Destinations
Waldorf Astoria Coming to Dubai
Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts has signed a management agreement to open a property in Dubai. Waldorf Astoria Dubai International Financial Centre is expected to begin welcoming guests in the fall of 2017. Forming part of a mixed-use residential, retail and office-space development, Waldorf Astoria Dubai International Financial Centre will feature 247 guest rooms, as well as a range of upscale dining options, spa and wellness facilities. Significant events space will include a grand ballroom and a further four meeting rooms, designed for social occasions and corporate...
PCC Set For Royal Visit
For the first time since 1993, the Royal Family of Tonga is making a special trip to Oahu’s Polynesian Cultural Center Saturday (June 11) to celebrate the grand reopening of its new Tonga Village. Tonga is the last remaining monarchy in Polynesia still ruled by a king, His Majesty King Tupou VI, who will be joined at the ceremony by his wife, Her Majesty Queen Nanasipauu. The Royal Family will be honoured with performances and gifts representing the peoples and cultures of the PCC’s six island villages, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, Tahiti, Aotearoa and Hawaii. Originally built in 1963...
AC Express Back In Tremblant
For a third consecutive year, Air Canada Express will be offering four weekly direct flights without stopovers between Toronto Pearson and Mont-Tremblant International Airport. Service from Dec. 23 to April 3 2017 will be aboard a 74-seat Bombardier Q400. Fares, from $136 for a one-way ticket including taxes, can now be booked at...
HAL Celebrates Opening of Denali Square Complex
Guests on Holland America Line’s (HAL) Alaska Land+Sea Journeys can now experience new dining, entertainment and amenities at the Denali Square complex located in the heart of the company’s McKinley Chalet Resort at the gates of Denali National Park. To celebrate the grand opening, Holland America presented the Denali Borough School District with a US$20,000 check that will be spent on modernizing interactive classroom technology. “For nearly 70 years Holland America Line has been at the forefront of Alaska exploration, and the opening of Denali Square is another exciting...
Hawaii Parks Take Part in Celebrations
The US National Park Service is celebrating its centennial this year, and the state of Hawaii is taking part at its nine national parks. Beyond their incredible natural beauty, many of these parks are also unique in the world for their preservation of multiple sites and structures significant to Hawaiian history and culture. Their importance has been detailed in numerous mele (songs), oli (chants) and moolelo (stories). For instance, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Hawaii Island (The Big Island) is the largest national park in the Islands and ranges in elevation from sea level to...
VisitBritain Appointment
VisitBritain has appointed Paul Gauger new interim executive vice-president, Americas. The appointment comes on the back of a recent global reorganization at VisitBritain which aims to revitalize Britain’s brand proposition in North America and continue to build growth markets in Latin America. Newly released data from the UK Office for National Statistics reveals that 2015 was a record-breaking year for travel to Britain and visits from the US, Canada and Brazil rose almost 10%. Spending from the US, the UK’s most valuable source market, grew by 2% to £3 billion, a record and...
Transat Delivering Something Different
Croatia is famous for its sailing, but short of transporting a couple dozen members of the trade to the Dalmation coast, Transat made do with an excursion on Toronto harbour last night to tout the introduction of 2016 seasonal service to Zagreb, which begins June 14 from Toronto and runs through Oct. 4. “Consumers are asking for something and we're delivering it," said Transat business development rep. Susan Kooiman. In addition to the flights, Transat has a full suite of Croatia product including the all-encompassing Treasures of Transat coach tour as well as a self-drive...
New Victory Line to Begin Canada, Great Lakes Sailings
A new Miami-based cruise line is set to begin sailing from Montreal to ports in Canada and on the US Great Lakes July 8, with further plans to sail Florida-Cuba itineraries starting in November. Victory Cruise Lines Ltd. plans to operate the Victory I on cruises from three to 14 days in length. The 5,000-gross-ton, 300-foot-long Victory I – the former Saint Laurent – has been renovated and has 101 4.5-star staterooms and a maximum guest capacity of 202. “We intend to make our product the standard of excellence for small-ship cruising to the Great Lakes and Cuba, while...