Using a private Facebook group open only to the residents of Manuel Antonio - one of Costa Rica's most popular tourist destinations - author Evelyn Gallardo determined what to include in her latest book: Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica Travel Guide: The Best of Manuel Antonio & Quepos 2013. Manuel Antonio National Park is less than eight square miles, but receives more than 150,000 annual visitors. Of the 27 travel activities available in Costa Rica, Manuel Antonio offers 24 of them. This unique community-driven approach to pinpointing the best of the best in the area is nothing new to Gallardo...
From March 11-13, 2014, the Active America-China Travel Summit will come to Greater Vancouver-Richmond, Canada for the first time. This one-of-a-kind event will bring together North American travel suppliers and destinations interested in attracting more Chinese visitors, with leading influential Chinese travel buyers looking to expand the range of products they offer their clients. "What makes AA China unique is that it enables travel sellers to access key Chinese tour operators without having to invest in a trip to China to meet pre-qualified travel buyers,"says Jake Steinman, CEO of NAJ...
Air Canada Vacations (ACV) is offering an extensive line-up to Cuba this winter with 30 non-stop flights from Calgary, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax and with departures from Toronto onboard the new leisure airline, Air Canada rouge. Combined with more than 55 resorts and hotels to choose from in Cayo Coco, Cayo Largo, Holguin, Santa Clara, Varadero and Havana, the tour operator is confident it has something for everyone looking towards Cuba as a holiday destination. Highlights for the upcoming winter include a new non-stop service from Halifax to Santa Clara, where passengers can experience...
Opening this month in Whistler, BC, Ziptrek is launching its newest and longest line ever. It will start at Whistler mid-station, which means that for the first time, participants will take a ski lift right from the Village, taking in incredible scenery as they rise 1,000 metres up Whistler Mountain to the start of the new zipline. The new Ziptrek experience offers spectacular views as guests zip right over the Fitzsimmons valley to Blackcomb, with a heart-stopping 30-storey drop along the...
The Polynesian Cultural Center will showcase the music, dance and people of Aotearoa (New Zealand) with the Te Manahua Maori Cultural Arts Festival on Aug. 31. Participants from across the state and as far as New Zealand, Canada, Australia and Utah will put on a captivating display of traditional Maori kapa haka (performing arts). "Te Manahua is a fun and entertaining event for both participants and spectators, especially the Haka Hard! competition,"says Seamus Fitzgerald, Aotearoa village manager. "We're also excited to be able to live stream this year's event on our Polynesia.com website to...
Jay Rubenstein, a 25-year hospitality industry veteran in Hawaii, has been appointed to the position of general manager at the Royal Kona Resort on Hawaii's Big Island. He replaces Lalo Fernandez who transferred to his home state of California this month to join the Hogan Family Foundation and take over management of the Gardens of the World botanical gardens in Thousand Oaks. Rubenstein, formerly director of sales and hotel manager at the Royal Kona Resort, began his career in the travel industry as a front desk agent at the Sheraton Waikiki. During his 18 years with Starwood, he was...
The Tourism Industry Association of BC (TIABC) applauds Destination British Columbia on the appointments to the new Tourism Marketing Committee. "We are pleased to see such a high calibre of individuals from all areas of the province,"said TIABC chair, Christine Stoneman. "Their collective experience marketing British Columbia's regions, communities and businesses to the world will undoubtedly strengthen our existing markets as well as broaden our scope into emerging markets. All tourism businesses and British Columbians will benefit through job growth and an improved economy."The Tourism...
Start spreading the news... NYC & Company -- which is New York City's official marketing, tourism and partnership organization -- has announced details of Broadway Week Fall 2013. The promotion offers theatre-goers two-for-one tickets to 19 popular Broadway shows from Sept. 2-15. Broadway Week was originally launched in the winter of 2011 in an effort to boost ticket sales while providing savings for New Yorkers and visitors alike. Through NYC & Company's Broadway Week promotion, more than 300,000 theatre tickets have been sold generating nearly $20 million in revenue. Tickets for Broadway...
Air Canada will launch weekly non-stop flights between Toronto and Vail, Colorado served by nearby Eagle County Regional Airport in time for the 2013-14 winter ski season. Air Canada will operate its new seasonal service on Saturdays beginning Dec. 14 until April 5, 2014, with 120-seat Airbus A319 aircraft offering a choice of Executive or Economy Class service, and featuring complimentary seatback entertainment throughout the aircraft. The flights to Vail from Toronto Pearson International are timed to offer customers easy flight connections throughout AC's extensive network in Eastern and...
Ecuadorean tourism authorities are inviting agents interested in learning about Ecuador to sign up for the Ecuador Specialist program, which details the "Four Worlds"of Ecuador - the Amazon, Andes, Pacific Coast and the Galapagos. The free course takes about two hours to complete and the top sales producer each month receives a $250 gift card and agents are also eligible for a quarterly drawing for a free Ecuador trip. The program also offers news, travel deals and eligibility for fam trip updates, and also gives information on each region of the country, identifying the target market for...