Destinations
Still Time To Win Cayman Islands Trip
It might be getting colder in Canada, but things are heating up in The Cayman Islands. With new properties from Kimpton and Margaritaville, the Cayman Islands will be a “new” destination by 2019. Plus, the island nation is an increasingly popular culinary destination offering more than 200 restaurants and earning the reputation as the Culinary Capital of the Caribbean. Travel agents can experience the flourishing destination for themselves with the Cayman Loves Agents program offering special trade trade rates on accommodations, attractions, and restaurants. Visit...
Vista Launches Year-Round Sailings From Miami
PortMiami welcomed Carnival Cruise Line’s newest, largest and most innovative ship, Carnival Vista, Sunday (Nov. 27) when it arrived to kick off a year-round schedule of six- and eight-day cruises to the Caribbean. To officially welcome Vista to its Miami homeport, Carnival Vista Captain Stefano Battinelli and PortMiami Assistant Director Fred Wong participated in a traditional maritime plaque exchange prior to the ship’s inaugural departure from Miami. As the line’s newest ship, Vista takes cruising to new heights, introducing groundbreaking features such as SkyRide, a...
BC Travel Assurance Fund Pays Out
From Jan. 1 to Oct. 31, 2016, 19 travellers were compensated $13,359 through BC's Travel Assurance Fund a result of the closures of BC travel agencies Air-World Tour & Travel Ltd. (based in Surrey) and Skyline Tours Ltd. (Burnaby). Administered by Consumer Protection BC, the Travel Assurance Fund is a fund of last resort that provides possible compensation to both travel agents and consumers in times when travel services were purchased (but never received) through another BC-licensed travel agent or wholesaler. “The Travel Assurance Fund has paid out nearly $1.4 million in...
Hilton’s Curio Collection Set For Costa Rica
Hilton is expanding its portfolio into Costa Rica with the signing of the Botánika Osa Peninsula to Curio - A Collection by Hilton. The resort, slated to open in 2018, will be on the Osa Peninsula, an unspoiled tropical rainforest that is home to 2.5% of the world’s biodiversity. The property will be nearby the Golfo Dulce, where one of the world’s few tropical fjords is located and migrating humpback whales can be seen seasonally. With the new eco-friendly Botánika resort, guests will be able to fully immerse themselves in one of the most remote locations in Costa Rica while...
In The Spotlight
Air Canada Vacations is showcasing its Spotlight Collection in Western Canada. The tour company's Spotlight Collection features over 50 properties in Mexico and the Caribbean which are deemed to be ACV’s most popular. Each resort in the collection offers a variety of exclusive perks such as extra à la carte dining, superior in-room amenities, bonus Aeroplan Miles and other VIP services. And over 30 of the resorts in the collection can be directly accessed from gateways out of Western Canada. In Montego Bay, Jamaica, properties include Grand Bahia Principe Jamaica; Hilton...
Princess To Resume Summer Caribbean Cruises
For the first time in four years, Princess Cruises will offer summer Caribbean cruises, including Panama Canal transits in 2018. The 3,192-passenger Caribbean Princess returns to sail on a full summer season of voyages ranging from seven-day Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries to a 20-day Caribbean and Panama Canal Explorer. All summer Caribbean cruises are open for sale Dec. 1. The 2018 April to October program features 47 departures, roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale, including eight unique itineraries visiting 23 destinations in 22 countries. In addition, four ports offer...
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...