Tour Operators
Indigenous Tourism BC Relaunches App
Indigenous Tourism BC (ITBC) is encouraging residents to safely visit Indigenous tourism businesses using their new Trip Planner mobile app as British Columbia enters Phase 3 of the province’s Restart Plan The app is an intuitive planning resource with educational tools that immerses travellers in the culture, history and raw beauty of BC’s Indigenous territories. Now live, the app features enhanced travel and safety information, including up-to-date operating hours, booking requirements and new community protocols. Under Phase 3 of the BC Restart Plan, residents can resume...
Luxury Travel: Why and How To Sell It
In a post-COVID-19 travel market, could luxury travel be the next big trend? By its very definition, luxury travel offers seclusion, privacy, and exclusivity. Personalized itineraries, private tours, chartered flights, private villa rentals, or even private islands ... this is exactly the kind of travel that works in a socially distanced world. So, what is luxury travel, who offers it, and how can travel agents sell it? Join Baxter Media on Wednesday, Jul 8 at 1PM EST for a free webinar, Selling Luxury Travel, part of our #TravelWebcastWednesday series, exploring the topics, trends,...
Let’s Get Uncomfortable About Racism
Canadian travel professionals are invited to join a virtual event -- “Let’s Get Uncomfortable: Confronting Anti-Black Racism in Canada’s Travel Industry” – set to take place tomorrow (July 7) from 5:00 p.m to 7:00 p.m. ET. With conversations about systemic, anti-Black racism dominating headlines and political discussions, companies are being urged to confront and correct internal biases. The travel industry is among those being taken to task for its lack of diversity, with calls to commit to anti-racist practices from various media outlets and to demonstrate “true...
Brave New World
COVID-19 dealt the travel industry a blow with unimaginable consequences. Although the ripple effect was felt worldwide, as recovery gets underway, Travel Courier talks to a panel of industry leaders to find out what changes can be implemented now to ensure tourism can be a force for good across travellers, wildlife, the environment and local communities. In the aftermath of the pandemic, the travel industry, which is collectively responsible for 10% of the world’s jobs and contributes trillions to global GDP, came to a grinding halt resulting in unprecedented challenges and...
Agents Choice Is Back … For A Limited Time
Just in case you missed it, Baxter Media is re-opening the 21st edition of the Agents' Choice Readership Survey, Canada's original and most authoritative travel industry survey. If you didn’t get a chance to vote in the Spring, we’re giving agents an extra two weeks to complete the survey. Vote for your favourite destinations, suppliers, brands and services in 40+ categories. We are still offering voters the chance to win one of five fantastic prizes: A delightful discovery through the sights, sounds, and tastes of ‘the big easy’ on Collette’s six-day Spotlight to New...
Grupo Aeromexico Files For US Chapter 11
Grupo Aeromexico S.A.B. de C.V has announced that it, and certain of its affiliates have filed voluntary Chapter 11 petitions in the United States to implement a financial restructuring while continuing to serve customers. The company indicated that it intends to use the Chapter 11 process to strengthen its financial position and implement necessary operational changes to address the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and create a sustainable platform for the future. Andrés Conesa, chief executive officer of Aeromexico, said: “Our industry faces unprecedented challenges...
Sunquest Launches SPFPlus Program
Sunquest, a division of TravelBrands, has unveiled its new Sunquest Protection Factor (SPFPlus) program that is an add-on feature designed to help travel agents’ clients protect their vacation plans. To start, the introductory price of the program will be $19.99 per passenger. TravelBrands will donate $10 from every purchase to Food Banks Canada. Frank DeMarinis, CEO, TravelBrands, explained: “We have been trying to find ways to protect our customers while also giving back to our communities across Canada. Our SPFPlus initiative was the perfect solution for both.” DeMarinis...
A Magic Mix
From bringing the first group of travellers to HMS Erebus — a shipwreck discovered west of O'Reilly Island in Nunavut from the Franklin Expedition of 1845, which remained clouted in mystery for 170 years — to working alongside the likes of Robert Bateman, Doris McCarthy and Margaret Atwood, Cedar Swan has many stories to tell from memorable Arctic expeditions. “Our visit to the Erebus last summer was absolutely phenomenal. We worked with Parks Canada to facilitate the first visit by civilians. It was such an honour and incredible experience,” the CEO of Adventure Canada tells...