Destinations
Rhine Valley UNESCO Sites Under One Roof
At the 40th edition of the German Travel Mart, being held in Bremen, the focus has been on the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, as well as on 38 UNESCO World Heritage sites located throughout the country. For instance, host city Bremen is home to the joint UNESCO site of Weser-Renaissance town hall and the statue of Roland on the historic market square. Bremen has 1,200 years of history. Providing more information on UNESCO sites in Germany is Forum Confluentes, the latest attraction in Koblez, Germany. An architectural masterpiece built in the shape of a ship, the...
High Hopes for Cuban Tourism
In this week's issue of Travel Courier, Ian Stalker reports that Cuba’s tourist trade has received both a pat on the back for its performance in recent years and a prediction of a glowing future from a clear heavyweight in international travel. Taleb Rifai, general secretary of the World Tourism Organization, told delegates attending Cuba's annual tourism show FITCuba last week that the country is “without doubt ... a successful example” of a growing force in the international tourist trade. Rifai, speaking during the Havana show’s opening ceremony, noted that a country that...
Leave a Legacy with Aston Hotels
Guests staying at any Aston Hotels & Resorts Hawaii Island destination – Aston Kona by the Sea, Aston Shores at Waikoloa, and Aston Waikoloa Colony Villas – have a new opportunity to “Leave a Legacy with Aston” with a package that supports reforestation. Experience Hawaiian Legacy Tours, a new part of the non-profit Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative on the Island of Hawaii, in a first-of-its kind opportunity that allows guests to plant their own Koa Legacy Tree and tour a historic forest on the slopes of the Mauna Kea volcano. “Leave a Legacy with Aston”...
WestJet Encore Adds Fort McMurray Service
WestJet has launched new non-stop daily service between Kelowna, BC, and Fort McMurray and between Vancouver and Fort McMurray. Both services are offered by WestJet Encore using its fleet of Canadian-made Bombardier Q400 NextGen aircraft. WestJet also launched a third daily flight between Calgary and Fort McMurray using the same type of...
Dominican Sees Record Number of Visitors in 2013
The Dominican Republic continues to capitalize on its tourism developments as it received a record 4.7 million visitors in 2013, an increase of 3.6%. The 2014 Dominican Annual Tourism Exchange (DATE) at the Paradisus Palma Real in Punta Cana recognized these efforts in front of the country’s tourism sector and more than 100 international buyers and suppliers. The Ministry of Tourism highlighted Dominican Republic's successful tourism year and confirmed that the US was the largest source of visitor growth. The United States accounted for 1.6 million travellers in 2013, 40% of the...
Kevin Spacey Brings Star Power to Tianguis
The connection to Mexico was a bit tenuous, but there was no doubting the star power of special guest speaker Kevin Spacey at this year’s Tianguis Turistico trade fair and conference. Hollywood A-list actor Spacey had no problem drawing a capacity crowd to the main theatre at the Lakam Convention Center in the Riviera Maya region of the Yucatan Peninsula. Although it was billed as a press-only gathering, available seats were filled by buyers, suppliers and conference staff. They mostly heard Spacey recount various career highlights, but his principal mission was to promote his...
WestJet Encore Says Bienvenue to Quebec City
WestJet has announced the launch of new, non-stop twice-daily service between Toronto and Quebec City, Quebec, effective March 15, 2015. Using WestJet Encore’s fleet of Canadian-made Bombardier Q400 NextGen aircraft, the new service will replace WestJet’s current daily service on board its Boeing Next-Generations 737s. “One of WestJet Encore’s raison d’être is to allow us to make service improvements to the communities we serve by increasing frequencies, and this is a prime example of that strategy,” said Chris Avery, WestJet vice-president, Network Planning, Alliances...
New Look Tianguis Topples Records
Likely the largest Tianguis Turistico Mexico in recent history is now underway, with buyer numbers being tabulated that topple the count from 2013. Tianguis Turisticio 2014 has attracted about 1,500 buyers from 60 countries, smashing the count of some 700 set last year, when Tianguis was held in Puebla. This 39th edition of the annual trade fair and conference is taking place in the Mayan Riviera, at the Lakam Convention Centre, where exhibitors from all across Mexico are stationed. The day before they started doing business, Mexico’s president Enrique Pena Nieto welcomed...