Tour Operators
A Letter From Jamaica
Jamaica's minister of tourism, Edmund Bartlett, M.P reached out to the travel trade this week to reassure them that Jamaica is “open for business.” Minister Bartlett writes: “Dear Jamaica Travel Partner. Thank you for your continued support of Destination Jamaica. The new year has started with a lot of excitement. No doubt you have received questions regarding the current state of public emergency for the parish of St. James, implemented by Government.” He explains that: “A State of Public Emergency is a tool to ensure enhanced security for all persons entering and leaving a...
Good For Geske
Patrice Geske has been promoted to the new post of director of marketing with the Globus family of brands in Canada. The announcement was made by Stéphanie Bishop, managing director of the Globus family of brands in Canada, who said: “Patrice has proven to be a huge asset to our company since joining us almost nine years ago as our marketing manager.” Bishop continued: “She has assumed increasing responsibilities in supporting and implementing our corporate goals and strategies and I know will excel in her new role.” Geske works out of the company's Canadian office in...
Croyle To Chair CATO
WestJet Vacations' vice-president, Tim Croyle is the new chairman of the Canadian Association of Tour Operators (CATO) for 2018-2019. Croyle over the job from Jeff Element, president of The Travel Corporation, whose term as chair ended last month. Collette's general manager Canada, Brett Walker has been picked as the new vice-chair for the 2018-2019 term. Commenting on his appointment, Croyle said: “I am honoured to be taking on the role of CATO chair, to carry on the great work done by Jeff Element for all our members. CATO works diligently on behalf of all outbound tour...
On The Road In Chiang Mai
A conference theme of “Sustainable Connectivity, Boundless Prosperity” is providing content direction to the 2018 ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF), which started this week in Chiang Mai, Thailand, reports western Canada editor Ted Davis from the show. It kicked off with a lavish opening ceremony and banquet on the sprawling grounds of the Royal Park Rajapruek, complete with a procession of sedan chairs shouldered by bearers, in a tribute to Thai traditions. It followed the tourism ministers from the 10 member nations of ASEAN, including Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Singapore,...
ACV Uncovers Europe’s Hidden Gems
In 2018, Air Canada Vacations is offering Canadian travellers headed to Europe a lot of choice. The operator has just rolled out its 2018 Europe Your Way Collection which features: 122 vacation packages 50 cruises Possibilities for short and long stays Additional guided tour options And the newly added destination of Croatia As ACV's managing director, Nino Montagnese sees it: “It's never too early to start planning your next European adventure. Europe is all about discovering vibrant cultures, cuisines, art and architecture through vacations that are tailored to...
Nanjing Gets Social
The Nanjing Municipal Tourism Commission and PHG Consulting have launched dedicated Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube channels (@GoToNanjing) to promote the ancient capital city to North American consumers, tour operators, and the travel trade. The new social media channels are Nanjing Tourism and PHG Consulting's latest efforts to increase inbound visitation from the U.S. and Canada and follow the launch of the English-language website GoToNanjing.com in November 2016. PHG Consulting has provided full-scale sales representation and public relations services for Nanjing in...
Sunwing Travel Group Recognized
For the 13th year, Sunwing Travel Group has made PROFIT Magazine’s list of Canada's “Fastest-Growing Companies” with a five-year growth rate of 156%. The PROFIT 500 ranks Canadian businesses by their revenue growth. As the only vertically integrated travel company included on the PROFIT 500 index, Sunwing Travel Group operates a leisure charter airline with a fleet of 40 planes, a luxury charter service with access to private jets, three North American tour operators, two travel retailers, a hotel division with a portfolio exceeding 14,000 rooms, a vacation club and a destination...
Canadians Warned To Be Cautious In MoBay
The Canadian government is warning Canadians planning to visit the popular tourist area of Montego Bay to “exercise a high degree of caution” in the area because of a spike in violent crime and a subsequent state of emergency Jamaican officials have imposed to try to staunch that violence. The Jamaican government has deployed soldiers into St. James Parish communities as it tries to quell an upsurge in violence, with the parish last year seeing twice as many killings as any other parish in the country. One Jamaican government official said the government would be “relentless”...