Destinations
Starwood Making Dreams Come True
It's no surprise that Hawaii is one of the leading wedding destinations – beautiful beaches, wonderful sunsets and it's a safe place for a romantic escape. As a result, thousands of couples choose to get married in the Hawaiian Islands annually – and that's a trend that's expected to grow. According to Mark Young, senior manager of meetings and events at The St. Regis Princeville Resort, couples see a destination wedding as an opportunity to maximize their wedding experience by combining the ceremony with a vacation, a honeymoon or a family reunion. Recognizing this trend,...
Tourism Ireland Calls on Canada
Following stops in Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton, the Tourism Ireland road show rolled into Toronto last night (Feb. 23) with Canadian and Irish partners on hand for a workshop event for the travel trade focusing on groups – along with live music and Irish delights. “It's an opportunity for us to get out and chat with the agents and educate them on what's new and exciting for Ireland in 2017,” says Dana Welch, Marketing Manager, Tourism Ireland. “It's been really positive, we've had really strong turnout and great engagement.” Over the past three years, Ireland has noted...
Profitable Partnerships For Quebec
As part of the economic mission led by Tourism Minister Julie Boulet, the Quebec Tourism Industry Alliance (The Alliance) has announced partnerships with Ctrip and Tuniu, two of China's leading travel companies. The new partnershps will enable Quebec to better penetrate this growing market of 1.4 billion people. It will also assist Quebec's tourism industry in its constant improvement of its reception of Chinese customers. The partnerships include developing new routes, increasing the accessibility of QuebecOriginal's offerings and conducting joint marketing campaigns that will...
Learn More About Germany
The German National Tourist Office (GNTO) and Baxter Travel Media invite agents to take part in an agent webinar on Tuesday, February 28. Registration is free for all travel agents. From quaint city centers with half-timbered houses and cobblestone streets, to trendy quarters flaunting modern architecture, vibrant boulevards and a plethora of art and culture, German cities will surprise. In this webinar agents can learn which cities are trending in 2017 and hence should be on every traveller’s bucket list. Frankfurt, for example, with its museums, quaint old quarters and...
Defining The Universal Experience
Universal Parks & Resorts has rolled out a new, national brand campaign that will see Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood speak to consumers with one voice. It's all about the kids growing up and it's suddenly time for a different kind of family vacation. The family is ready for more excitement, exhilaration and adventure. It's time to just let loose and have fun -- together. Universal's theme parks in Orlando and Hollywood offer exactly the kind of vacation your family craves -- bringing together popular culture's most compelling stories, characters and...
Love Is In The Air
From a volcanic backdrop or a majestic waterfall in Iceland to the iconic Colosseum in Rome, many newlyweds-to-be are looking for unique settings for their destination weddings, reports Ann Ruppenstein in this week's digital edition of Travel Courier. While tropical destinations will always be a popular choice, Megan Velez, vice-president, Product at Destination Weddings Travel Group, says the company has seen couples venturing more off the beaten path for their celebrations. In particular, she says Iceland and Italy are emerging as popular locales for couples looking for something...
New York Welcomes New Hotels
February has been a busy month for hotel openings in New York City, with two properties up and running and a third set to come onstream before the end of the month. Properties include the Whitby Hotel in midtown Manhattan (http://www.firmdalehotels.com); the sustainable waterfront property 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge in downtown Brooklyn (http://www.1hotels.com); and the 612-room DoubleTree by Hilton New York-Times Square West (www.doubletree.hilton.com). New York City has the most active hotel development pipeline in the country. With over 112,000 hotel rooms currently available...
Montreal Pens MoU With Shanghai
Tourisme Montreal and the Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration have announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding. The two cities have enjoyed close ties for 30 years and this relationship has only grown stronger over time, with several missions being carried out to both Montreal and China. Numerous business sectors, including tourism, constitute areas of opportunity for the cities. Tourisme Montreal and the Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration have agreed to discuss strategies for increasing tourist numbers, promoting urban tourism and developing the business...