Tour Operators
TravelBrands Raises $150,000 for SickKids
The Toronto travel industry turned out in force yesterday (Sept. 10) for the TravelBrand 2nd Annual Charity Golf Classic in support of SickKids. Held at Eagles Nest Golf Club in Maple, Ont., the event raised $150,000 for the hospital with company owners Frank, Joe and Enzo De Marinis presenting a cheque to hospital representatives at the conclusion of the gala (photo), which featured golf, dinner and a silent auction. The fundraising event eclipsed last year's inaugural event, which raised...
Let The Sun Shine
Air Canada Vacations (ACV) sure knows how to throw a party. Music, prizes, Cirque-like entertainment, dinner and more prizes, not to mention the introduction of its biggest Sun Collection to date, were all part of last night's (Sept. 10) festivities at Pearson's Hangar 8 in Toronto. ACV's launch of its 2015/2016 Sun Collection included a large trade show featuring more than 20 trade partners, as well as an opportunity for agents to view and walk through an Air Canada rouge A319. Michael Friisdahl, president and CEO, Air Canada Leisure Group, and Eamonn Ferrin, president and COO,...
Transat Adds Curaçao
Transat is expanding its already-robust sun destination portfolio with the addition of the Dutch island of Curaçao, located in the Southern Caribbean. Beginning Dec. 20, Transat will fly to Curaçao from Toronto on Sundays through to April 3, 2016 where it will offer four resorts – the Renaissance Curaçao Resort & Casino, the Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort, the Hilton Curaçao and the Sunscape Curaçao Resort, Spa & Casino. Curaçao has more than 35 beaches and offers visitors a range of activities, including world-renowned diving and snorkelling, UNESCO World...
‘Ignite the Night’ With G Adventures
Canada’s G Adventures is celebrating its 25th anniversary and is doing so in style – with a Sept. 29 “Ignite the Night” fundraising party in Toronto. G Adventures will transform Toronto’s iconic Fermenting Cellar (in the Distillery District) into a sumptuous night market where guests will experience the world’s best street food, art and music, and have a chance to win a trip for two. Event details are as follows: 6 p.m., VIP affair ($100); 6:30 p.m., groundbreaking announcement; 7 p.m. – Planeterra fundraising party, $40 admission. “I’m incredibly proud of all...
Book Your Own Bonus With Collette
Collette's “Book Your Own Bonus” agent incentive is back. Agents qualify for this promotion after their very first booking and can receive incentive earnings in addition to their commission. Agents qualify after their first booking with second bookings earning $50; third bookings $100, and any booking after three, $100 per booking. The offer is valid on new retail bookings made through March 31, 2016 for departures in 2016 on all of Collette’s product lines, including Explorations, Royal Horticultural Society Garden Holidays and Spotlights. A booking is defined as a...
Sunny days
Transat Holidays and Nolitours kicked off their fall sales workshop and sun training academies in Toronto Wednesday with a packed house at the airport Sheraton. A trade show featuring destinations and hoteliers offered in the tour operators' winter brochures was followed by an informative dinner presentation. Among those doing hosting duties for Transat included team members (l-r) Dan Prior, Charlotte Antill, Mary Santanato, Carmen Wakileh and Suzanne...
That’s just cricket
The end of summer is synonymous with,not the start of school, but the annual Goway-Air New Zealand cricket match. Held at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club, the affair has welcomed the trade for a drop-in to watch the game and have a few drinks and dinner for so long (a dozen years now) that even Goway boss Bruce Hodge (far right) is unable to remember all the results. This year, the morning rain subsided on Wednesday just in time to allow the game, which, in the end and after much discussion, was awarded to...
Leading The Transformation
As reported first by Press Today in a Breaking News story released yesterday afternoon, things are getting real interesting at TravelBrands as the travel company picked Zeina Gedeon as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Gedeon, who's well known in the agency community from her previous role as the president of Air Canada Vacations, has been tapped by the DeMarinis brothers to lead the company's transformation. TravelBrands' owner, Frank DeMarinis said of the appointment: “We welcome Zeina to the team and look forward to having her lead the transformation of Travelbrands into a...