Destinations
WestJet Adds Arizona Lift
WestJet will launch service to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport from Calgary and Edmonton beginning Jan. 19, 2017 and seats are now available for sale. Bob Cummings, executive vice-president, commercial for WestJet, said: “We are proud of our expanding network of more than 100 cities in over 20 countries, and our reputation as an established, trusted brand with more than two decades of service to Canadians.” Cummings continued: “We have provided hundreds of thousands of our guests with non-stop service between Canada and Phoenix since 2004, and now look forward to bringing low...
In The Festive Spirit
Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows on the island of Hawaii will celebrate its 23rd annual Charity Trees at Mauna Lani holiday season display from Dec. 2-28. Visitors will find the hotel's lobby filled with colourfully adorned trees decorated by local non-profit organizations. A $1 donation allows visitors a single vote for their favourite tree. The hotel will award $3,500 in prizes to the winners, with monies raised from voting donations shared among the remaining organizations. On New Year's Eve, a buffet dinner at the hotel's Canoe House restaurant will be followed by an...
Princess Offers Sneak Peak at 2018 Europe Program
Princess Cruises has introduced some its 2018 offerings highlighted by top-rated journeys in the Mediterranean and North Europe. Open for sale Dec. 1, these itineraries also include the cruise line’s new “Local Connections” program, featuring enriching vacation experiences ashore and onboard that connect guests with authentic resident experts. Highlights include the maiden call of Sapphire Princess to this region, as well as roundtrip British Isles voyages aboard Royal Princess departing from Paris (Le Havre). The 2018 season features five ships sailing to 115 destinations from...
Canada Enters A “Golden Age”
As David Goldstein sees it, this country's tourism industry has entered a “golden age” – and that makes for exciting times. Asked whether that excitement is a direct result of Lonely Planet recently picking Canada as its 2017 Destination of the Year, Goldstein, who is president and CEO of this country's national tourism marketing organization, says he's certainly pleased by the award, but that there's much more to it than that. The Lonely Planet award came “a bit out of the blue,” he admitted to Canadian Travel Press, before observing that what he's talking about is...
Sunwing Adds Calgary-Costa Rica Service
Sunwing has announced the introduction of a new flight from Calgary to Liberia, Costa Rica. Departing weekly on Mondays between Dec. 25 and April 16, 2017, the new service will allow customers to trade in ski goggles for sunglasses this holiday season and experience the famous “Pura Vida” lifestyle of this exotic Central American country. This latest addition to Sunwing’s winter flight schedule (which already includes a number of the region’s most popular vacation hotspots such as Montego Bay, Jamaica and Cancun, Mexico) brings the total number of destinations offered from...
It’s All About The Rewards
Hotels.com reports that when it comes to snapping up a free night away from home, Hong Kong travellers are the world's savviest. The Hotels.com Rewards program – which allows travellers to collect 10 nights and get one free – has hit 25 million members in 2016, the same year as the company celebrates its 25th birthday. And to mark the occasion, it has taken a look back at the millions of free nights redeemed, to uncover who are the world's savviest travellers. Holiday lovers based in Hong Kong, Seoul and Los Angeles topped the list, with New Yorkers coming in fourth and...
HVCB Appointment
The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) has promoted Michelle Drenker to director of market insights. “Michelle has been an integral part of the marketing team from day one, not only providing key research and analytical support of HVCB’s leisure and meetings travel initiatives, as well as leadership in the Hawaii and national travel research community,” said John Monahan, president and CEO for HVCB. “We are confident that her skills will play a major role in our efforts to keep Hawaii on top for new generations of travellers.” As director, Drenker is responsible...
No Impact So Far
So far, all's well. That's the message contained in the GBTA BTI Outlook – Western Europe report which indicates that while the Eurozone’s population and institutions may have been surprised by the outcome of the June Brexit referendum, the economy has barely missed a beat as markets have snapped back after an initial slide. The report also notes that consumers are consuming and businesses are hiring, investing and travelling for now. And while spending has been somewhat resilient, measures of near-term investment intentions plunged in the third quarter of this year, suggesting...