Destinations
Maui Film Festival Special
In celebration of the Maui Film Festival, Tropical Villa Vacations – a management and rental agent for Wailea Beach Villas – has reduced its spring rates by up to 20%. The 16th Annual Maui Film Festival will be held June 3-7 with a schedule of events at various venues in Wailea on Maui, including film screenings, award tributes and gala dinners. Wailea Beach Villas is a residential villa resort set on 4.5 hectares on Wailea Beach, within walking distance to many of the Film Festival events. The gated resort community features manicured gardens, two heated swimming pools, two...
Transat Calling All Adventurers, Thrill Seekers
Transat's upcoming Travel Basecamp web series is set to take travellers off the beaten path showcasing a new way for travellers to journey through Honduras. The four-part series dedicated to Honduras leaves the comfort of the resort, with participants spurring travellers to tempt fate in haunted caverns, dive into the second largest reef in the world at Roatán, and trek through mangroves to visit secret pirate dens. Whether your clients are seeking to discover the local countryside, explore urban life, taste local gastronomy or swim in secret waterways, Travel Basecamp and Transat...
CTC Has New Corporate Identity: Destination Canada
The Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) is getting a new corporate identity: Destination Canada. Maxime Bernier, Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism) (Agriculture) announced the move at Rendez-vous Canada 2015 in Niagara Falls. According to officials, Destination Canada represents the dynamic campaigns and programs used to distinguish Canada as a competitive global destination. The CTC will use Destination Canada instead of Canadian Tourism Commission whenever doing business at home and abroad. Bernier also highlighted the government's continued commitment to promoting...
Access Alsace
Alsace, a north-eastern French region bordering Germany and Switzerland, was in the spotlight yesterday (May 26) in Toronto as a delegation of tourism officials met with travel trade to promote the area known for its castles, traditional villages, wine and gastronomy. In Strasbourg, home to the famous Notre-Dame Cathedral, visitors may stroll along the banks of the river in the Petite France neighbourhood, while culture buffs may explore the many museums including the Strasbourg Fine Arts Museum. In the city of Colmar, guests can experience everything from the cultural wealth of the...
Experience Kissimmee Flying High
In Toronto for the first time in his new role as president and CEO of Experience Kissimmee, DT Minich isn't the only new development for the tourism arm of Florida's Osceola County. During an industry luncheon on May 21, Minich, who joined Experience Kissimmee last August, said he was recruited in part to help the organization transition from a government agency into a private agency, reports Ann Ruppenstein in this week's digital edition of Travel Courier. “It gives us much more flexibility in the marketplace, we can react in the marketplace much quicker, and we can do things...
Crystal Symphony Brings News of NW Passage
The arrival in Vancouver of the Crystal Symphony as part an Asia/transpacific cruise gave Crystal the opportunity to show off its recently refit ship, and treat travel trade guests to lunch. The ship looked good, retaining its classic charms in a market that is diverging from more traditional cruise amenities. More importantly, it gave Crystal the opportunity to talk about next year’s highlight itinerary – a Northwest Passage cruise. Sister ship Crystal Serenity will sail on this itinerary, taking 32 days from Anchorage to New York, starting in August 2016. It will do so after a...
WestJet’s #TartanTail Takes Flight
Later this month, WestJet will launch service from Halifax to Glasgow, Scotland, on board a special version of one of its Boeing Next-Generation 737-700 series aircraft adorned with a custom-designed WestJet tartan on its tail. To mark the occasion of its first service to the United Kingdom, WestJet worked with the world's last dedicated hand-crafted tartan mill, D.C. Dalgliesh of Selkirk, Scotland, to design a commemorative tartan in the airline's distinctive blue and teal corporate colours. In addition to producing neck ties, cufflinks and scarves, WestJet also decaled two aircraft...
Don’t Be Fooled
Don't let the numbers fool you! Our petro-currency may be having a tough time against the greenback but Canadians are still big on America, reports Montreal editor, Mike Dunbar in this week's digital edition of Canadian Travel Press. Ever since the feds upped duty free exemptions in June 2012, Canadian visitation numbers to the United States have been on a roller coaster ride; posting dramatic increases when the loonie was high and major decreases now that it's deeply discounted. But what the bald figures don't show is that the volatility is primarily limited to ultra-short-stay,...