Destinations
Dollar Daze
With the Canadian dollar hitting a 13-year low this week, Canada has just become the travel bargain of 2016 for international visitors who could save as much as 30% on their vacations here. Outer Shores Expeditions' founder and president, Dr. Russell Markel said that: ““Our 2016 inquiries already show that discerning international travellers recognize that they are going to get the most value from their travel budget by exploring Canada this year.” Canada has long had a reputation as one of the most enthralling places in the world to visit and guests consistently rank their...
Expanding Horizons
In its latest TripBarometer, PATA reports that Asian travellers are planning to expand their horizons in 2016. Published by PATA, with help from its strategic partner, TripAdisor, the study revealed that 76% of Asian travellers want to “try something new” this year, compared to 69% of those questioned globally. And the study also discovered that one in four Asian travellers will go solo while 21% will opt for a cruise and one in five will look for adventure travel experiences. The study, which was conducted by Ipsos, found that Indonesian travellers are the biggest...
Rocking In The DR
They'll be rocking twice as hard in the Dominican Republic with the announcement by Hard Rock International that its planning to open a second hotel in the destination in late 2017. In collaboration with All Inclusive Collection, The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Santo Domingo will be a full service property with 400 rooms and a casino. In making the announcement, Nelson Parker, vice-president of casino development, Hard Rock International, said: “The Dominican Republic is the region's most visited country and continues to be the top performing destination in the Caribbean. In...
Business Is Brisk
According to the Acapulco Destination Marketing Office, it's shaping up to be one of the most successful winter seasons for the destination in a while. Average hotel occupancy was 83.5% for Dec. 20 to Dec. 31, with hotels often reporting rates of over 97% throughout the month of December. The Secretary of Tourism of Guerrero reported that Acapulco registered the highest occupancy on record in the past seven years with 98% on Jan. 1, 2016 – an increase from the 95.9% reported during the same day in 2015. Interest for Acapulco was especially high during weekends and holidays as this...
Strength In Unity
An agenda of unity among member nations continues to drive the ASEAN Tourism Forum, which is scheduled to take place Jan. 18 to 25 in Manila, reports Press Today's western editor Ted Davis. This will be the 35th edition of this annual event, and this year’s ATF holds promise for signposting a way to unite ASEAN as a single tourist destination. With the theme, “One Community for Sustainability,” the forum will launch the new ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan (ATSP), a master plan for the region from 2016 to 2020. This will not only help the development and growth of regional...
Best Ever … So Far
2015 was a very good year for Israel tourism. In fact, Uri Steinberg, Israel tourism commissioner for North America, observed: “It's official, more Americans visited Israel in 2015 than in any year since Israel was reborn in 1948.” In all, some 620,000 Americans visited Israel in 2015 – that's 3% more than in 2014, which was the previous record year. Said Steinberg: “For much of the year, tourism specialists were seeing a monthly increase in arrivals, but only with the end-of-year statistics could we be really sure that we'd broken the all-time record.” But there's...
Karisma Targets Agents With New Initiatives
Karisma Hotels & Resorts has unveiled a commission increase to 21%, a new loyalty travel club and a variety of weddings and romance-related offerings and tools exclusively for its Gourmet Inclusive Vacation Consultants (GIVC). In making the announcement, Mandy Chomat, vice-president of sales & marketing for Karisma Hotels & Resorts, said: “We are extremely proud of Karisma Hotels & Resorts’ growth and success over the past year but know that none of it would be possible without the support of our dedicated travel agents.” Chomat continued: “Despite the industry...
#KenyaLive – Two World Firsts for Wildlife Lovers
Kenya’s stunning wildlife is set to be showcased with two world firsts in a series of live web broadcasts using new state-of-the-art technology. #KenyaLive will enable people to witness the excitement of a night safari in the Mara – as well as Kenya’s coastal underwater treasures – as the action happens in real time. Building on the success of #MaraLive – the world’s first live web broadcast of the great wildebeest migration – Make It Kenya has once again partnered with HerdTracker to use a combination of the most innovative filming technology, and Twitter’s Periscope...