Destinations
TTAND Agents Lend A Hand In The D.R.
Conference business took a more altruistic turn in Punta Cana this week, as members of The Travel Agent Next Door collective pooled their resources and physical work skills to lend a hand at two public schools in the Dominican Republic. About 140 TTAND member agents came to the Majestic Colonial resort on the Caribbean coast to attend the group's fourth annual educational conference, dubbed “On A Mission,” reports Press Today's Ted Davis, who is attending the event. Hundreds of elementary students at one school, and secondary students at a second one, turned out to meet about 80...
USVI Is Open For Business
U.S. Virgin Islands Commissioner of Tourism Beverly Nicholson-Doty continues to spread the word that the Territory is open for business. Addressing a broad range of consumers and industry stakeholders last week in Atlanta, Chicago and New York, Commissioner Nicholson-Doty thanked partners for their support of the U.S. Virgin Islands during the ongoing recovery process and suggested that the best way to continue helping the U.S. Virgin Islands is to visit the Territory. During her trip, Nicholson-Doty said in an interview: “We have several hotels that have reopened ... our yachting...
Greece Is Growing For Goway
Goway Travel reports that it has seen a record number of bookings for Greece. Sales in February 2018 have doubled against bookings taken a year ago, making the sun-kissed Mediterranean favourite one of the companys top five European destinations. Bronwyn Hodge, general manager of Goway Islands, observed: “The demand for a summer vacation to Greece has been incredible.” She continued: “Greece is a destination that is easy to access, caters to a wide variety of budgets (our customers are booking packages from $5000 to $50,000) and it offers all the makings of a great holiday....
Record Results For Chicago
It was quite a celebration as Chicago mayor, Rahm Emanuel and Choose Chicago president & CEO, David Whitaker announced that the city reached record tourism levels in the first quarter of 2018. The results build on Chicago's record performance of 55.2 million visitors in 2017 and reflect the city's growing strength in attracting more leisure visitors and convention delegates. Mayor Emanuel said of the results: “Tourism in Chicago means jobs throughout Chicago. By continuing to set new tourism records and bring millions more people to Chicago every year, we are creating jobs and...
London Visitor Growth Stalls
According to the latest figures from ForwardKeys, London's immediate tourism outlook is on the wane with international forward air bookings showing a significant decline, particularly from the Chinese who have accounted for a boom in visitor numbers in recent years. A year-on-year comparison shows that international forward bookings to London lag by 3.5% for the first half of 2018, with a large 10.1% fall currently projected in the second quarter. At the same time, other top European Union destinations Paris, Rome, Amsterdam and Barcelona look set to grow visitor...
Contiki Has Latin America Covered
For 18 to 35 year olds, Latin America is a 'must do' travel destination and Contiki has it covered, offering authentic food experiences, travel musts, more freedom, unrivalled value and tailored travel styles. Sheralyn Berry, vice-president of sales for Contiki Holidays Canada, notes that: “Central and South America are high on the lists of young travellers for a reason. They seek authenticity through their experiences and are looking for an adventure through who they meet, what they do, where they go and what they taste.” And says Berry: “This is what Latin America offers, and...
CHTA Taking Care Of Business
Officials are gearing up for the fourth annual Caribbean Hospitality Industry Exchange Forum that's slated for June 22 to June 24, 2018 at the Hyatt Regency in Miami. The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) announced that plans are set for the top regional gathering where unity and innovation will be examined as central factors to fuel the growth of the region's bread and butter industry. CHTA president Karolin Troubetzkoy said after a challenging close to 2017 following the impact of September's hurricanes, it was important for industry stakeholders to get together and...
Cuba On A Roll In 2018
Cuba's Ministry of Tourism reports that it has recorded over 500,000 visitors to the island in the first quarter of 2018. The ministry notes that with the half-million milestone surpassed so early in the season, all signs point to another strong year of tourism growth for the popular island nation. Canadians can certainly take some credit for the results as Cuba remains their top destination in the Caribbean, with over one million visitors from Canada flying down each year. Plus the timing couldn't be better as the island gears up for the Cuba International Tourism Fair (FIT...