Destinations
NCL Unveils Harvest Caye Experience
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has revealed details on its new premier Western Caribbean destination experience, Harvest Caye, Belize. Norwegian is developing Harvest Caye to feature an authentic Belizean environment that provides easy access to Southern Belize, coupled with luxurious amenities, a variety of eco-activities, the country’s only cruise ship pier for guest convenience and comfort, the opportunity for guests to easily depart to mainland Belize for the adventure excursion or cultural immersion of their choice, and more. The resort-style port of call, set to welcome guests...
Switzerland Insight’s ‘Destination of the Month’
Insight Vacations is continuing its “Europe Now” campaign by spotlighting Switzerland as its new “Destination of the Month” for April. Occupying the very heart of Europe, with four official languages and a rich cultural diversity, Switzerland is a land of contrasts. It is home to snow-capped summits and romantic lakes, charming cities and towns, adorned with flower-decked houses and green pastures and is one of Insight's top European destinations. In fact, Switzerland has witnessed a consistent increase in Canadian visits over the last decade, a total of 30% according to...
Hilton Broadens New England Presence
DoubleTree by Hilton has broadened its presence in New England with the opening of DoubleTree by Hilton Boston-Rockland in the popular South Shore area of Massachusetts. The new, 127-room property opened following a multi-million dollar renovation, and is located in the busy suburban region between bustling Boston and historic Plymouth. Formerly a Holiday Inn, the hotel is owned and managed by Linchris Hotel Corporation. Extensive renovations to the five-storey hotel have transformed the lobby and fully updated guest rooms with a sleek, modern design complemented by all-new...
Air Transat Brussels Flights to Start April 26
Following the resumption of operations at Brussels Airport, Air Transat reports that its direct flights between Montreal and the Belgian capital for will start on April 26, as planned, for the summer season. Air Transat will offer the non-stop flight between Montreal and Brussels three times a week – on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays – during peak season. It will also offer three new weekly connecting flights between Toronto and Montreal, allowing travellers from Toronto to fly to Brussels via...
Porter Enhances Windsor, Thunder Bay Service
Porter Airlines is offering new direct flights from Windsor and Thunder Bay to Ottawa and Montreal. The enhanced service begins May 2. Select flights originating in Thunder Bay and Windsor will continue through to Ottawa or Montreal on the same aircraft after a short stop in Toronto. Passengers will no longer have to deplane in Toronto and change aircraft with this new direct service, significantly reducing travel time by up to two hours. Direct roundtrip flights originating in Thunder Bay and Windsor operate as follows: Thunder Bay-Ottawa, twice on weekdays; Thunder...
Singing New York’s Praises
Members of New York City's travel trade rolled through three Canadian cities this week – Quebec City, Montreal and Toronto – singing the praises of the Big Apple to a trade audience representing the city's second largest international market (after the U.K). Accompanied in Toronto by Broadway actor Dana Costello (photo), who entertained with a song from Finding Neverland, NYC & Company – the official destination marketing organization for the City of New York – and 13 partners reported that New York City is expected to welcome a high of 59.7 million visitors in 2016, making...
Spotlight on Portugal
Representatives from Visit Portugal and 25 Portuguese tourism partners were in Toronto yesterday (April 6) for round table sessions to meet with travel agents, tour operators and buyers. “We started in Vancouver and that was really exciting because that was the first time ever there had been a Visit Portugal event in Vancouver,” William Delgado, country manager, Canada, for the Portuguese National Tourist Office, told PressToday. “We had a very good reaction and very good turn out there as well.” Portugal saw 15.5 million visitors in 2015, including 155,000 Canadians, which...
A Tale of Two Cities
visitBerlin and the Vienna Tourist Board teamed up to host an industry luncheon yesterday in Toronto in a cross-promotion highlighting the two great European cities of Berlin and Vienna. The two cities make for an ideal two-stop vacation, with visitBerlin's Kirsten Schmidt saying the cities are “different, but complement each other very well.” Berlin is coming off a record year for tourism in 2015, surpassing the 30 million mark for overnight stays and hosting a record 12.37 million guests, including more than 150,000 Canadians, up 10.7% from 2014. The German capital launched...