Destinations
Galapagos Uncovered
Silversea will operate two new alternate seven-night Galápagos itineraries recently approved by the Galápagos National Park Service staring March 25, 2017. The 100-guest, all-suite Silver Galapagos will operate both itineraries sailing Saturday to Saturday, with San Cristóbal as a new arrival or departure port for guests. The new north central itinerary departs Baltra for San Cristóbal with a newly added circumnavigation of Isla Daphne Grande (a.k.a. Daphne Major). The voyage also explores Bahía Darwin and El Barranco in Genovesa; Galapaguera Cerro Colorado and Punta Pitt in...
Starwood Makes Historic Debut in Havana
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide marked a historic milestone with the opening of Four Points Havana – the company’s first hotel in Cuba. The opening comes on the heels of groundbreaking deals signed by Starwood in Cuba earlier this year, which established Starwood as the first US-based hospitality company to enter the market in nearly 60 years. Four Points Havana is owned by Grupo Hotelero Gaviota and managed by Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Located in Havana's Miramar district, Four Points Havana offers 186 guest rooms, 1,000 sq. ft. of meeting facilities, full-service...
WestJet Introduces Halifax Service From YVR, Winnipeg
WestJet has introduced new non-stop service to Halifax from Vancouver and Winnipeg, the only carrier to do so. The inaugural flight from Vancouver to Halifax launched yesterday (June 29) and flights from Winnipeg to Halifax begin July 2. Both of these seasonal, direct flights (four times weekly) have been timed to connect conveniently to WestJet's Halifax and Vancouver hubs from its extensive domestic network. WestJet now offers 23 daily flights on 13 routes from Halifax Stanfield International...
New Film Puts Spotlight on US National Parks
Rachel Pohl wants visitors to the United States to discover some great “park-ing” spots. Pohl is among the outdoorsy sorts seen in America Wild: National Park Adventures, a film showcasing the US national parks system and the release of which coincides with the centennial of that system. Pohl – among other things seen ice-climbing and rock-climbing in different parks during the 43-minute movie, which also sees appearances by famed climber Conrad Anker and Max Lowe, son of Alex Lowe, another storied name in mountaineering – says the film is a great showcase for a park system...
Brexit: Travel Faces The Consequences
The consequences of Brexit, the UK's decision to leave the European Union (EU) following the country’s referendum on June 23, will be far-reaching for the entire EU travel market, according to consumer insight firm Canadean. This is largely due to Europe being the UK’s biggest tourist inbound market, with more than 60% of its visitors coming from inside EU member states. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) there are over 4.3 million people employed by the UK tourism industry, with travel and tourism directly contributing 3.4% to the UK’s GDP for 2015....
ATTACK ON THE INNOCENT
Travel industry leaders are condeming the June 28 attack on Istanbul's Ataturk airport as “cowardly and murderous.” Reports indicate that 41 people – including 13 foreigners – are dead and 239 people have been wounded in an attack carried out by 3 suicide bombers. There are also additional reports indicating that the toll of dead and injured from the attack may rise. TURKEY RESPONDS In a statement following the attack, Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism stated: “We would like to express our gratitude for [those who] showed their support to the Turkish Public...
Shangri-La Adds Fourth Hong Kong Property
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts will open its fourth hotel in Hong Kong on Kowloon’s vibrant waterfront. Offering views of Victoria Harbour and the Hong Kong Island skyline, the 545-room Kerry Hotel, Hong Kong is scheduled to open in December. The 16-storey waterfront hotel is in the heart of Kowloon. The unique design of the building’s podium provides guests, event attendees and diners outdoor and indoor space with spectacular views. More than 60% of the guestrooms feature harbor views, with rooms ranging from 42 sq. m. for a Deluxe City View Room to 294 sq. m. for Kerry...
Carnival Celebrates the Opening of Splash Island
Carnival Cruise Line, along with community dignitaries and local families, recently celebrated the opening of Splash Island at Atlanta’s historic Adams Park. The interactive red, white and blue-coloured splash pad, funded in part by Carnival and inspired by Carnival WaterWorks, the cruise line’s onboard water experience, is the latest addition to the park's pool area. The day’s festivities included a ceremonial ribbon cutting and plaque unveiling presided over by the City of Atlanta in partnership with Carnival executives, former Hawks player and nine-time NBA All-Star Dominique...