Destinations
Riley Retires as CTO Secretary General
Hugh Riley, who was appointed to the top post at the Barbados-headquartered Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) in August 2009, has gone on pre-retirement leave ahead of his departure at the end of June. The organization’s director of finance, Neil Walters, will act in the position until a successor is appointed. A search is underway to replace Riley. The secretary general is the public face and chief spokesperson of the CTO, and provides the organization with visionary leadership, strong direction and clarity to its policy development. The holder of the post is responsible for...
Kids Stay Free With Wedding Groups and Karisma
With wedding season upon us, Karisma Hotels & Resorts’ Generations Riviera Maya and Azul Beach Resort Riviera Cancun are inviting kids to stay for free with wedding groups of 10 rooms or more. Wedding couples can enjoy the company of even the smallest of guests as children ages 3-12 are free, up to 25 kids in total. The offer is available through May 31, for travel beginning May 1 and ending Dec. 20, for a maximum of two children per room. And, at both luxurious, Gourmet Inclusive resorts, wedding couples can breathe easily knowing there will be no detail left unturned. Every...
Condor Adds Flights
Just in time for the peak summer travel season to Europe, Condor Airlines has announced additional flights from Canada and the US to Frankfurt with onward connections throughout Europe and beyond. Additional weekly flights include service from Calgary (four times a week) and Halifax (five times a week). The flights are on Boeing 767-300 equipment. Fares start at $279, one way on select departures. Condor destinations also currently include Toronto and Vancouver with non-stop service to Frankfurt. Thomas Cook Group Airline, parent of Condor and Thomas Cook Airlines, U.K., has also...
Take The Road Less Travelled In Cuba
With its centuries-old facades, cobbled streets and an abundance of classic cars, it's easy to imagine a time when Ernest Hemingway roamed the streets of Havana in search of his next libation – in between, or perhaps, to fuel – his writing sessions, writes assistant editor, Ann Ruppenstein in this week's Travel Courier cover story. “He knew all the bars here in Old Havana,” tour guide Betsy Olivares of Cubatour muses as the group approaches one of his favourite former local watering holes, El Floridita, which today serves as a popular spot for tourists to grab a daiquiri and pose...
Machu Picchu Pueblo 100% Sustainable
Peru hotel group Inkaterra, partnering once again with beverage distribution company the AJE Group, has succeeded in making Machu Picchu Pueblo the first city in Latin America to manage 100% of its solid waste. Continuing their initiatives for the conservation and environmental care of Machu Picchu, AJE Group and Inkaterra presented the first Organic Waste Treatment Plant to the city. Through the process of pyrolysis, in which the waste is decomposed at high temperatures without oxygen, seven tons of trash is processed per day, generating bio-coal, a natural fertilizer that will be...
Kensington Hosts Agents in Israel
Kensington Tours recently hosted an agent fam in Israel for its top performing advisors, focusing on showing what it does best – providing customized trips and private-guided experiences. “We want advisors to know what we offer and how we make it all work,” said Elizabeth Story, director of sales, Canada, Kensington Tours, who hosted the group. “We customize all of our trips to a much higher degree. Whatever our advisors ask for, our destination experts can source it, find it and offer it quickly and accurately.” The Israel fam focused on several of the country’s...
Hotel Le Crystal Beds Fit For A King
Eric Hamel wants to make it Crystal-clear that those who overnight in his hotel won't find their beds cramped. Hamel, general manager of downtown Montreal's Hotel Le Crystal, noted during a Tuesday Toronto gathering that hotel management decided on uniform sleeping arrangements throughout the upscale hotel. “We only have king-sized beds,” he said of the recently renovated property that has seen its rooms redone and gained a restaurant. “Much has changed,” he said of the renovations to a hotel that's only 11 years old. Management decided to renovate despite the hotel's...
Discover Iceland, Wales With Kensington
Responding to the interests of its clients, Kensington Tours has created several new, fully customizable itineraries and experiences in Iceland and Wales. In Iceland, the private-guided tour operator has added four new itineraries that include: Icelandic Summer and the Midnight Sun; Iceland Honeymoon; Iceland Golden Circle Exclusive; and Volcanic Valleys of Iceland - part of Kensington Tours exclusive Explorers Club Collection. As the name suggests, the Icelandic Summer and the Midnight Sun itinerary features the famous midnight sun which offers up to 24 hours of daylight and...