Tour Operators
Small Is Beautiful
Legend has it that the pastel-coloured colonial architecture along the waterfront of Willemstad, Curaçao, actually used to be white. The story goes that a former governor got terrible headaches from the sun reflecting off the buildings and mandated locals paint the town. Fact or fiction, the vibrant colours of Handelskade in the Punda district are now a distinct and highly photographed feature of the Dutch Caribbean Island's capital city. Curaçao’s popularity among Canadian travellers is rapidly growing, with a 43% increase in arrivals in 2015, and visitors from Quebec up...
Exotik, Alba Join Forces
TravelBrands' Exotik and Alba Tours have joined forces to offer travel partners and clients a series of guaranteed coach tours and an extensive choice of products including more than 90 departures. “Italy is just one of many countries in our European line-up, albeit an important one. We have extended our selection to now include Portugal, Ireland, England, Iceland, Spain, France, Croatia, Bulgaria, Malta and many more destinations,” commented Nino Montagnese, vice-president of sales for TravelBrands. “Our European specialists will work with our travel partners to create unique...
Encore Named NCL’s Top Partner for 2015
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has named Encore Cruises its top wholesaler/tour operator for 2015. “The TravelBrands team is thrilled to be recognized by Norwegian Cruise Line as the top partner for 2015. The support from our travel agency partners has lead us to great heights and this award is a testimonial of that success,” commented Nathalie Tanious, vice-president. “Encore Cruises continues to grow and flourish thanks to the invaluable partnerships we have. Norwegian Cruise Line`s unwavering backing is the ultimate...
Escape With Goway
IslandsEscapes by Goway has launched their 2016-2017 “World’s Most Idyllic Islands” travel planner. The 52-page catalogue features a comprehensive range of island products to Tahiti (French Polynesia), Fiji, the Cook Islands, Hawaii, Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles and Bali. Bronwyn Hodge, general manager of Goway’s IslandsEscapes, said: “We have focused again on exotic islands recognized for their natural beauty, with a range of cultural, active and romantic experiences for our globetrotting clientele.” Hodge continued: “Our product can all be customized to create...
Vision Taps Into The Trends
If you're wondering what some of the top travel trends will be in 2016, Vision Travel is tracking 8 trends that it sees for Canadian business travel in the coming year. According to Vision, some of the trends to watch include: Ultra-Long Haul Is Back – Newer, lighter and faster airplanes paired with new routes means international travel growth will be flying at an all-time high in the coming year. In fact, Vision says that we'll see a major, technologically-advanced launch, pointing to the expected commercial roll-out of the Airbus A350 in 2016. The A350 is an ultra-long range...
Tours Hai Departs Ontario Market
Montreal-based Asia specialist Tours Hai International is undergoing developments that will see it leave the Ontario market. Carole Lebrun and partner Sylvie Myre have decided to work together to create a new company called Objectif Monde that would add Jolivac, a tour operator specializing in Europe, and Tours Hai for product diversification. The paperwork is finished and participants are now working on the merger of the entities. Tours Hai will keep its product line and will publish a brochure on its Asia products in April. However in the wake of these changes, Tours Hai has given...
Stay Connected With NexusTours
Passengers of NexusTours are now able to access free Wi-Fi during airport transfers or enroute to and from excursions while on board one of NexusTours’ modern, branded vehicles. As a destination management services provider, NexusTours offers multiple types of transportation to suit the needs of every traveller and this new capability allows passengers to stay connected in transit. NexusTours’ fleet operates in major tourist hubs in Mexico including Cancun, Riviera Maya, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta in addition to other popular travel destinations such as Jamaica, Dominican...
In Demand
Trafalgar and Insight Vacations are extending their respective European Early Payment Discount offers for another two weeks. Agents' clients now have until Feb. 1, 2016 to save an extra 10% when they pay for their trips in full. Jeff Element, president of The Travel Corporation Canada, observed that: “Due to overwhelming popular demand, we are pleased to offer our loyal agents and their clients additional savings on their 2016 European holiday by extending the Early Payment Discount promotion since Europe is the best destination for value and the outstanding experiences that our...