Destinations
US Welcomes Visitors Says Customs Official
The man who oversees U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) presence at Toronto's Pearson International Airport says the United States remains a welcoming nation for both those wanting to visit it for vacations and people needing to travel there for business and used CBP statistics to demonstrate that. Lee DeLoatch told a Discover America gathering yesterday in Toronto that there were some 7.1 million instances of people leaving Pearson for different points in the United States last year and fewer that a 10th of 1% of those who arrive at the facility bound for the US are denied...
Sunwing Returns to Quebec City
Good news for Quebec City residents looking to get a head start on planning their summer vacation as Sunwing has announced that it will again be operating seasonal summer flights from Quebec City. In addition to returning destination favourites including Cancun, Varadero, Cayo Coco and Puerto Plata, travellers from the Quebec City region can also choose the white-sand shores of Punta Cana (pictured) with Sunwing’s new weekly flight service on Tuesdays from April 30 to Oct. 29, inclusive. Travellers who choose to vacation in Punta Cana have several accommodation options with...
Goway Introduces Thailand Agent Incentive
Agents booking a minimum of seven nights to Thailand on any Goway package will earn a $50 WaySpa massage certificate. Full details of the incentive can be found on Goway’s agent website. According to Goway, Thailand is arguably one of the best destinations in the world to send clients who want to relax, rejuvenate and refresh. The promotion ends March 31. While spa certificates will be handed out to any booking to Thailand, Goway is featuring four special packages that focus on wellness, health and self-care – perfect for the client who is looking to escape it all. All four...
Tauck Launching First-Ever Douro River Cruises
Tauck has announced that it will offer its first-ever cruises on the Douro River in Portugal next year, and that its three new itineraries will sail aboard a riverboat that's being designed and built specifically for the Douro. According to the officials, the new ship, the ms Andorinha, will offer more suites, more spacious public areas and an intimate ambiance that naturally results from having fewer guests on board. Tauck notes that with a capacity of just 84 guests, the Andorinha will carry fewer guests than any other vessel currently operated by a major line on the Douro. “At...
Barbados Is The Place To Be
If you ask Barbados' Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Kerrie Symmonds where travel agents fit in the island's plans, he'll answer succinctly: “Agents are important to us because agents influence the market.” In this week's digital edition of Canadian Travel Press, he explained that in an age of technology when more and more people – particularly, Millennials – like to be able to “shape their vacation on their own,” there comes a point when people can’t find the information they need easily; they need a question answered; or they need someone who is familiar...
Porter Releases Stephenville Schedule
Porter Airlines has released its 2019 schedule for Stephenville, Nfld., with 48 round-trip flights operating from Halifax beginning May 4 through Jan. 8, 2020. Schedules vary by season. “We are ready to begin our sixth year of service in Stephenville,” said Porter president Robert Deluce. “It is an important route for locals and an opportunity for visitors to access a unique area of the province.” Flights also connect with Ottawa and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport on the same aircraft. Other destinations in the Porter network are accessible from these...
Offices Closing, Mexican Tourism Director Thanks Trade
The director of the Mexico Tourism Board's Toronto office is thanking this country's travel trade for its support on the eve of the office's closure as Mexico's new government prepares to undertake a radically different approach to tourism promotion. The Toronto office will be closed at the end of February, with the Mexican government planning to turn tourism promotion responsibilities over to its diplomatic missions. Plans call for the closing of virtually all foreign tourism offices, including ones in Montreal and Vancouver. Mexico has had a stand-alone Toronto tourism office for...
Northeastern Ontario Is All It’s Cracked Up To Be
Having worked in the Yukon for nearly two decades, Rod Raycroft thought he’d seen the heart of Canada’s wilderness. Then he took up his is post as executive director of Northeastern Ontario Tourism and, “his beliefs were dashed.” Home to draws like The Crack in Killarney Provincial Park, an area beloved by The Group of Seven, and the largest freshwater island in the world, he says the part of the province stretching from Mattawa to Manitoulin Island is the doorstep to nature. “Manitoulin Island is a cultural treasure,” he tells Press Today. “We're an old region. We've...