Destinations
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...
NCL’s Jewel To Call Australia Home
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has unveiled several itineraries for its Fall/Winter 2017/2018 deployment, featuring an array of itineraries from US ports of departure, as well as new Australia & New Zealand itineraries from Sydney and Auckland. New for 2017/18, Norwegian Jewel will be based in the Asia Pacific region with departures to and from Australia beginning November 2017; San Juan, Puerto Rico returns as a seasonal homeport, with Norwegian Dawn sailing from the Caribbean port, as well as Tampa, Florida; along with a new 14-day Western Caribbean sailing from New York on...
Staying The Course
Brand USA will not be curtailing its efforts in the Canadian market even though the lacklustre loonie continues to put a major dent in southbound numbers. That was the encouraging pledge from CEO Chris Thompson during the run-up to this year’s IPW trade show in New Orleans, reports Montreal editor Mike Dunbar in this week's digital edition of Canadian Travel Press. While Thompson acknowledged that America’s tourism marketing agency is facing north-of-the-border challenges fueled by the exchange rate gap, he stated frankly, ``It would not be in our interests to abandon Canada....
See More of Dubai For Less This Summer
Emirates' passengers can experience more of Dubai this summer by enjoying deep discounts and exclusive offers across the city with the “My Emirates Pass,” launched jointly in partnership with the Department of Economic Development in Dubai. Passengers flying on the airline to or through Dubai by Aug. 31 can take advantage of a range of offers at some of Dubai's best known hotspots by simply showing their boarding pass and a valid form of identification. Special discounts and offers at more than 65 restaurants and hotel dining outlets, 10 leisure experiences ranging from desert...
Windstar Unveils 2017 Voyage Collection
Windstar Cruises has released its 2017 Voyage Collection, highlighted by two new cruises added to dozens of itineraries visiting more than 150 ports of call – including 13 new ports for 2017 – in 50 countries. Cruise offerings span the globe from exotic Dreams of Tahiti sailings offered year-round to popular summer sailings in Europe such as Classic Italy & Dalmatian Coast and Lands of the Midnight Sun voyages. Two new 2017 itineraries in the Mediterranean feature the ports of Croatia, and due to popular demand, Windstar is deploying a second all-suite yacht to sail around...