Destinations
KLM Kicks Off New Schedule to Edmonton
A new non-stop schedule of flights by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines between Amsterdam Schiphol Airport and Edmonton International Airport has taken flight. The new year-round service is offered Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, and a fourth Friday flight will start on June 22 for the summer. The new route operates with an Airbus A330-200 aircraft, including 30 in World business class, 35 in the Economy Comfort Zone, and 178 economy seats. A codeshare agreement with WestJet links travellers to an additional 28 Canadian cities, including Fort McMurray, Winnipeg, Regina and...
Europe Top Of Mind
The latest results of the Long-Haul Travel Sentiment survey – which is a joint initiative of the European Travel Commission (ETC), the European Tourism Association (ETOA) and Eurail Group G.I.E., in partnership with TCI Research – indicates a strong growth potential from long-haul markets for the European tourism sector in the coming summer holiday season (May to August 2015). Despite continued reports of volatile economic conditions and political tensions, survey data collected in the five key markets of Brazil, China, Japan, Russian Federation and the United States of America...
Tourism Ireland Appointment
Tourism Ireland has welcomed a new member to its team. Jonathan Sargeant has joined the Toronto office and will serve as the new trade promotions and e-marketing executive. Sargeant will be responsible for managing Tourism Ireland’s trade promotions, e-marketing/CRM activity and business tourism. He returns to Tourism Ireland having previously worked in the Toronto office for two years from 2011-2013. He has spent the past 14 months working as a marketing specialist with Trafalgar Tours. Sargeant can be reached at [email protected] or by calling 416-925-6368, ext....
WestJet Ups Frequency on Select Routes
WestJet has announced an increase in frequency on three existing international routes and a move from seasonal to year-round service between Calgary and Yellowknife. Service between Calgary and Loreto, Mexico increases from weekly to twice-weekly service. Flights between Toronto and Puerto Vallarta increase from weekly to three times weekly and service between Toronto and Puerto Plata doubles from twice-weekly service to four scheduled flights per...
Saint Lucia Honours Top Agents
The Saint Lucia Tourist Board has wined and dined the 2014 winners of the island’s Piton Awards, which recognize the top booking Canadian travel agents and agencies for their work on behalf of the destination. The winners were hosted on the island June 11-14, including being welcomed at a dinner attended by the island's tourism minister and deputy prime minister. “We are very pleased with the dedication and hard work of all the travel agents involved,” said Tracey Warner Arnold, deputy director of tourism for the Saint Lucia Tourist Board. “The Piton Awards are a way for us...
Cunard to Celebrate 175th in Halifax
Cunard's Queen Mary 2 will embark on the capstone of Cunard’s 175th worldwide anniversary celebrations with a commemorative transatlantic crossing departing from Liverpool, England, paying tribute to the original voyage made by the company’s first flagship, Britannia, on July 4, 1840. This journey inaugurated the first scheduled mail and passenger service across the Atlantic and Cunard will be celebrating this historic milestone in three cities which hold a special place in the company’s storied past – Halifax, Boston and New York. Queen Mary 2, Cunard’s reigning flagship,...
New Sunseeking Programs From the West
Transat Holidays has introduced enhancements to its flight offerings for Western Canada by adding new routes to its 2015-2016 winter season for southern sun destinations. Departures are now in the systems and available for sale. Western Canada vacationers will be able to choose from a dozen destinations, including Cayo Santa Maria (Cuba) from Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon and Winnipeg; Cozumel (Mexico) from Calgary and Edmonton; and Varadero (Cuba) from...
Spotlight on India
The 2015 India Road Show rolled into Toronto last Thursday (June 11) as part of a four-city North American tour stopping in Montreal, Chicago and Houston. Presented by India Tourism and PATA India, 17 suppliers, industry partners and provincial government reps from Telangana and Tamilnadu were on hand to meet with travel trade and share information on the latest tourism products, packages and tours, as well as new developments and hotels in India. “We're targeting the travel agents and the tour operators the most because they'll be the ones who will be promoting India,” Anil...