Destinations
Intrepid Foundation Helping Out In Australia
The Intrepid Foundation, the not-for-profit arm of Intrepid Travel, has a new campaign to support the Red Cross Bushfire Emergency Appeal. Australia’s bushfires have already burned over 6 million hectares of land, taking the lives of millions of animals and over two dozen people. The scale of the crisis is unprecedented, and as a result, Intrepid pledged to match all donations up to AU$100,000, doubling donors' impact. After massive support from the Intrepid community, the company increased the target to AU$200,000 since the previous goal was hit in the first few days. To date,...
Saint Lucia Set To Introduce Accommodation Fee
After consulting with its industry stakeholders, the Saint Lucia government will be introducing a tourist ammommodation fee to be used for destination marketing and development. Beginning April 1, 2020, stay-over visitors to Saint Lucia will be required to pay an accommodation fee on their nightly stay on the island. All accommodation providers on the island (hotels, guest houses, villas, apartments etc.) will be required to collect from their stay over guests US$3.00 and US$6.00 respectively on a nightly rate below or above US$120. The fees will be paid by the stay-over visitor...
Malta Set To Celebrate Carnival Week
The annual Carnival in Malta and sister island Gozo is one of the oldest historical festivals dating back to the Knights’ of St John’s occupancy in Malta. This year Carnival Week in Malta takes place on Feb. 21-25. The five-day celebration is one of the most colourful events in the Maltese and Gozitan calendars. Traditionally preceding Christian Lent, Carnival provides five days of revelry with Carnival-goers dressing up in colourful costumes and covering their faces with masks. The heart of the action takes place in Valletta, Malta’s capital, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and...
Disneyland Welcomes the Year of the Mouse
Guests at Disney California Adventure Park can enjoy 24 days of festive entertainment, characters, food, merchandise and more as the park celebrates the Year of the Mouse, Jan. 17 through Feb. 9. During the 24 days of this multicultural celebration, guests can enjoy live entertainment and musical performances, including “Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession” and the return of the heartwarming “Hurry Home – Lunar New Year Celebration” prior to the “World of Color” nighttime spectacular. This unique Lunar New Year celebration comes alive with a touch of Disney magic as...
Welcome To 2020
In a message to the travel industry, the president of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA), Patricia Affonso-Dass writes: “I especially love the turn of year as it provides a wonderful opportunity not just to look back and take stock of the year that has passed, but more importantly to look to the year that lies ahead. We have much to be proud of for the way in which our industry and our association has taken up the challenges of the past year and successfully folded them into an optimistic canvas for the New Year. I'm truly heartened by the incredible sense of giving...
Explore The Wonders Of Japan
There's no doubt that Japan has a lot to offer visitors, consider the fact that its incredible cuisine consistently ranks amongst the world’s finest; its cities are dichotomous marvels of both tradition and modernity; and its cultural exports continue to find fans across the globe. As tourist interest in Japan continues to grow, the destination has put together a wide range of attractions that include everything from art exhibits to a living recreation of 17th century Japan. The following are just a few examples of what Japan has to offer its visitors: Walk among the Samurai at...
PATA Heads To Leshan In 2020
The PATA Travel Mart 2020 will take place in Leshan, Sichuan, China from Sept 3 to Sept. 6 and the event will be hosted by the Leshan Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau. PATA CEO Dr. Mario Hardy said: “We are delighted to be returning to Leshan, Sichuan, China for PATA Travel Mart 2020, having previously worked closely with our various partners to organize the PATA Annual Summit 2015, as well as the annual Emei Global Summit.” Hardy continued: “With its rich culture and beautiful natural landscapes, tt is the perfect setting for people to access decision makers,...
Canada Sizzles For Cuba In 2019
The Cuba Tourist Board reports that Canadian visitors to Cuba have surpassed last year’s arrival numbers. In December, Cuba announced that it had officially welcomed over a million Canadian visitors through the 2019 travel season, which it has now exceeded by 112,144. Lessner Gomez, director of the Cuba Tourist Board, commented: “2019 was an exciting year for Cuba with the Havana 500 celebrations, and the heightened excitement and energy still continues. We look forward to welcoming even more of our Canadian friends to Cuba in 2020 and to share Cuba’s unique spirit and soul as...