirus-wary travellers, a Wednesday Caribbean Tourism Organization webinar was told. The webinar featured tourism officials from several islands who noted progress is being made in protecting people from coronavirus in such markets as the United States and Britain – important sources of tourism for the region – but also in their own countries. There is “light at the end of the tunnel,” said Lindsay Grant, tourism minister of St. Kitts and Nevis. St. Kitts and Nevis...