Destinations
Korea welcomes 11 million in 2012
Tourism to Korea continues to rise, including arrivals from Canada. Tourist arrivals in 2012 reached a 13.7 % year-over-year increase, with total arrival numbers to Korea reaching more than 11.1 million. Arrival numbers from Canada increased 5.1%. According to NJ Park, director for Korea Tourism, these 128,000 Canadians are visiting Korea for a variety of reasons. "Canadians continue to pick Korea as not only a top stopover destination in Asia, but also for its unique culture, cuisine and history. Easy transfers to many of Asia's top destinations, a 5,000-year history, as well as transit...
Holiday House, FunSun unveil US CityEscapes brochure
Holiday House and FunSun Vacations have unveiled their 2013 U.S.A. CityEscapes brochure, showcasing the sights and sounds of Las Vegas, New York City and New Orleans. Hotels found in the brochure are just a small sampling of the more than 10,000 hotels Holiday House and FunSun Vacations offer in the US, and a mere snapshot of the many American city getaways one can book through these brands. Other cities available include Chicago, Boston, Miami, Denver, Houston and more. This is in addition to a comprehensive California program featured in the dedicated brochure that came out last month. Some...
HTA takes issue with jump in accommodation tax
The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) has taken a stand against a proposed increase to Hawaii's transient accommodation tax (TAT) beyond the current 9.25%. An increase to the TAT would negatively affect Hawaii's competitive position in the marketplace by putting an additional tax on visitors, says the HTA. "This could cause us to lose momentum in the significant gains in visitor arrivals and spending experienced over the past three years,"said Mike McCartney, president of the HTA. "We need to ensure the continued success of our industry for the state's economy to be sustainable."As a leisure...
Special offers on Princess Cruisetours to Alaska
Princess Cruises has put the wonders of Alaska on sale with a new Denali on Sale cruise deal, offering fares as low as $99 per day for a cruisetour vacation plus up to $300 in air savings. By combining a seven-day Voyage of the Glaciers Alaska cruise (Fairbanks-Vancouver) with a three-day land tour to the best of Alaska's interior, Princess has generated a starting price of $989 p.p. for this 10-day cruisetour (inside cabin). The rate was $1,370. The sale is on for a limited time....
Discover America Canada WANTS YOU!
A revitalized Discover America Canada held its annual general meeting in Toronto on Feb. 19, reporting that it was in much better shape financially -- actually, a little over $6,000 to the good -- than it had been in a year ago -- when the organization was struggling with a lack of funds -- and is now looking to gather in new members. Discover America's incoming chair, Sana Keller told members attending the AGM that the group had been very successful in finding new ways to generate funds during the course of 2012 and observed: "If we can stay on a plateau and add a few new members, we're...
Ottawa agents can Jump into Ireland
Tourism Ireland is on the road again and will be hosting its unique educational evening in Ottawa on March 13. The evening is full of information about Ireland showcased in a fun, interactive manner followed by dinner and entertainment. Tourism Ireland will have seven representatives from Ireland on hand, including Causeway Coast Tourism, Manor House Hotels, Bed and Breakfast Ireland and more. Two Canadian partners, Transat Holidays and Trafalgar Tours, will also be in attendance. Agents interested in attending are asked to e-mail Helen Cole at [email protected]...
New Tauck tour explores ‘The Heart of Italy’
Tauck is introducing a new in-depth, eight-day itinerary for 2013 that explores Italy's three most iconic cities, Venice, Florence and Rome. "The Heart of Italy: Venezia, Firenze & Roma"is part of Tauck's Culturious collection of immersive, small-group journeys for active, boomer-aged travellers. "Our Culturious journeys are crafted specifically for inquisitive, culturally curious travellers, and it's hard to imagine a more perfect trio of classic, culturally-rich Italian cities than Venice, Florence and Rome,"said Tauck CEO Dan Mahar. "Whether it's food, art, history or religious...
Big times at Blue Mountain
Blue Mountain is investing $10-million to expand its ski and snowboard terrain and add new trails for winter 2013-2014. The expansion includes an additional 64 acres of terrain, a new high-speed, six-person chairlift and six new trails. Snowmaking infrastructure and night lighting will be installed on three of the six trails. The expansion is slated for the existing Orchard area on the south end of the Resort and increases Blue Mountain's skiable terrain to 364 total acres across 42 trails -- the most in Ontario. Dan Skelton, president and chief operating officer, Blue Mountain Resort,...