Destinations
Iconic Sam’s Castle Open for Public Tours
Pacifica, CA's iconic Sam’s Castle will be open throughout this year with special public tours, the first set for April 19, guided by “Sam’s Castle” author Bridget Oates, in co-ordination with the Sam Mazza Foundation. With a rich and intriguing history, visitors will hear compelling stories about police raids, bones buried in the garden and parties that raised the roof. In addition to the historic tales, guests will enjoy picturesque, panoramic views, as well as wine and refreshments. Tickets are priced at...
Hyatt Doubles The Fun In Jamaica
Two new Hyatts, the integrated Ziva and Zilara, will officially debut tonight (Friday) in Jamaica, with a gala opening event attended by travel trade from around the world. Jamaican minister of tourism Dr. Wykeham McNeill will officially cut the ribbon for the island's newest resorts, which soft opened in December, but are only now fully realized. A joint partnership of Playa Hotels & Resorts and Hyatt and managed by Playa – under the Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara brand names – the new Hyatt Ziva (family) and Hyatt Zilara (adults only) properties are side-by-side, sharing the...
Air New Zealand Increasing YVR-Auckland Service
Air New Zealand will move to a daily return service on its Vancouver-Auckland route over the peak northern winter period between mid-December 2015 and late-January 2016. This will be the first time the airline has operated daily return services on the route and represents a 21% increase in capacity over the previous six-week peak northern winter period. In another first, Canadian customers are now able to book the airline’s Economy Skycouch product as the route will be consistently operated by refurbished Boeing 777-200ER aircraft from Oct. 25. According to Air New Zealand...
AeroMexico’s YYZ Return Welcome News
The Mexico Tourism Board's regional director for North America is welcoming AeroMexico's decision to restart non-stop Toronto-Mexico City service. The announcement of the May 4 restart comes seven years after the airline began and then quickly abandoned the route, then deciding to refocus on other cities “because of changes in the market.” The tourism board's Rodrigo Esponda says AeroMexico's upcoming route will look attractive to Ontario residents because of the airline's “vast network” within Mexico. “Tourists will be able to connect easily to any destination in the...
Jordan Tells Its Own Story
The Jordan Tourism Board North America's director says visitors should not be dissuaded from touring the Middle Eastern nation because of what's happening across its borders, reports Ian Stalker in this week's digital edition of Travel Courier. Malia Asfour, the the board's director, concedes that news reports of often horrific violence from Syria and Iraq hamper Jordanian tourism promotion efforts but insists all is well within her homeland and those visiting it can do so safely. “It's unfortunate that the whole region is painted with one brush stroke,” she says. “We closed our...
Orlando, London Hottest Summer Destinations
Orlando is the most popular destination in the US for the summer season, according to bookings by members of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA). Internationally, the hot spot is London. Orlando was chosen as the top domestic (US) destination by 17% of the respondents in ASTA’s 2015 Hot Spots for Summer survey, followed by Las Vegas (13%), San Francisco (4%), New York City (3%), Miami (3%), Los Angeles(2%), Anaheim (2%), San Diego (2%), New Orleans (2%) and Washington, D.C. (2%). “Orlando and Las Vegas have not changed since we released our Hot Spots for Winter survey,...
Sunwing Direct to Orlando From Deer Lake, Gander
Sunwing Vacations will kick off its first direct flight service from Deer Lake and Gander, Nfld. to Orlando/Kissimmee, Fla., tomorrow (March 19). Andrew Dawson, president of Tour Operations for Sunwing Vacations, commented, “We are pleased to be able to offer our customers in Newfoundland and Labrador another option to depart on vacation from their local airport. This new connection will be the third direct Sunwing flight to the sun – along with the Dominican Republic and Cuba – available from Gander this season. We are encouraged by early sales and look forward to a successful...
It Will Take Your Breath Away
Alright, this might not be something you can sell, but it is certainly something that will convince your clients of the wonders of the Canadian Rockies and the beauty of Banff National Park. Presented by the Upthink Lab, Snow Art is a 2:22 video that captures the creative journey of internationally-acclaimed snow artist Simon Beck during his first artistic exploration of North America. And #ProjectSnow tells the visual story of Beck's magnificent imprints on the pristine, mountainous landscape of Banff National Park - his latest winter canvas. The high-definition footage was shot...