Destinations
Florida Resort Woos Canadians
The Sirata Beach Resort in St. Pete Beach, Florida, can truly lay claim to being a pioneering presence in Florida's tourism trade. Cricket Wagner, the property's director of sales, told a Thursday Toronto gathering that the Gulf of Mexico-fronting property is likely the only resort in all of Florida that has an all-inclusive package for its guests. The package covers the likes of a one-bedroom king suite; three daily meals; taxes; tips; and “you can drink all day as much as you want,” she said, adding the package is now available for $399 for two people. It must be booked for at...
Unforgettable Uganda
Whether it's the thrill of coming into close proximity of a lion, realizing the true grandeur of an elephant or witnessing the moment a leopard pounces on its prey, African safaris and guided walking tours provide a unique opportunity for travellers to experience wildlife in their natural habitat, reports assistant editor, Ann Ruppenstein in this week's digital edition of Travel Courier. From being home to the big five game animals to being one of only three countries in the world where it's possible to virtually come face-to-face with mountain gorillas, Uganda offers an abundance of...
Contiki Hosts Open-Age India Fam
Contiki is inviting travel agents of all ages to be part of a six-night condensed version of the youth travel brand's 12-day Eternal India product from Nov. 5-11. Highlights include taking in the sights and sounds of Old Delhi, visiting the legendary Humayun’s Tomb and the Taj Mahal, a special stay at Ranthambore National Park – one of the largest and most renowned National Parks in Northern India – and more. “We couldn’t be more excited to host agents in India à la Contiki this November,” says Sheralyn Berry, vice president of sales for Contiki Canada. “This India...
Visits To Vienna At An All-Time High
It's been a record year for the Austrian capital of Vienna, with nearly seven million visitor bednights recorded between January and June – a 4.2% increase over the same period last year. “City breaks to Vienna continue to boom – the city established a new record in the first half of 2017, with visitor bednights increasing 4.2% to around 6,924,000,” according to Norbert Kettner, director of the Vienna Tourist Board. Vienna currently has 64,000 hotel beds. The average occupancy rate of Vienna’s rooms from January to June 2017 was 69%, with over 80% of all bednights...
Florida Hotel Numbers Are Hot
Visit Florida's president and CEO, Ken Lawson reports that Florida's hotel occupancy rate and rooms sold – both indicators of visitation numbers -- outpaced the entire United States in July. Lawson noted that the Sunshine State's rooms sold are up 3.3% over last year, far outpacing the national average of 1.2%. And the state's occupancy rate for July was up 1.2%, while the U.S. average declined by 0.5%. Lawson observed: “As I travel the state, it's clear that we are having great success marketing and showcasing Florida as the number one destination in the world. Our numbers...
Personalizing The Experience
Universal Orlando Resort has unveiled its first-ever customer service team dedicated exclusively to travel agents. The highly-trained team will provide agents with more support and resources than ever before, reinforcing Universal Orlando's commitment to the travel agent community. The new resources include a dedicated call centre team, a responsive text message service and a live online chat feature – all created to offer convenient, multi-platform assistance to travel agent partners whenever and wherever they need it. Call Centre Team for Travel Agents – This team is...
BikeHike Set to Kick Off 2017/18 Patagonia Season
BikeHike Adventures reports that company founder Trish Sare will personally kick off the adventure company's Patagonia season by leading the company's first 2017/18 Argentina departure. By personally leading BikeHike Adventure's On the Trail of Argentina's Patagonia tour (Oct.21-27), Sare wishes to draw attention to how distinctive Argentina's Patagonia is as an adventure destination. Patagonia offers up raw nature on an enormous scale and attracts travellers from around the globe. While Argentina's Patagonia shares some similarities with Chile's Patagonia, Sare points out that...
Tourism In A Time Of Uncertainty
Tourism has been the shining star of the US economy since the 2008-09 financial crisis. Business confidence is high but there’s also uncertainty that the current administration’s seat-of-the-pants policy-making decisions could jeopardize future growth potential, reports Montreal editor, Mike Dunbar in this week's digital edition of Canadian Travel Press. Those were the key talking points in a `What the Economy is Telling Us About Travel’ presentation, delivered by Tourism Economics president Adam Sacks at the recent Destinations International annual convention in...