Destinations
From Neon To Nature, Nevada Has It All
Celebrating the official launch of a new TravelNevada office in Canada last night (Sept. 20), tourism officials stressed that their challenge is to get the word out that Nevada is much more than just Las Vegas. And while Vegas is certainly the state's most iconic destination, and only one with direct flights from Canada, Chris Moran, public relations specialist with the Nevada Division of Tourism (TravelNevada), told PressToday that rural Nevada has much more to offer, especially to those that love nature and the outdoors. “We recognize that Las Vegas is the main entry point,...
Florida Has A Plan
Visit Florida's president and CEO, Ken Lawson reports that while Hurricane Irma was a very dangerous storm and several communities sustained serious damage, many areas of Florida did not see significant impacts. And last week, VISIT FLORIDA was talking to the leadership of the state's Destination Marketing Organizations, to get a county-by-county damage assessment and to review plans to best promote our state to visitors. “The vast majority of DMOs were happy to report that their destination is open for business. The areas of our state that were more impacted are rebuilding and...
Play Ball!
The message was a bit murky beneath all the sports terminology and entertaining anecdotes, but baseball icon Billy Beane nonetheless had a lesson for tourism stake holders during his keynote address at a conference in Hawai'i this week. It was all about numbers and statistics – the key to Beane's storied success in professional baseball – and he encouraged delegates at the 2017 Global Tourism Summit in Waikiki to closely watch and use those as part of their business strategies. That's how guest speaker Carlos Rodriguez saw it. Rodriguez, the senior policy advisor for...
Goway Puts Spotlight on Africa, the Middle East
Could Africa and the Middle East look increasingly attractive to hurricane-weary Canadians looking for a relaxed vacation locale? Just possibly say some of those on hand for a Tuesday Goway Travel event in Toronto showcasing those two regions. Africa and the Middle East – both of which have often had to contend with their own image issues over the years – may be able to attract Canadians who have recently been hearing daily reports of the Caribbean – traditionally popular with vacationers from this country – being pummelled by hurricanes. “I hate to say it, but they...
View The Northern Lights From The Air
Tourism Yukon and Air North have launched a new partnership to view the northern lights from 36,000 feet. The partnership will provide flight-goers this once-in-a-lifetime experience to see the northern lights like never before by private-chartered flight – that will soar within the auroral oval for eye level northern lights viewing. The group will offer one chartered flight from Whitehorse, which will take place on either Nov. 24 or 25 pending the aurora forecast. There will be three flexible packages to choose from, pairing one of the world’s most incredible natural phenomena...
Business As Usual In Cuba, Almost
Following a recovery effort in the wake of Hurricane Irma, it's pretty much business as usual in Cuba thanks in part to strong co-operation between the Cuban government, travel authorities and volunteers who expedited the process of repairing damaged properties and clearing debris, ensuring that Cuba’s famous beaches are once again be enjoyed by visitors from Canada and abroad. “Recovery from Irma is proceeding much faster than we had envisioned, in large part due to the continued support of our Canadian partners and the larger travel community,” said Eloy Govea, director for...
Ottawa Set to Welcome Le Boat
Ottawa Tourism is getting set to officially welcome Le Boat, Europe’s largest operator of self-drive boating vacations, to the Rideau Canal in 2018 as the company’s first destination outside of Europe. Ottawa is seen as an ideal spot to begin or end a Le Boat vacation, with museums, family friendly attractions, shopping and a thriving dining and craft beer scene. “The addition of Le Boat to Ottawa’s tourism scene is exciting,” says Michael Crockatt, president and CEO of Ottawa Tourism. “It is the perfect way to explore Ontario’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site, the...
Sunwing Alters Southbound Flight Schedule
As Hurricane Maria rages in the Caribbean, Sunwing's flight services into Punta Cana and Puerto Plata have been suspended until Sept. 22. And, after reviewing the most up-to-date projections of the hurricane’s path and strength, Sunwing has taken the decision to activate its contingency plans and repatriate all customers from Dominican Republic in advance of the storm’s projected landfall. Customers scheduled to depart on the four Sunwing flights from Puerto Plata or Punta Cana on Sept. 19 will return to Canada as planned. Customers scheduled to depart Punta Cana...