Destinations
‘Best Summer ever,’ Bartlett
Jamaica Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett reports the island experienced record-breaking stopover arrivals from May to August, with provisional estimates showing stopover arrivals up by 6% over the same period last year. “It has definitely has been our best summer ever. We had 884,324 visitors compared to the 834,292 from the period May to August in 2017,” said Bartlett. “These figures contributed to total visitor arrivals (May to August) of 1,312,494, which was a 4.4% increase over the same period last year.” Data received by the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) also indicates...
Hurricane Florence Threatens Carolinas, Virginias
Even in lieu of the worst-case scenario, Hurricane Florence has the potential to join the ranks of the costliest natural disasters in the history of the United States, according to AccuWeather, which says severe flooding could leave some communities under water for days or more. With the potential for Florence's forward speed to slow and possibly stall, a current forecast of feet of rain would lead to catastrophic flash flooding and major river flooding in parts of the Carolinas, Virginia and possibly other neighbouring states. “Most of hurricane damage and loss of life occurs not...
Celebrating The Wonders Of Germany
The Destination Germany Roadshow rolled into Toronto last night (Sept.10) as 20 suppliers from Germany and Canada were on hand to update some 80 agents on what's on offer in the European destination. Looking ahead, the major themes for the German National Tourist Office are the celebration of 100 years of Bauhaus in 2019, and Beethoven’s 250th anniversary and the Oberammergau Passion Play in 2020, which only occurs every 10 years. "I hope that agents got a good idea of how diverse Germany is and of how much it has to offer," says Julia Dywelski, the new director of the German...
West Hollywood Offers ‘Authentic’ L.A. Experience
Just in time for TIFF, a delegation of West Hollywood tourism officials dropped by Toronto last week to help spread the word on all the trendy California destination has to offer. Located in the heart of Los Angeles, West Hollywood is a popular tourist area known for its high-energy nightlife, famed Sunset Strip, restaurants, boutique hotels, comedy clubs and music venues (like The Viper Club and Whiskey a Go Go) and as a swanky celebrity hideaway. Speaking at an intimate industry luncheon at The Chase on Friday, Jeff Morris, chief marketing officer for the West Hollywood Travel...
Planet Hollywood Coming to St. Maarten
The Sunwing Travel Group is advising agents that Planet Hollywood has announced plans for the development of a new resort on the beachfront of Great Bay, St. Maarten. With the addition of this latest resort development, the Group has now made an investment commitment of more than US$600 million into bringing the iconic lifestyle brand to key destinations internationally, starting with Costa Rica in October and Cancun in 2019. A destination unto itself for dining and entertainment and a haven for vacationing celebrities, the 450-room resort will feature luxury accommodations,...
Los Cabos Adding Six Luxury Hotels in 2019
Mexico's Los Cabos is getting set to expand its hotel inventory with the addition of six new luxury properties in 2019. This includes the Ritz Carlton Reserve (Q1), Nobu Los Cabos (Q2), Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos (Q2), Vidanta East Cape (Q4), Four Seasons Resort Los Cabos (Q4) and Villa Valencia (TBD). Including the expansion of three existing properties, this will create 2,463 new rooms in Los Cabos in 2019. “We are delighted by the confidence this shows in the attractiveness of our destination,” said Rodrigo Esponda, managing director of the Los Cabos Tourism Board. These...
Rocky Mountaineer Expands 2019 Travel Options
Rocky Mountaineer has unveiled four new packages for 2019, trips that include such destinations as Canmore, Kananaskis, Sunshine Village in Banff National Park, and the Cariboo Mountains. For travellers looking to book right away, Rocky Mountaineer is currently offering its “Peaks & Perks” promotion. With this, guests can receive up to $800 per couple in added value credit on qualifying packages, which can be used on anything from hotels to sightseeing to cruises. New 2019 packages: First Passage to the West Canmore Self-Drive: Canmore is an authentic mountain town 20...
Florence To Approach Bermuda, US East Coast
Florence, which recently became the first major hurricane (Category 3 or higher) of the 2018 Atlantic season, is forecast to push close enough to Bermuda and the US East Coast to have indirect impact and may evolve, warn officials, into a serious direct threat. After forming near the Cabo Verde islands last weekend, Florence became a hurricane on Tuesday and briefly strengthened to a Category 4 hurricane on Wednesday afternoon before being downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane again Wednesday evening. While Florence is likely to fluctuate in strength due to cool water and disruptive...