Inbound arrivals to Saudi Arabia will reach over 20 million by 2020, as the religious tourism sector flourishes in line with increasing demand to join the annual Hajj pilgrimage, the most important religious event of the year in the Muslim world, according to consumer insight firm Canadean.
The company’s latest report finds that the Hajj represents a major tourism opportunity for both domestic and international stakeholders, particularly hotel groups and tour operators, as over two million pilgrims will travel to Saudi Arabia in September to visit Islam’s holiest site in...
Transat has added a 16th Decameron property – the all-inclusive Royal Decameron Cornwall Beach – to its line of hotels.
Available exclusively through Transat, this brand new 4-star resort near Montego Bay, in Jamaica, just 4 km from the airport, will be opening its doors on Nov. 15, 2016.
In addition to its location directly on Cornwall Beach, the property features over 140 modern rooms and four suites, each with an ocean view, in a five-storey building.
For more, go to http://www.transat.com...
The 22nd annual Canadian Travel industry Golf Tournament presented by Baxter Travel Media and Sandals Resorts gets underway today at Sandals Golf & Country Club in Jamaica.
Travel agents and industry personnel from across Canada, including reps from Air Canada Vacations, TravelBrands, House of Travel and WestJet, are on hand to take part in two days of golfing and evening activities.
Follow us at twitter.com/CdnTravelPress for photos from the course and stay tuned for more coverage in Monday’s PressToday.
Pictured at a welcome event last night (Oct. 20) at Sandals Ochi...
Visit Florida along with more than a dozen of its partners were in Toronto earlier this week to update the Canadian travel trade on all that's going on in the Sunshine State this winter.
In fact, Summer Gonzalez of Visit Florida offered Canadian vacationers a warm welcome.
“We're opening our arms to share the warmth with Canadians,” Gonzalez said, after reminding her audience that winter was fast approaching and Florida was more than happy to offer a warm respite from the cold, snow, heavy coats and boots and all of the other annoyances of that season.
On hand to update trade...
Rui Amen hopes that watersports enthusiasts who have never vacationed in the middle of the Atlantic will 'fin-ally' do so.
Amen, with the Azores Promotion Board, told an Oct. 19 Toronto event that the Azores is “one of the top five places in the world” for whale-watching, and the archipelago is also becoming one of the “hot spots in the Atlantic for diving. It's a perfect place for you to see a dolphin while you're diving” and also “one of the best places to dive with blue sharks,” Amen added, with the latter not considered a dangerous activity.
Wreck diving is also...
It was all things Cuba last night at the Palais Royale Ballroom in Toronto as the Cuba tourist board and a bevy of partners updated agents on their programs and on-island developments.
Some of the local suppliers on hand for a mini trade show included Transat, WestJet, Air Canada Vacations, Sunwing, and Hola Sun.
At a dinner presentation, agents were told that Canadian visitations to the island has already topped the million mark in 2016 – the sixth consecutive year it has done so.
The rest of the world is also discovering Cuba, with the 3 millionth visitor arriving this month,...
For Goway Travel's Pacific departments, 2017 is shaping up to be a year of culture.
The operator is urging its globetrotting customers to go beyond the usual tourist attractions and discover the more unique cultural experiences and local connections on trips through Asia, the South Pacific and the lands Downunder.
India’s allure has been particularly strong. The Temples of Khajuraho and Varanasi trip is a 5-day journey through India’s spiritual side.
It combines the ancient Hindu temples of Madhya Pradesh with India’s most holy city, Varanasi, where the devout come to bathe...
As one of the global sponsors for the Paralympian athletes – fresh off a successful competition in Rio – Allianz Global Assistance brought a taste of Brazil to Toronto last night (Oct. 18) at Copa Cabana restaurant.
Along with cocktails and dinner, the evening featured special entertainment for the travel trade and partners in attendance.
“Allianz Global Assistance in Canada has travel agency and broker partners right across the country and this evening we’re here to celebrate them,” Karen Cullen, director of sales for Allianz Global Assistance told PressToday. “This is...
Legendary TV show host Johnny Carson's favorite hotel is under new management.
Acapulco's long-standing Princess Hotel, along with fellow nearby upscale Acapulco property, The Pierre, has been bought by the owners of Acapulco's Mundo Imperial property, giving them a weighty presence in Acapulco's hotel scene.
The three properties collectively have some 2,100 rooms.
Yayoi Shibayama of the Mundo Imperial's sales team says the new ownership is making improvements to the two new additions.
“They're being renovated,” she said during an Oct. 18 Toronto event. “We're very...
Sunwing is re-introducing direct service from Toronto to Saint Lucia with Saturdays departures taking flight from Jan. 28, 2017 until April 29, 2017.
The return to Saint Lucia coincides with the early opening of two of the island’s latest luxury all-inclusive luxury resorts, the Royalton Saint Lucia Resort & Spa and Hideaway at Royalton Saint Lucia. Originally slated to open Feb. 1, 2017, both properties will now be ready from Jan. 15, 2017.
Andrew Dawson, president of tour operations for Sunwing commented, “Royalton Luxury Resorts is one of our top partners and we are...