Destinations
Conference Board Paints Positive Picture For 2017
In its latest Travel Markets Outlook, the Conference Board reports that although economic growth has been sluggish in 2016, low gas prices and a weak Canadian dollar have helped boost travel to and within Canada – in fact, overnight visits are on track to expand by 3% this year and next. Greg Hermus, associate director for the Conference Board of Canada’s Canadian Tourism Research Institute, said that, “The tourism sector is one of the handful benefiting from the low Canadian dollar. We’re seeing increased levels of both US and international visitors that are nothing short of...
Florida Keeps On Setting Records
The Sunshine State has set another tourism record – welcoming the highest amount of visitors of any nine months in the state’s history with 85 million visitors. This record amount represents a 5.5% increase over the year. In the third quarter of 2016 (July-September), 26.9 million visitors went to Florida, an increase of 5.1% over the year. This marks the state's largest third quarter for visitation ever. The average number of direct travel-related jobs in quarter three of 2016 was also a record high, with 1,241,300 Floridians employed in the tourism industry – up 4.1% over...
Sercotel in Cuba
Spanish hotel firm Sercotel hotels is hoping its hotels become a familiar sight in Cuba. The company, in business for 22 years and which has some 185 properties in total, has opened a four-star all-inclusive resort in Cuba's Cayo Guillermo and a five-star all-inclusive is planned for Cayo Santa Maria. That property is slated to open in September 2017. Sercotel Club Cayo Guillermo is promoted as a family retreat that has 324 guest units, with those units having the likes of individually controlled air conditioning, a terrace or balcony, phone, international cable TV, safe deposit...
NYC Invites the World to Celebrate
It's a New Year's celebration like no other. NYC & Company, New York City’s destination marketing organization, is inviting the world to ring in 2017 New York City-style as the city once again hosts one of the world’s premier New Year’s Eve celebrations. With festive ways to welcome the New Year across all five boroughs – including the iconic ball drop in Times Square – officials say there’s not a more exciting time to be in New York City. “Every year, millions of visitors and local residents experience the unique energy, diversity and excitement of New York as...
Helijet Expands Nanaimo-Vancouver Service
Beginning Dec. 24, Helijet International will expand its service to include weekend flights between Nanaimo and Vancouver. Helijet currently offers six round-trips each day between its Nanaimo Harbour Heliport and Vancouver Harbour locations. The expanded service will see Helijet offer three round-trips a day on Saturdays and Sundays. “Since starting service to Nanaimo and the mid-island, we’ve had many conversations with business and leisure travelers about weekend service,” said Rick Hill, Helijet vice-president of Commercial & Business Programs. “Our Vancouver Island...
Romance in the Heart of Hawaii
The Oahu Visitors Bureau and Baxter Travel Media are hosting a free agent webinar on Nov. 29, 2 p.m. EST. From secluded beaches and mountaintops to world-class resorts and restaurants, Oahu is brimming with breathtaking backdrops for romance. Best of all, couples can have it all in one island vacation – urban adventures, and away-from-it-all moments. Whether celebrating an anniversary or getaway for two, popping the question, or planning a destination wedding, Oahu offers unrivaled choice and variety for travel agent clientele. Attend the webinar to grow your insider’s knowledge of...
Seattle Getaway Factor Favours Canadians
Seattle beckons with the buzz of NFL fan fever in the fall and early winter, as the Seahawks wage another football campaign, reports Western editor, Ted Davis in this week's digital edition of Travel Courier. Seattle’s “getaway” factor favours Canadians, who need only about three hours for the drive south from Vancouver, across the border and down the I5 freeway. Once in the Emerald City, they can sample American-style shopping, eclectic dining, live music entertainment, the Experience Music Project, the Space Needle… and perhaps catch a Seahawks game. A great place to...
Canada a Challenge for the Caribbean
A drop in temperatures could lead to a jump in Canadian visits to the Caribbean. The Caribbean Tourism Organization reports that the first half of this year saw the Caribbean host 2.1 million Canadians, a 3.7% decline compared to the same period last year. The drop in Canadians came at a time when overall arrivals to the region in the first six months of 2016 rose by 5.2%, a figure which translated into 15.7 million tourist visits. CTO secretary-general Hugh Riley told a Nov. 22 Toronto gathering that the Canadian market “has been a challenge for us this year,” blaming the...