Destinations
All Eyes On Dallas
A love affair between Canada and Texas – and especially Dallas – continues and a delegation of tourism officials from Dallas were in Toronto yesterday (June 9) to show their support and thank travel trade partners. Phillip Jones, president/CEO, Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau, noted that Dallas hosted 340,000 Canadians last year, up 27% from the year before. He attributed the positive numbers to awareness, good value and excellent lift, with Dallas being a very easy destination to get to. “We've worked hard on the PR side and I think there's a 'been there, done that...
A Welcome Decision
The director of India Tourism Toronto is welcoming India's decision to begin offering Canadians electronic tourist visas in May, a decision he says greatly eases the visa process for those of us wanting to visit his homeland, reports Ian Stalker in this week's digital edition of Travel Courier. Anil Oraw says the new visas are available at http://www.indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html , eliminating the need for sometimes inconvenient visits to Indian diplomatic missions. “You don't need to go anywhere [to an Indian diplomatic mission],” Oraw said during a Toronto reception....
New Japan Rail Passes Link Tourist Areas
The Central Japan Railway Company and West Japan Railway Company are launching two new train passes for overseas visitors to Japan. Travellers can use the “Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass” to visit Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Gokayama, Kanazawa, and Toyama from Nagoya and Osaka. The “Ise-Kumano Area Tourist Pass” grants convenient access to various areas in Mie prefecture, including Ise, Toba, and Kumano Kodo from Nagoya. Passes are valid for five consecutive days and allow unlimited use of non-reserved seats on all trains in their designated regions. For detailed...
A Different World Every Moment
About 40 travel industry types gathered in Toronto late last week to enjoy a gourmet lunch along with a taste of what's new in “Asia's World City” – Hong Kong. In town to host the event was the Hong Kong Tourist Board's executive director, Anthony Lau, who told those on hand that in 2014, Hong Kong welcomed more than 60 million visitor arrivals which was an increase of 12%; while its 28 million overnight arrivals was up by 8.2% from 2013. Lau said that Hong Kong's popularity is in many ways due to its strategic location in Asia, which puts it in close proximity to close to...
Caribbean Airlines Adds Flights
Caribbean Airlines' summer schedule sees the airline offering travellers more options to travel from Toronto to Jamaica. The airline has increased flights between Toronto and Jamaica (Kingston) from three to five weekly departures. Caribbean Airlines offers an all-inclusive inflight experience with complimentary authentic Caribbean meals and signature cocktails, and the first checked bag always flies free. Business class passengers can enjoy three complimentary checked bags, access to CAL’s business lounges, fine dining and a premium bar, plus customers also earn an extra 50%...
San Antonio to Host IPW Marketplace in 2023
The U.S. Travel Association has announced that San Antonio has been selected as host of the 2023 IPW conference, considered the travel industry’s premier international marketplace. It will be San Antonio’s inaugural opportunity to host the event, which attracts nearly 2,400 travel organizations and domestic and international buyers from more than 70 countries. When it arrives in Texas, it will mark the first time in two decades that IPW has returned to the state. “In 2023, the world will be coming to San Antonio,” said Casandra Matej, executive director of the San Antonio...
EVA Air, Turkish Airlines Team Up
Star Alliance members EVA Air and Turkish Airlines have launched a codeshare agreement on the Taipei-Istanbul route. EVA has added its code to Turkish Airlines’ current daily flights. When EVA launches service on the route in 2016, Turkish Airlines will reciprocate by placing its code on those flights. And once both airlines are flying Taipei-Istanbul, passengers can use the combined frequencies to plan itineraries with more flexibility and connectivity between Taiwan and Turkey. As the route develops, the two airlines will collaborate to use Istanbul as a hub for travel to more...
Still Time to Win Hong Kong Trip
Agents have until June 15 to sign up for both PartnerNet and CXAgentsCanada for a chance to win a trip to Hong Kong. PartnerNet is an interactive platform for trade partners to build network and explore business opportunities, while CXAgentsCanada.com is a key source of information for travel agents about all things Cathay Pacific. Sign up now at promo.baxter.net/contest/hongkong.asp...