Destinations
Bahamas Spreads the Love to Canadians
2016 is more than just the Year of Romance for the Caribbean Tourism Organization. The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism is also spreading the love with the launch of the 16 Weddings Invitation, a contest for Canadian couples to win 16 weddings in the destination to be held across 16 different locations on Nov. 16, 2016. “This is a niche market that lends itself perfectly to The Bahamas,” Joy Jibrilu, director general of The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, told Press Today at a Toronto launch event yesterday (Feb. 18). “If you are a city type of person, Nassau, Paradise Island lends...
ANA Bringing Flash To YVR
A new Boeing 787 Series 9 will soon start flying between Vancouver and Tokyo in the colours of All Nippon Airways (ANA), helping to confirm the city’s increasing priority as a gateway from Asia to North America. The ANA B787-9 will kick off flights on the Vancouver-Tokyo Haneda route as of April 28. It will feature newly designed business class suites in the J class cabin. These feature a roomy, staggered configuration for more space and privacy, and a full 180 degree recline function. The 48 seats in the cabin are aligned so that every passenger has aisle access. The new...
Kung Hei Fat Choy
The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) and the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office (HKETO) teamed up for the 10th year in a row to host travel trade types for a celebration of Chinese New Year in Toronto this week. Along with the traditional Lion Dance to welcome in the Year of the Monkey, the HKTB's director of Canada and South & Central America, Michael Lim provided those on hand at the event with an update on Hong Kong's performance in 2015 and its marketing plan going forward in 2016. “Last year, Hong Kong recorded over 59.3 million visitor arrivals with a decline of...
A taste of Myrtle Beach in Toronto
From blackened catfish to BBQ ribs and smoked chicken, travel industry personnel got a flavour of South Carolina coastal cuisine last night (Feb. 18) during a Taste of Myrtle Beach BBQ held in Toronto. “We’ve had a huge explosion in culinary tourism,” says Kimberly Hartley, Travel Solutions by Design Corp., Canadian-based reps for the Myrtle Beach Area CVB. “It’s very unique. It’s not just about beach, it’s not just about golf, there’s so much more to the destination: the history, the culture, the adventure, the kayaking and canoeing, bird-watching and cycling, hiking...
Better Than Par
The Lake Placid region of New York has created a promotion to entice Canadians to cross the border through March: The “Better Than Par” promotion with ski & stay deals and discounts from local hotels and resorts -- with some of the rates starting at US$99 per person with lift tickets. Just a few hours from Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto, Canadians don't have to venture far to stay on the slopes for less. A sampling of “Better Than Par” deals can be found below. Whiteface Lodge Resort & Spa: The All Suite Resort offers a Canadian Par Deal of 30% off through March....
Amazing Results
Japan appears to be in vogue with Canadians. Hideaki Nakazawa, executive director of the Japan National Tourism Organization's Canadian office, told a Toronto gathering Wednesday that his homeland saw some 231,000 Canadian visitors last year, a hefty 26.5% increase over 2014. This past January in turn saw an increase of over 25% from January 2015. “It's an amazing record and I am truly grateful to all the Canadian travel agents,” Nakazawa said of the 2015 results. Among reasons he cited for the increases are growing air links between this country and Japan, with All Nippon...
On Your Mark, Get Set
Korea's tourism trade is eagerly awaiting the arrival of the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, confident that the athletic spectacular will be another shot in the arm for a country that has benefited in a major way from hosting sporting extravaganzas in the past, reports Ian Stalker in this week's digital edition of Travel Courier. “The promotion has already started,” says Doojo Kim, Canadian director of the Korea Tourism Organization, who adds that the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul were a “turning point” for Korea's tourist trade. Upwards of a billion people...
Stellar Performance
Tourism officials in the Caribbean are celebrating these days following the release of 2015 arrival and spending results by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO). The results show that the Caribbean outperformed every major tourism region in the world in 2015, with international tourist trips to the region growing by 7% to 28.7 million visits – much higher than the projected 4% to 5% growth – and visitor spending hitting an estimated $30 billion – a 4.2% jump over the $28.8 billion spent in 2014. In announcing the results, Hugh Riley, secretary general of the CTO, 's...