Destinations
Spotlight on ‘Authentic’ Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland officials are touting its festive present without sugarcoating its sometimes violent past. Richard Wakely, director of fall's Belfast International Arts Festival, said during a Friday Toronto visit that the secretarian violence that plagued Northern Ireland for much of the 20th century is over and those visiting Belfast today will find a flourishing cultural scene. “The city has changed beyond all recognition,” he said. “It's an astonishing turnaround.” The Belfast International Arts Festival – which Wakely labelled the “granddaddy” of Belfast's...
Saint Lucia Hotels Offer Summer Savings
More than 20 hotels in Saint Lucia are offering up to 60% off rates this summer, giving vacationers extra incentive to make the most of their summer travel season. From intimate inns to luxury resorts, attractive rates are being offered by hotels that cater to families, couples, wellness enthusiasts and more. The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority has created a Summer Specials promotional page with details about all hotel offers, which can be found on https://www.StLucia.org and clicking “Specials,” or going directly to https://www.StLucia.org/specials/Summer-Specials. Butler...
Agents’ Choice: Two Decades Of Tracking Trends
For 20 years, Baxter Media has worked diligently to make the Annual Agents’ Choice Readership Survey the most-trusted and authoritative travel industry poll in Canada. And the result, Canadian travel agents have made it their own, voting for their favourite suppliers in growing numbers, year-after-year. Over two decades, we've learned a lot by listening to agents across the country because, no matter how you slice it, Agents' Choice is their survey. It's our way of giving them an opportunity to let suppliers know how well they're doing from one year to the next. So here it...
Agents’ Choice Celebrates Josef Ebner
Being presented with the W.H. Baxter Lifetime Achievement Award at last night's second annual Agents' Choice Awards Gala is just the latest highlight for a man whose career and life have seen many lofty achievements. Josef Ebner, regional vice-president - Canada and managing director of downtown Toronto's Chelsea Hotel has also received accolades from the likes of Hotel Association of Canada, Canadian Hotel and Marketing Sales Executives, the Greater Toronto Hotel Association, the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario, the Austrian Canadian Council, and SKAL. His efforts to create...
Sustainability Through Road Trips By Visit California
California tourism authorities are literally on a drive to help relieve over-tourism at California’s most popular destinations, by promoting road trips throughout the state on its many kilometres of scenic highways and byways. Visit California recently published a colourful new catalogue of driving journeys, called “California Road Trips: 50 Life-Changing Adventures,” which features 50 detailed itineraries that cover 14,929 miles of road – including coastal routes, desert highways, mountain passes and more. Then, during the IPW conference and travel trade mart in Anaheim, a...
Bringing A Canadian Perspective To Selling The USA
The awareness and promotion of a Canadian perspective on vacations to the United States is a big plus that the new Brand USA office in Canada brings to the table, says the director of the office. “Canadians tend to have certain preferences for their vacations to the U.S.,” said Colin Skerritt, the new Canada regional director for Brand USA. “We know those preferences and are helping the tour operators be better able to sell those destinations and attractions,” said Skerritt, who met with Press Today during the recent IPW conference and travel trade mart in Anaheim. But it is...
A Taste of Cayman Comes To Toronto
Led by Canadian chef Dylan Benoit, the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism hosted a special culinary event at LUXE Appliance Studio in Toronto last night (June 12). Benoit, star of Food Network Canada’s “Fire Masters,” is from Barrie, Ont. and now resides in the Cayman Islands, known as the Culinary Capital of the Caribbean. Culinary experiences on the islands range from fish shacks to Champagne brunches to the Caribbean’s only AAA Five Diamond restaurant. Cayman is also a leader in the farm- and sea-to-table industry. Guests at the event were served Cayman beef patties,...
Unforgettable India
Minutes away from the most visited landmark in India is a small unassuming café without prices on the menu, writes assistant editor, Ann Ruppenstein in this week's Travel Courier cover story. After admiring the Taj Mahal and learning about the love story behind the iconic white mausoleum, which was built by the order of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, travellers can head to Sheroes Hangout in Agra for a cup of Masala milk tea and experience another kind of beauty: the strength and resilience of women like Rupa, Bala, Geeta and Neetu. A short documentary...