Tour Operators
Transat Concludes Jonview Canada Sale
Transat A.T. Inc. has concluded the sale of its Jonview Canada business unit for $44 million to Japanese multinational H.I.S. Co. Ltd., which specializes in travel distribution. The price could be adjusted on the date of final closing of the accounts. On Nov. 10, the Competition Bureau of Canada said the transaction did not warrant its intervention. “The sale of Jonview Canada completes our strategic refocusing around three main pillars – air transportation and travel distribution, which make up our leisure travel operations, as well as hotel operation,” said Transat president...
Celebrate The Royal Engagement With Trafalgar
In celebration of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s recent engagement, Trafalgar is offering travellers who book a summer 2018 departure on its London Explorer or Delights of London and Paris by Dec. 11 a 10% early payment discount, as well as a complimentary royal afternoon tea for two at The Milestone, a prestigious Grade II, five-star boutique Red Carnation Hotel across from Kensington Palace. An excursion to Windsor Castle and St. George’s Chapel, the romantic spot where the Royal Wedding will take place in May, is included in both trips as well. Travellers can get the full...
It’s All About Agents
Sunwing's vice-president retail sales, tour operations, Deana Murphy and RIU Hotels & Resorts' director of business development and partner marketing, Hugo Aguilera had lots to tell agents attending their 5th annual travel agency appreciation luncheon in Toronto yesterday, not the least of which was to offer them a big 'thank you' for their support in 2017. The annual event was all about RIU and Aguilera is quick to make it clear that there's a lot going on at the company. In fact, this weekend (Dec. 2), Aguilera said that the new 700-room, Hotel Riu Dunamar in Costa Mujeres –...
TravelBrands Releases One-Stop-Shop US Brochure
TravelBrands has released its annual USA brochure designed to showcase multiple US destinations and trip options for any type of traveller. Available in December, this up-to-date brochure highlights all components of a vacation in the US. “For many travellers, it is difficult to know where to begin in planning a vacation. Our brochure is a useful tool for all things travel in the US,” says Frank DeMarinis, president and CEO, TravelBrands. “Whether it is flights, hotels, car rentals, attractions or tours, this annual brochure is the ultimate one-stop-shop for travel...
Exodus Unveils Expert Agent Certification Course
Exodus Travels has launched a new Exodus Expert Program, the adventure tour operator’s first-ever online agent training platform designed for agents to earn knowledge and certifications such as Cycling, Hiking or Exodus Expert. The Exodus Expert Program provides agents with the training tools and resources needed to grow their business and explore the world of Exodus Travels. They will learn about the diverse range of adventure holidays and be recognized for their expertise. “The program allows agents the ability to learn at their own pace with bite-sized training modules and...
Celebrating Travel Together
Okay, here's your trivia question for today … both Thomas Cook and Cox & Kings have been around for 100 years … can you name another? Well, if you said Collette you'd be spot on and in 2018, the Rhode Island-headquartered tour company will be pulling out all the stops as it celebrates its a hundred years in the tour operating business. Not to put too fine a point on it, but that's a long, long time. Yet as Ron Lonsdale, director of strategic partnerships – Canada for Collette, sees it, the company's longevity is due to the quality of its leadership team and the fact...
Taking The Initiative
Transat may be facing fierce competition on several fronts but the company is fighting back with a series of initiatives to boost efficiency, simplify operations and reduce costs, reports Montreal editor, Mike Dunbar in this week's digital edition of Canadian Travel Press. According to company CEO Jean-Marc Eustache, Transat moves some 4.5 million passengers a year, including almost one million Europeans; it boasts revenues in the $3 billion range; flies to some 60 destinations, evenly divided between Europe and the South and employees a team 5,000 strong located in Canada, the UK,...
Great Escapes
As Marco Sorbara, executive director, Europe for Globus Family of Brands, explains it, in the tour operating business, it's always about figuring out what's next and then how to continue to be innovative. In fact, Sorbara told a group in Toronto last week that he's spent the last couple of years doing just that and one of the more recent innovations is Globus' new Escapes program that showcases winter trips to Europe that operate from November to March. So far, Sorbara says, the response to the program has been great, but that shouldn't be surprising as Escapes features the same...