Destinations
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...
Have You Got ScotSpirit
VisitScotland is bringing the spirit of Scotland to life in its first ever global campaign and social movement. The worldwide launch took place on Feb. 10, with the campaign aiming to raise the spirit and profile of Scotland to the highest it has ever been in history by igniting the power of a nation behind tourism. The campaign will evoke emotion in all those who encounter it worldwide through TV, radio, print, digital advertising and social media. The campaign is built on extensive research gathered by VisitScotland that shows that people think Scotland has a unique spirit – whether...
No Reported Cases In The Keys
While 8 Florida counties are now under a state of health emergency ordered by Gov. Rick Scott to ensure Florida is prepared and stays ahead of the spread of Zika virus, Monroe County is not included in that executive order, issued primarily as a precautionary measure. In fact, there are no reported Zika cases in Monroe County, including the Florida Keys. The counties under the order are Alachua, Broward, Hillsborough, Lee, Miami-Dade, Osceola, Santa Rosa and St. Johns, which have collectively reported a total of 20 cases, all acquired while travelling outside of the U.S. The...
Taking Off From YVR
Air Canada rouge launched seasonal, non-stop service between Vancouver and Cancun yesterday (Mon., Feb. 15, 2016). Benjamin Smith, president, passenger airlines for Air Canada, said: “We are delighted to launch seasonal, non-stop flights from YVR to Cancun, one of the most popular vacation destinations on the Mayan Riviera.” Smith noted that: “This winter, Air Canada offers service to Cancun from seven Canadian cities: Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Halifax. We continue to strategically deploy Air Canada rouge on routes with high leisure travel...
IATA Aims To Help Stop Illegal Trafficking
On any given day in South Africa, a rhino is killed by poachers every seven hours, while 54 elephants are slaughtered across the continent. If left unaddressed, both species will be extinct in the wild within the next 25 years, reports Montreal editor Mike Dunbar in this week's digital edition of Canadian Travel Press. The plight of the pangolin, or scaly anteater, is even worse. More than one million are estimated to have been poached over the past decade. While research has shown that 72% of illegal ivory is trafficked to Asia by sea, evidence also indicates that airlines –...