Hotels
Discovering The Solares De Portugal
It's not often that a Count comes to invite you to stay at his home … or for that matter, the home of many of his friends, but that's essentially what Count Francisco de Calheiros e Menezes, president of Solares de Portugal did last night (June 25) at an intimate gathering of top agents and operators at the Consul General of Portugal's offices in Toronto. Admitting to his audience that while this time around he was only making a short visit, his first visit to Canada was more than enough to convince to return and explore all of this country's wonders. And Count de Calheiros also...
Club Med Picks Lacoste For Charlevoix
Following the official laying of the first stone of Club Med`s first four-season resort in Canada last week, it has announced the appointment of General Manager (presented as Chief of Village): Francis Lacoste. Lacoste will manage the new resort in the Charlevoix region, which will open its doors on Dec. 5, 2020. He has been a member of the Club Med family for over 10 years and quickly became one of the company's most-valued Chiefs of Village. With the desire to gain international experience, this ski buff started his Club Med journey as a Gracious Organiser (G.O.) at Club Med...
School’s Out With Sunwing
School's out this week and Sunwing is helping families celebrate the end of the school year with its School's Out for Summer Sale. From now until June 28, 2019, when one parent books, the other parent travels for half the price with select vacation packages to resorts across the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America. Families can ditch their staycation plans and book the ultimate summer vacation at an all inclusive resort instead, with amenities and activities that vacationers of all ages will love. Parents can focus on enjoying their time together as a family instead of worrying...
Above & Beyond
Where were you when the Toronto Raptors won the NBA Championship? Well, for close to 400 of the Canadian travel industry's finest, the answer to that question is they were at the second annual Agents' Choice Awards Gala at the Arcadian Court in Toronto. It was a night of celebration and anticipation as Baxter Media unveiled the results of the 20th Anniversary edition of the Agents' Choice Awards Readership Survey, and – with all the glitz and glamour of Hollywood's Oscars – presented awards to the 2019 favourite suppliers as selected by the 6,512 travel agents from across Canada...
Club Med Appointment
Mélanie St-Germain, manager of Meetings and Events by Club Med, has announced Maria Chung has been appointed the new MICE business development manager for Ontario and Western Canada. Chung is joining Club Med with more than 25 years of experience in the travel industry. Involved in several notable hotel openings, including the opening of InterContinental Toronto Yorkville where she spent 10 years, and introducing the Thompson brand to Canada, Chung has filled several senior positions in sales and marketing over her 2.5 decades in the industry. Chung’s strong sales and...
Ottawa Travel Agent Wins With Sandals
Sandals' largest and longest cash incentive to date -- created exclusively for Canadian agents – continues to reward winners from across the country. Vincent Mazet from CWT Concierge in Ottawa, Ontario recently accepted his prize of C$1,000 from Giselle Williams, business development manager, Toronto, Central Ontario and Ottawa, Unique Vacations Canada Inc. for making just one booking. “Sandals Cash Splash,” which launched in October 2018, awards multiple, monthly cash prizes to agents who make a booking direct with Unique Vacations Inc. through Sept. 30, 2019. Each new...
Good As Gold
Jamaica's minister of tourism, the Hon. Edmund Bartlett has hailed Sandals Resorts as a prime example of indigenous companies in the tourism sector that are taking their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to new heights, ensuring that the positive impact of tourism is reaching all corners of our communities. Minister Bartlett made his comments during the recent World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) North America Leaders Forum panel: From Doing CSR to Being CSR. Bartlett pointed out that in an effort to modify the perception that the tourism sector is too focused on the narrow...
Finding Paradise
“In the cottages, there’s no WiFi, there’s no TV. There’s minimal technology – only a Bose sound dock for music and a Nespresso coffee machine. That’s it,” General Manager Matthew Semark explains upon arrival at Petit St. Vincent Private Island, a 115-acre tropical oasis in the southern tip of The Grenadines. Free of telephones and room keys, each of the 22 one-bedroom cottages and two-bedroom beach villas rely instead on a flag pole system to communicate with staff, writes assistant editor, Ann Ruppenstein in this week's Travel Courier cover story. “When guests are...