Destinations
Calgary to host the 2015 World Handball Championship
The World Handball Council recently announced that Calgary has been awarded the rights to host the 2015 World Handball Championship. The event will host over 800 participants from more than 30 nations, which will generate 3,000 room nights and the accompanying economic benefits. The championship takes place every three years and was previously hosted in Edmonton in 2006, Portland, Oregon in 2009 and Dublin this year. This will be the first time Calgary has hosted the event. The 10-day tournament is tentatively scheduled to take place in August 2015....
Jamaica prepares for Sandy
Jamaica is now under a hurricane warning, preparing for the arrival of Tropical Storm Sandy -- which is continuing to gain strength with average winds expected to reach 118 km/h -- today. The storm is expected to make landfall near Kingston this afternoon. Both of the Caribbean island's airports have been closed as have schools and businesses. Emergency plans have been put in place as the island's meteorological service reports that "hurricane force winds will gradually develop during Wednesday morning and could generate storm surge of one to two metres (3 to 7 feet) along Jamaica's...
Tourism Australia is back in Canada
Tourism Australia re-introduced itself to the trade in Canada at a luncheon in Toronto Tuesday. "Self-admittedly"absent for the past year, according to regional partnership manager, The Americas, Brian Albano (above), TA has appointed rep firm DCI to handle its affairs in this country and took the lunch event opportunity to introduce account manager Kevin Smith to the post. TA promised a more active role in Canada, including engaging with its trade...
Manitoba planetarium reopens with new projection tech
The newly upgraded Manitoba Museum is the first planetarium in Canada to feature the Digistar 5 All-Dome digital projection technology, now being used in eight new shows. This new projection system dramatically enhances the visitor experience by using two wide-angle video projectors to cover the entire dome with a single seamless video image. The new technology allows the Planetarium to introduce all-new content. For instance, Wonders of the Universe gives visitors the chance to discover the solar system as seen by NASA's robot explorers, covering everything from the cold landscapes of Mars...
Preservers of Hawaii culture, history win HTA awards
The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) recently presented the Daughters of Hawaii and the Friends of Iolani Palace with its 2012 Tourism Legacy Awards. This is in recognition of the established lifelong efforts by both organizations to perpetuate the Hawaiian culture and to sustain a "legacy of aloha."The Daughters of Hawaii is a non-profit organization founded in 1903 to perpetuate the memory and spirit of old Hawaii and of historic facts, and to preserve the nomenclature and correct pronunciation of the Hawaiian language. The organization owns and maintains the Queen Emma Summer Palace, the...
Kissimmee revs up marketing efforts in Canada
The Kissimmee Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) has chosen VoX International Inc. as its marketing agency to promote the Central Florida destination in Canada. Under the direction of the CVB, the firm will be responsible for developing and implementing a marketing plan, providing a strategic direction in sales, public relations and promotions for the Canadian market. "As we begin this year's marketing efforts in Canada, we are thrilled to have a strong partnership with VoX International to accomplish our goals,"says Tracy Ward, director of sales and marketing for the Kissimmee CVB. "Canada...
2012 Cancun Travel Mart a success
The Cancun Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) celebrated 25 years of the Cancun Travel Mart, Oct. 15-17, hosting participants from more than 20 countries who made the 2012 convention one of the most successful yet, increasing the number of business meetings by 15% compared to 2011. A total of 684 tourism professionals attended this year's convention, including 308 buyers and 376 suppliers. A record-breaking 4,312 business meetings took place at Cancun Travel Mart, not including site inspections and press trips organized by the area's many hotels and all-inclusive properties. Several...
Seventh night free at Hilton Waikoloa
Guests who stay six nights at the Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Big Island will receive a seventh night free. They will also get two complimentary tickets to the Legends of the Pacific luau. A once in a lifetime experience, the Hawai'i Island lu'au showcases exotic Polynesian dances and music of the Pacific Rim, highlighted by an expansive Waikoloa buffet. Lu'au doors open at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday nights. The offer is available until Dec. 31....