Destinations
At Home, With Family In Nepal
Rajani Shrestha is standing in the kitchen on the top floor of her house – or, our home, as she puts it – in Panauti, Nepal pinching and shaping a white substance made of rice flour, demonstrating how to make a Newari delicacy called yomari, writes assistant editor, Ann Ruppenstein in this week's Travel Courier. Shrestha is one of 20 women in the historical village who have opened up their homes to travellers, most of whom visit the medieval town on G Adventures itineraries, as part of a community homestay project. After hiking from the eastern edge of the Kathmandu Valley and...
Hari Raya Celebration a Slice of Malaysian Culture
Malaysian cuisine was the central attraction at a recent cultural celebration hosted by the Malaysian consul general in Vancouver. Shamsul Nizam bin Shamsuddin welcomed a big turnout of business partners, tourism operators, journalists and friends to his backyard for the culinary gathering named Hari Raya Aidilfitri. It marks the end of the Ramadan month of fasting that is observed by Muslim communities around the world. In the case of Malaysia, it comes with generous servings of some of the best-tasting dishes on the planet. Hari Raya is a great way to open a door on the culture of...
RIU Acquires a Second Hotel in Zanzibar
RIU Hotels & Resorts has acquired its second hotel in Tanzania. The new property will be marketed as part of the sophisticated Riu Palace brand, as Riu Palace Zanzibar already is. The new hotel is located in the Nungwi Beach area and sits on a white-sand beach with crystalline waters at the far north of Unguja, the main island of the Zanzibar archipelago, a little over an hour by car from the airport and the capital city. Its 149 rooms are five-star rated. Amenities include 24-hour all-inclusive service, free WiFi and a restaurant over the sea where guests can enjoy local...
Air Canada Enhances Atlantic Canada Services
Air Canada has introduced a host of enhancements to Atlantic Canada services this winter. Overall capacity will increase by 8% as some routes will transfer to Air Canada Rouge, and other Air Canada Rouge and mainline services will be extended to year-round. “Leisure travellers and business customers alike will benefit from these service enhancements which clearly demonstrate our commitment to these markets as we increase capacity on numerous routes in Atlantic Canada, which we have been serving year-round since 1942, longer than any other carrier,” said Mark Galardo,...
Globus, Cosmos Launch 2020 North American Itineraries
Globus and Cosmos have unveiled their 2020 North American itineraries – some centred on special events – packed with convenience and attention to detail for US and Canada vacations. And effective immediately, all North American tours for 2020 are open for sale. They include new Globus tour Quebec in Depth with the Gaspé Peninsula. Starting in Montreal, but concentrating on historic villages, marine wildlife and farm-to-table dining, a highlight for many will be a whale-watching cruise. Globus has also brought back its Historic Cities of Eastern Canada tour and now with an...
Travel Nevada Picks Reach Global Marketing
The Nevada Division of Tourism (Travel Nevada) has selected Reach Global Marketing as its agency of record in Canada. Reach Global will develop and execute communications, sales and marketing activities across Canada, promoting overnight stays and tourism activities within the State of Nevada. “Nevada offers many unique experiences that go beyond what Canadians currently expect from the state,” says Charmaine Singh, president & CEO, Reach Global Marketing. “We are excited to inspire Canadians to travel to a state where the options are limitless; with rich landscape and...
Swoop Off to San Diego
Swoop has introduced service to San Diego from Edmonton and Abbotsford, BC beginning Oct. 4. As a complement to its published winter schedule, Swoop has added three-times weekly service between Edmonton International Airport (YEG) and three-times weekly service between Abbotsford International Airport (YXX) and San Diego International Airport (SAN). The non-stop San Diego routes are offered every Thursday, Friday and Sunday. “San Diego is an excellent addition to our winter line-up with a schedule that encourages weekend excursions by air,” said Karen McIsaac, senior advisor of...
Satisfaction Guaranteed
An Ipsos survey conducted for Tourisme Montréal, reports that 95% of leisure and business travellers who stayed in Montréal in 2018 were either satisfied or very satisfied with their experience. The proportion of those who said they were very satisfied has gone up 20% from 2006. Furthermore, 93% of the leisure tourists polled said they would recommend Montréal as a destination, while 84% of business travellers said they'd like to come back to Montréal on a leisure trip. Overall, more than 8 out of 10 visitors said they'd like to visit again within five years. When asked about...