Destinations
New chills, thrills at PCC for Halloween
Renowned as Hawaii's top cultural attraction, with the only haunted canoe ride in the world, the Haunted Lagoon at the Polynesian Cultural Center is a full-scale production for the Halloween season. Dubbed the "Haunted Lagoon: Dreams and Nightmares,"guests will be taken on an all-new journey into the conflicted mind of the Laie Lady. The dark annals of the lagoon feature fearsome characters, spine-tingling special effects, lifelike animatronics and more. It will run Oct. 5 to 20, Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; and Monday to Saturday Oct. 22-31. The canoes operate from 6:30 p.m....
Discover the Badlands this fall
There are some new road trips available this fall that will allow visitors to discover the Canadian Badlands. Here are just a few of the options: !!! Drumheller, Alberta- No wonder Tom Cochrane filmed his hit tune, Life is a Highway, in the Canadian Badlands of South-Eastern Alberta. Less-travelled roads crisscross a 90,000 square kilometre prairie intersected by river valleys with incredible badland formations. Stretching east from Calgary to the Saskatchewan border and south to the US border state of Montana, the Canadian Badlands is the perfect fall road trip. Guided day trips and...
Economy impacts on growth
International visitor arrivals into Asia Pacific destinations during May 2012 showed a collective gain of 3% year-on-year according to PATA. The association pointed out that it was the second consecutive month with a declining growth rate and heralds the impact of the various economic contagions across the globe. For the first five months of 2012, the average growth in international visitor arrivals into Asia Pacific destinations was 6% up year-on-year. PATA said that North America is showing a similar but more volatile growth pattern. After registering a solid 12% increase in foreign...
Deadline extended for top BC tourism nominees
There is still time to nominate those special individuals in the tourism or hospitality industry that have gone above and beyond the call of duty, for the BC Tourism and Hospitality Awards. This is the opportunity to recognize an outstanding tourism and hospitality industry member, with the extension of the nomination deadline to Sept. 10. The BC Tourism and Hospitality Awards Gala will be held on the final night of the Host 2012 Conference, Nov. 6 at the Vancouver Convention Centre....
HTA selects marketing partner for North America
After a competitive request for proposal (RFP) process, the Hawai'i Tourism Authority (HTA) has selected the Hawai'i Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) to continue its leisure tourism destination marketing management services for the North America market. The HTA contract requires that HVCB provide fixed-priced, pre-visit destination marketing representation services for the leisure market in North America, including Canada. Its job is to drive incremental visitation and revenues for the state of Hawai'i and exceed established visitor related targets on a yearly basis. The HVCB...
Parents Getaway Package
Victoria, BC's Inn at Laurel Point is making it a little less stressful for parents delivering kids to their Vancouver Island "home away from home,"and providing distractions so parents don't hover too much while settling students in. Called the "Parents Getaway Package,"it has been designed as much for parental pampering as it is for students needing a little breathing room. Inn at Laurel Point is conveniently located in downtown Victoria, which has eight colleges and universities, and numerous boarding schools in the surrounding area. In fact, the hotel is only a 20-minute drive (less than...
Live it to tell it’
Destination experience is definitely the best sales tool for travel agents, so in this context, explora lodges has introduced its "Live it to tell it"incentive. The company is inviting agents plus a companion to visit any explora lodge property during August, September or October at specially discounted rates. The four-night program has a special rate of US$190 per agent per night and US$240 per guest per night. The regular rate for a four-night stay is US$3,180 p.p. in double occupancy. They can get this travel experience at any of the explora Atacama, explora Patagonia and explora Easter...
Legacy of aloha fashions exhibit at Bishop Museum
The ground-breaking aloha wear designs of Alfred Shaheen are returning to their birthplace of Honolulu for an exhibit at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu, Nov. 9 through Feb. 4, 2013. "HI Fashion: The Legacy of Alfred Shaheen"tells the story of how a Honolulu-based designer elevated the aloha shirt to the world of high fashion and made aloha wear a clothing trend that is here to stay. The exhibit of over 200 pieces, including aloha shirts and the famous Hawaiian Bombshell Dress, represents Shaheen's work over a 40-year period. The exhibit also features archival photos and ads that recall how his...