Destinations
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...
Canadians Love To Travel
In its latest Hotel Price Index (HPI), Hotels.com reports that while New York, Las Vegas and London remained the top 3 destinations for Canadians travelling outside the country in 2015, demand for European destinations increased and there was a “renewed passion” by Canadians to travel to “more exotic” destinations. Hotels.com's Taylor L. Cole, observed: “Canadians have an inherent sense of adventure and have always shown a great desire to experience new and different cultures.” Cole pointed out that: “We're seeing that interest continuing to increase as Canadians seek...
US, Cuba Air Deal Earns Praise
Following the U.S. Department of Transportation's announcement that an agreement has been reached between the United States and Cuba restoring scheduled air service between the two countries, ASTA president and CEO, Zane Kerby commented: “ASTA congratulates DOT and its Cuban counterparts on reaching this agreement, which will increase air service to Cuba five-fold and will mean more and more affordable transportation options for Americans wishing to undertake authorized travel to Cuba. Resuming commercial air travel will benefit American consumers and the ASTA travel agents who serve...