Destinations
Tauck Expands Cuba Offerings
Beginning this fall and for the very first time, Tauck will offer travellers the chance to choose between a week-long Cuba tour or an expanded 13-day itinerary to the Caribbean nation. The Connecticut-based company will operate a total of 22 departures between the two programs from September to December, and Tauck is crediting continued growth and strong demand for its doubling of itinerary choices. According to company CEO Dan Mahar, Tauck had offered its guests both the shorter and longer tours to Cuba in the past, but never at the same time. “We launched in Cuba in 2012 with...
Spotlight on ‘Green’ Kerala
The vice-president of business development – international for a tour company in the southernmost Indian state of Kerala says that jurisdiction has clearly been blessed by Mother Nature. Wilson Mathew of Intersight Tours & Travels told a Toronto audience yesterday (March 22) that Kerala is “the greenest state in India” and a third of it is forested. Among animals that can be viewed are elephants and Kerala also has tiger reserves, he said. “The wildlife is amazing.” Mathew added that Kerala's west coast has 580 km of beaches and the interior of the state has some 44...
Fairmont Vancouver Airport Honoured
The Fairmont Vancouver Airport was named winner of Skytrax's Best Airport Hotel in North America at the 2016 World Airport Awards held March 16 in Cologne, Germany. The hotel category is in its sixth year and Fairmont Vancouver Airport has held first place five of the six years. Widely referred to as the Passenger's Choice Awards, they are prestigious accolades for the airport industry. More than 100 nationalities of airline customers take part in the annual survey that is based on 13.25 million questionnaires over a nine-month period and covers 550 airports around the world. The...
Capturing the True ‘Spirit’ of Scotland
While European Waterways offers many themed cruises featuring specialized itineraries that allow guests to experience the history and culture of Europe, there's one that can truly be said to capture the “spirit” of a country – the company’s “Whisky Trail Cruise” in the Highlands of Scotland. Travelling aboard the hotel barge Scottish Highlander, the voyage goes along the Caledonian Canal where guests will visit at least three historic distilleries. Along the way, the hotel barge will glide across the scenic deep water lakes that include Loch Ness, past “spectacular...
Starwood Signs Three Cuba Deals
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has signed three new hotel deals in Cuba. The announcement comes after Starwood received authorization from the U.S. Treasury Department to operate hotels in Cuba. Long-time Havana icon, Hotel Inglaterra, will join The Luxury Collection and Hotel Quinta Avenida will become a Four Points by Sheraton. Both hotels will undergo renovations before raising their new brand flags later in 2016. As well, Starwood also announced that it has signed a Letter of Intent to convert the famed Hotel Santa Isabel into a member of The Luxury...
Booking.com Connects With Cuba
Booking.com has announced that it will become the first online US travel brand to offer instantly bookable hotel properties for certain US citizens travelling to Cuba. Following months of work with the Cuban Authorities and local hotels, the first properties will be ready to book in the coming weeks on Booking.com. The company's move follows the recent loosening of restrictions for US travellers to Cuba. The announcement means that Cuba will soon become instantly bookable for US travellers that meet the criteria currently approved by the US government for travel to Cuba. At the...
Marriott Gets Cuba Clearance
Marriott International, Inc. reports that the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury has approved Marriott International’s application to pursue a business transaction in Cuba and that the company is in discussions to develop a hospitality relationship with potential partners. The announcement was made during President Obama’s historic trip to Cuba, marking the first time in more than 80 years a sitting U.S. president has visited the country. Marriott President and Chief Executive Officer Arne Sorenson is traveling with U.S. Commerce...
Remembering the Battle of the Somme
In honour of the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme (July 1, 2016), Trafalgar is offering a special 10-day trip of the battlefields and memorial sites in France, Belgium and England from June 26 to July 5. Guests will get to visit many notable sights including: D-Day Landing Beaches, including the Juno Beach Centre, Vimy Ridge, Caribou Memorial Site and Beaumont Hamel. “Trafalgar’s Beaumont Hamel Freedom 100 guided vacation is a once-in-a-lifetime trip because it is an opportunity for Canadians to walk in the footsteps of family members who fought in the First and...