Destinations
Vail Resorts Acquires Australia’s Largest Mountain Resort
Vail Resorts, Inc. has agreed to acquire its first international mountain resort, Perisher Ski Resort in New South Wales, Australia, for a cash consideration of approximately US$136 million, subject to certain adjustments. Perisher is the largest and most visited ski resort in Australia, and is well-positioned with access to the country’s largest cities, including Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra and Brisbane. Perisher is also the largest ski resort in the Southern Hemisphere. The acquisition is expected to close in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015 following the satisfaction of...
Carnival Pride Back in Baltimore for Year-Round Cruising
Carnival Cruise Line has returned to the Port of Baltimore with a year-round cruise program featuring the newly refurbished Carnival Pride. Pride’s year-round schedule from Baltimore encompasses a range of departures, from five-day Bermuda cruises to seven- to 14-day voyages visiting top destinations in the Caribbean, The Bahamas and Florida. Carnival Pride recently underwent an extensive multi-million-dollar dry dock that added a variety of the line’s Fun Ship 2.0 innovations, including new dining venues such as Guy’s Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina and Bonsai Sushi, bar...
Magical Culinary Experience
Overnight packages and event-only tickets are now on sale for the sixth-annual Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic, set for Oct. 30-31. A Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic causeway ticket offers guests unlimited tastings at more than 40 stations featuring culinary selections from the hotel’s award-winning restaurants and wine from more than 30 wineries amidst a festive backdrop of live entertainment on the hotel’s scenic causeway. Upgraded ticket options allow guests to enjoy access to a beer garden featuring a wide selection of craft beers and...
Air France Inaugurates Paris-Vancouver Flights
Driving rain welcomed the inaugural arrival of the new Air France service to Vancouver International Airport from Paris on March 29. After clearing customs, dignitaries and airline brass met media and guests in the departure lounge amidst French-themed cuisine, music and appointments. This kicks off a schedule of up to five flights per week to Paris-Charles de Gaulle from YVR. Flights are being operated by a Boeing 777-200 with 309 seats: 35 in business class, 24 in premium economy and 250 in economy. To encourage further participation by agents, Air France has rolled out a...
‘Brilliant Barbados’ Offers Incentives to Visit
With a roaring start and upward trend in arrivals to the island this year, Barbados is now further boosting the incentive for travellers with the launch of its “Brilliant Barbados” travel package, boasting more than 40 hotels, must-see attractions and top restaurants. Designed to maintain the momentum of growth the island has been experiencing in visitor arrivals over the last year, “Brilliant Barbados” offers guests their first night free when planning a minimum stay of four days. The package also includes an exclusive discount voucher to use towards local attractions, plus...
Detour Puts an Expert Guide in Your Earbuds
Detour is a new way to experience San Francisco using your mobile phone, featuring audio walks that reveal hidden stories, people and places at every turn. Created by Andrew Mason, the founder of Groupon, Detour takes participants on tours at their own pace and on their own schedule, either alone or synced with friends. Visitors can choose from seven Detours (more added monthly) including: Beat Generation (join the Beat Poets in North Beach in the 1950s and ‘60s), Beyond the Painted Ladies (an incredible story of upheaval and change in the Western Addition), Cool Gray City (25,000...
On Road From Tianguis
Press Today's Ian Stalker reports that the man who oversees the Mexico Tourism Board's Quebec office is welcoming upcoming Air Canada rouge service between Montreal and Mexico City. Manuel Montelongo told Baxter Travel Media that the carrier will begin five-times-a-week service between the Mexican and Quebec cities in early May, which is "amazing news" for Mexico City's tourism trade. Mexican tourism officials have long been encouraging Canadians not to limit their Mexican vacations to beach destinations. Montelongo acknowledged during Mexico's tourism show Tianguis last week...
Showcasing ‘The Bluegrass State’
A delegation of tourism officials from Kentucky wrapped up a Canadian sales mission – which included a bourbon tasting event – last week, showcasing all “The Bluegrass State” has to offer. The group mainly represented Northern Kentucky, Louisville and Lexington – dubbed Kentucky's Golden Triangle and offering visitors an unlimited source of things to do all within a few hour's drive of each other. While many Canadians pass through Kentucky when driving to Florida, officials are trying to get the word out that staying a day or two is definitely worth it. From the rolling...