Destinations
On The Road at Beaches Key West Opening
Beaches Resorts officially launched the newest addition to its flagship resort in the Turks & Caicos Islands on May 18 with a gala ribbon-cutting ceremony that attracted dignitaries from across the Caribbean, including Jamaican prime minister Portia Simpson-Miller. PressToday's Mike Baginski reports that a long list of speakers used the forum to discuss Caribbean nationalism and economics, both local and international politics, and seek (and even pray for) further investment by Sandals Resorts International in their constituencies; but mostly to fete SRI chairman Gordon "Butch"...
Skyline Akaka Falls Launches Zip-n-Dip Tour
Skyline Eco-Adventures is launching a new Zip-n-Dip Tour option at its Akaka Falls location on the Big Island on June 1. Guests can take the plunge and cool off after the seven-line Akaka Falls zipline adventure, which includes up to three hours of waterfalls and spectacular ocean and mountain views, including the only zipline in Hawaii that soars over a 250-foot waterfall. After each 10 a.m. zipline tour, Zip-n-Dip Tour guests will have hours of access to Skyline’s privately owned waterfall swim location just minutes away from the course. Here, they can enjoy a swim by the...
TIABC Welcomes Resort Municipality Funding for Tourism
The Tourism Industry Association of British Columbia (TIABC) applauds the recent announcement by the government of British Columbia on providing $10.5 million under the Resort Municipality Initiative (RMI) to 14 designated communities to support programs or projects that lead to providing a better tourism experience for visitors which will help to increase the tourism component of the local economy. “The funding to support tourism in these communities couldn’t have come at a better time,” says Ian Robertson, executive director of TIABC. “Tourism is on the rebound and this...
May Heralds Unofficial Start to Whistler Summer
Whistler gets a head start on summer, with the Canadian holiday of Victoria Day heralding the unofficial start to the summer season, with more sunshine hours in each day welcoming the golf season, the opening of the mountain bike park and the kick-off to an exciting festivals and events lineup. Not only does May bring golf and the opening of the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, this year’s long weekend also welcomes Whistler’s newest festival – and the return of the legendary Great Snow-Earth-Water race. This year, Whistler welcomes the inaugural GO Fest – the Great Outdoors...
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...