Tour Operators
CanJet Pays Commission on Fuel, Currency Surcharges
CanJet Vacations is reminding travel agents that it pays commission on fuel and currency surcharges. “We believe travel agents are working hard at brokering the sale on our behalf and they should be paid fairly for their efforts,” said John Kirk, VP, Sales & Marketing for CanJet Vacations. CanJet Vacations originally included the surcharges in the base price, but was forced to change that policy in order to remain competitive on pricing with other tour operators who do not add those charges in the base price. However, CanJet distinguished itself from the majority of other...
Celebrating Partnerships
The Bahamas has further strengthened its commitment to the Canadian market following a strong 2013 winter season and continuing growth from Canada during the first 8 months of 2014. A high-profile delegation, led by Bahamas minister of tourism, Obediah Wilchcombe and the Bahamas new director general of tourism, Joy Jibrilu, was in Vancouver and Toronto this week to update the travel trade on the island's plans for the upcoming winter season. Topping the list was the launch of a national advertising campaign designed to let Canadians know all about the vacation options that the Bahamas...
Contiki Goes Big in Europe
Knowing that no two travellers are alike, Contiki’s new Europe 2015 brochure offers something for everyone, with eight new trip styles catering to the different experiences young people want to have on holiday. The original youth travel brand’s 2015 lineup also includes 16 new trips, including Morocco and Portugal as new destinations. According to officials, the Contiki mission remains the same – to “provide young explorers with more choice, more freedom and more destinations at a great price and with plenty of awesome included experiences.” Travellers can now choose...
Sunquest Expands Service Out of Buffalo
Sunquest is expanding its current offering out of Buffalo Airport, now featuring six new destinations and bringing the total number of routes from this airport to 10. In addition to offering packages out of Buffalo to Punta Cana, Cancun/Riviera Maya, Jamaica and Orlando, Sunquest now also offers service to Aruba, Barbados, Liberia (Costa Rica), St. Lucia, Turks & Caicos and Nassau, with daily flights available on American Airlines, Jet Blue, Delta Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways. Sunquest is also offering a preferred rate, including parking, at the Hampton Inn &...
Trafalgar Gets Innovative in Europe, Britain
Trafalgar has launched its 2015 Europe and Britain program featuring a record 117 carefully crafted itineraries with 14 new trips, across 10 trip styles and covering 44 countries. With more than 600 Insider Experiences, Trafalgar gives travellers an authentic insight into the culture of each destination. The Hidden Journeys collection is a new trip style which takes clients to less-visited places such as the Dordogne and Bordeaux regions in France with smaller, intimate groups of up to 26 guests. To make it easier for agents selling to solo travellers, Trafalgar has decreased its...
Escape the Ordinary
Intrepid Travel will hand out “golden tickets” to 20 travel agents across Canada in celebration of its Escape the Ordinary campaign. The golden tickets will be hidden inside fortune cookies being distributed by Intrepid BDMs to agents during shop visits and trainings over the next month. The fortune cookies are inspired by the 10% discount offer on trips in Asia, running until Nov. 15 for travel between January and August 2015. There will be 800 cookies handed out over the course of the promotion, 20 of which will contain golden tickets. Those agents will be entered into a draw...
WestJet Honours Top Partners
WestJet hosted its second annual Travel Partner Awards in Toronto late last week. The event was inaugurated in Calgary in 2013. Designed to thank the trade for its efforts in selling the airline and its tour operator division WestJet Vacations, WestJet and sponsors AMResorts and the Las Vegas Visitors and Convention Bureau hosted a gala event at Carlu for well over a hundred guests, with many of them winning prizes and others copping top awards. One of those was Skyroute Travel, of Markham, Ont., which was named top Canadian tour operator producer. Shown here receiving the award...
Iberostar Special
Sunquest’s latest “Deal of the Week” is a “Free Upgrade Event” with Iberostar Hotels & Resorts: book a package at one of three resorts in the Dominican Republic, get upgraded to a family room for free. The offer is valid on all new bookings made between Oct. 16 and Oct. 28 for travel anytime from Nov. 1 to Aug. 31, 2015, and applicable from any gateway, for any duration, and at any one of three resorts – Iberostar Bavaro in Punta Cana (free upgrade to a Family Junior Suite), Iberostar Hacienda Dominicus in La Romana (free upgrade to a Family Standard Room) and Iberostar...