Destinations
Brand USA Finds The Right Tune
Music and travel go hand in hand, and as Anne Madison, Brand USA's chief communications and strategy officer, says, “what a wonderful way of connecting people.” Music is a key theme of Brand USA's marketing strategies this year and next and the message behind the organization's second 3D IMAX film, America's Musical Journey, writes assistant editor, Greg Coates in this week's digital edition of Canadian Travel Press. Narrated by Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman, the film follows Grammy Award-nominated singer and songwriter Aloe Blacc as he traces the roots of America's music...
Back And Better Than Ever
Throughout the Florida Keys & Key West, 86% of all lodging units are back online after Hurricane Irma passed through the island chain last fall. The Keys are to add nearly 1,500 rooms to their lodging inventory as the destination continues to unveil new and fully refurbished properties. The Keys' first luxury-inclusive, adults-only resort is to debut in late fall. In Key West and nearby Stock Island, 95% of all properties are open. Elsewhere in the island chain, 86% are open in Key Largo, 71% in Islamorada, 77% in Marathon and 64% between the west end of the Seven Mile Bridge...
Montreal Makes It Official
Tourisme Montréal has just launched an innovative mobile app called My Official Montréal City Guide. The new app has been designed to assist leisure and business tourists visiting Montreal. Once they create an account, users can select favourites, plan their stay, share their itinerary and get personalized recommendations to enhance their visit. The app will offer users an engaging and authentic Montréal experience by pointing them to museum exhibitions, guided tours, tourist attractions and restaurants. Danièle Perron, vice-president, marketing for Tourisme Montréal, noted...
Thailand – There’s Always Something New
The marketing manager for the Tourism Authority of Thailand's newly opened Canadian office says exploring Thailand will never amount to same-old, same-old. Kayla Shubert told a Thursday Toronto gathering that Thailand is “very, very diverse. It's a small country but every region is distinctly different. You're always guaranteed to discover something new.” Shubert praised Bangkok as a cosmopolitan city that has “iconic sites,” such as the dramatic Grand Palace. Those visiting Bangkok will also find numerous shopping opportunities and can tour the city's famed night markets,...
Saint Lucia Setting Records
Tourism officials are reporting that Saint Lucia's tourism sector is enjoying robust growth. First quarter figures show the island continuing a strong growth trend, building on a record-setting year of 2017. Stay over arrivals increased by 9.5% in the first quarter of 2018, compared to the same period last year, with March 2018 registering a 17.8% increase over March 2017. Year-to-date, Saint Lucia has registered 355,821 cruise passenger arrivals, an increase of 13.5% over the same period last year. The berth extension at Pointe Seraphine is credited, in part, for the significant...
Discover The Wonders Of Chile
Those visiting northern Chile's Atacama Desert may find themselves feeling a little star-struck. Travel journalist Joe Yogerst told a Chile Tourism Board reception in Toronto Thursday that Atacama – considered the driest place on the planet – has spectacular nighttime celestial displays, with “amazing” views of stars available in a part of the world that's “supposed to be the clearest and cleanest air on the planet.” But Yogerst said Atacama landscapes are fascinating, regardless of the time of the day. “If you want to see what Mars is really like without going there,...
It’s All About Authentic
“We have been here for more than 15,000 years,” begins the call to action on the new IndigenousCanada.travel site launched by the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) earlier this month at Rendez-vous Canada 2018, and inviting travellers to book authentic Indigenous tourism experiences across Canada. Travellers are invited to visit Indigenous tourism businesses, hear stories, and learn about the various Indigenous tourism experiences across the country. The 19 travel packages are divided into a Getaway (one to three days) or a Longer Stay (four to seven days) and the...
A Flying Start With The Sunwing Foundation
Following an outpouring of support for the Sunwing Foundations recently launched Flying Start initiative, 250 backpacks filled with gently-used childrens books, essential school supplies and other necessities for learning were sent to Jamaican schools via Sunwing Airlines last month. The backpacks were delivered to schoolchildren across the Caribbean island, including students at Hastings Infant School, Kinloss Basic School and Salt Marsh Infant School. A donation was also made to the students at Spicy Hill Early Childhood Institution in Trelawny, a school constructed and funded by...