Destinations
Dynamic Destination
Air Canada, the Rio Convention & Visitors Bureau and 25 suppliers (ranging from ground operators to hoteliers) teamed for a series of cross-Canada travel agency workshops. In Toronto, the event welcomed between 70 and 75 retailers, who had the chance to discover everything they need to know about Rio as the city gears up for the 2016 Summer Olympics. The workshops are also slated to make stops in Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver. Tony Celio, manager, specialty sales for Air Canada, told Press Today that Brazil is a strong market for the carrier. AC introduced its thrice weekly...
Jump Into Ireland
Irish tourism officials, including Alison Metcalf, executive vice-president, US & Canada, Tourism Ireland, were in Toronto yesterday to update travel industry personnel on the latest happenings in the Emerald Isle. The delegation, which is visiting Hamilton today and then Ottawa, includes 11 industry partners. Metcalfe noted that Ireland is coming off a strong year from Canada with 190,000 Canadians visiting, up 20% from 2014. “We're doing well, but we don't take anything for granted,” said Metcalfe. “We continue to build and invest of the ground.” She attributed...
Meliá Set For Manhattan Opening
Meliá Hotels International will launch its first property in New York City in March. Located at 132 West 27th Street between 6th and 7th Avenue, INNSIDE New York NoMad is within easy access of the city’s iconic landmarks and attractions, including New York Highline, Times Square and Madison Square Gardens. The new hotel will boast 313 spacious guest rooms, with neutral contemporary interiors and accents of colour, along with oversized floor to ceiling windows. The hotel has eight suites, including three unique terrace suites, with views of New York’s skyline and the Empire...
Sunshine State Shines
Florida has set another record in tourism by welcoming 105 million visitors in 2015, including four million Canadians. This is the fifth consecutive record year for visitation to Florida, exceeding the previous high of 98.5 million in 2014 by 6.6%. The average number of direct travel-related jobs in 2015 was also a record high, with 1,199,200 Floridians employed in the tourism industry – up 53,400 or 4.7% over the same period last year. Governor Rick Scott commented, “I am proud to announce that Florida has surpassed our tourism goal and welcomed an historic 105 million visitors...
WestJet Expands Seasonal Summer Routes
WestJet has introduced three non-stop seasonal routes for this summer. In June, WestJet will start service between Brandon, Manitoba and Toronto Pearson International Airport. In addition, the airline will start service between Vancouver and both Hamilton, and London, Ont. WestJet's limited-addition flights will be offered only during the peak summer travel season. “These new flights provide our guests in Brandon, London and Hamilton even more access to the WestJet network with non-stop service, greater convenience and more connectivity this summer,” said John Weatherill,...
Lively Up Yourself!
Island Routes is inviting reggae enthusiasts to tour Jamaica's capital of Kingston, and in doing so see first-hand the district where that musical genre first built a high-profile following, and meet what the tour company insists will be welcoming locals in a part of the city that foreign tourists have traditionally eyed warily because of a rough-and-tumble reputation, reports Ian Stalker in this week's digital edition of Canadian Travel Press. The firm has twice-weekly guided tours of Kingston that include visits to Trench Town, the community that reggae legend Bob Marley once called...
Anyone for OZ
Goway Travel is working with Tourism Australia and Virgin Australia to offer travellers a chance to discover some of Australia's coastal and aquatic delights. For example, there’s beautiful Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays, Bondi and Manly beaches in Sydney and snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. The 11 day Whitsunday and Sydney Escape starts at just US$2,599 per person and includes a four night stay in Sydney combined with four nights on Hamilton Island. Travellers will enjoy a full day Great Barrier Reef cruise, a half day excursion to Whitehaven Beach, entry to Hamilton Island...
A Square Is Born
Montreal's Golden Square Mile Tourism Development Society has launched, with the organization aiming to “actively promote” the Golden Square Mile and to bring together the historic quarter’s top leaders. In the 1850s, the Golden Square Mile was the cradle of wealthy Canadian families, mainly of Scottish origin. Today, it still contains some of Montreal’s finest architectural jewels, particularly its most splendid Victorian homes, as well as the city’s widest range of diverse tourist attractions. The Golden Square Mile is bordered by René-Lévesque Boulevard,...