Destinations
Switzerland Reaches New Heights
Switzerland has reached new peaks in popularity in Canada. According to tourism data from the Swiss Federal Office of Statistics, Canadian arrivals and overnights increased once more in 2018 compared to the previous year, concluding in another record year. The latest numbers show an increase of 9,6% in Canadian arrivals in Switzerland in 2018, for a total of 126,198. The number of overnight stays was 270,959, an increase of 9,4% compared to 2017. Commenting on the results, Pascal Prinz, director Canada for Switzerland Tourism, said: “Canadians feel rejuvenated and truly alive...
Discovering Undiscovered Britain
It was a hearty and stalwart group of travel agents who made their way – through a major winter storm -- to the Omni King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto yesterday (Feb. 27) afternoon to discover, courtesy of the Globus family of brands and VisitBritain, Undiscovered Britain. As agents attending enjoyed afternoon tea, Stéphanie Bishop, managing director of the Globus family of brands in Canada, explained the company's new Undiscovered Britain program. She noted that although Great Britain is not a new destination, what surprises her is how many agents have either never visited...
Exclusive: Canadian Agents Pick The World’s Top Beaches
As snow piles up across the country and temperatures continue to drop, many Canadians long for a hot beach escape. From remote stretches of sand in far-flung locales to the ever-popular Caribbean getaways, there are a bounty of spectacular places for travellers to soak up the sun, whether they seek white, pink or even black sand. So, where exactly should your clients go to hit the beach this winter? Well as part of Baxter Media’s annual Agents’ Choice voting process, Travel Courier Digital got the travel trade to weigh-in with their picks for the best beaches around the...
SEA Flight News By SQ Comes With Big Prize
A night of information gathering by attendees at a recent Singapore Airlines (SQ) event turned into something much bigger for meetings consultant Alex Frias of International Conference Services of Vancouver. Frias was on the receiving end of a randomly drawn prize package that includes return flights to Singapore on Singapore Airlines with a space-available upgrade designation. He will be onboard one of the new flights that will be departing from Seattle (SEA) as of Sept. 3, when the new non-stop service to Singapore begins. The package also includes a three-night stay at the...
And The Atout France Award Goes To…
Forget The Oscars, last night awards were given out a little closer to home as Atout France recognized partners during the annual Destination France event in Toronto. Over the past few weeks, the France Tourism Development Agency had Canadian agents vote for the “most inspiring travel product in France.” Jolene Plant, product director, at Kensington Tours (pictured top centre) accepted the Product of the Year Award for its Paris and the Chateaux of the Loire Valley itinerary at the awards ceremony held at the Westin Harbour Castle. The award is geared at recognizing talent in crafting...
Another Record Year for Canada
The tourism sector in Canada has reached another milestone, beating the 2017 record for arrivals by more than 250,000 travellers. Continued growth, say Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) officials, is a testament to tourism's place as an essential contributor to the Canadian economy, and growing export industry. Since international travellers typically spend more and stay longer than domestic travellers, continued growth from global markets means tourism businesses coast to coast continue to thrive. In 2018, visitors from the United States made up 68% of international...
WestJet Adds London-Montreal Service
WestJet is adding more choice for travellers in London, Ont. and Montreal this summer with a new daily service starting June 24 and operating through Oct. 15 on WestJet Encore. “We continue to see robust use of our service between Montreal and Toronto and are aware that many of these guests travel to and from London,” said Brian Znotins, WestJet vice-president Network Planning and Alliances. “We are certain WestJet guests from Montreal and London will enjoy more convenient access to these popular leisure and business markets during the busy summer travel season.” This summer...
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...