IAN STALKER
PICTURED above: Havana played host to this year's FITCuba tourism show, a fitting venue as the city is this year marking its 500th anniversary. Among those on hand for the event were Cubatur guide Betsy Olivares Betancourt seen here with Lazaro Torres Betancourt, Cubatur's director general.
Also in attendance were:
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MIKE DUNBAR
Is disintermediation heading for the mainline aviation industry, cutting the retail travel trade out of the relationship between the world’s major carriers and their customers?
That was the question that lurked in the background of a recent press presentation on “changing the passenger experience via digital change” delivered by Eric Leopold, IATA’s director of financial...
ANN RUPPENSTEIN
Although Lenny Kravitz usually flies under the radar in Eleuthera, the director general of The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation said the Bahamian-American musician agreed to take part in its latest marketing campaign, aptly named Fly Away, because the Grammy-Award winning hit song was both written in and inspired by the destination.
“He said, that song, I pulled...
IAN STALKER
(Photo above: Acapulco Bay at night.)
AMResorts has truly lofty plans for Acapulco, which it hopes will help reattract foreign visitors to Mexico’s first major resort destination.
The company has acquired the Grand Hotel, a high-rise property found on downtown Acapulco’s main street and which overlooks Acapulco Bay.
The hotel was previously a Hyatt.
The property...
IAN STALKER
The CEO of the Tobago Tourism Agency says his destination amounts to something of anti-mainstream Caribbean retreat that is markedly different than much of the rest of the Caribbean.
Louis Lewis told a recent Toronto gathering that his island hasn’t seen the massive tourism infrastructure development that some other parts of the Caribbean have.
“We’re not as developed...
IAN STALKER
(Photo above: The Grand Reserve)
Meliá Hotels Inter-national says there’s plenty that’s Grand about one of its Punta Cana properties.
The Grand Reserve among other things has 108 guest units with swim-up pools for those eager to experience a luxury vacation in the Dominican destination.
And says Alan Duggan, Melia’s regional business development VP for the Americas,...
GREG COATES
Designed to immerse guests in French culture, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection recently welcomed the “new” S.S. Bon Voyage to its fleet, now sailing the scenic rivers of Bordeaux.
The former River Royale received a complete US$14 million top-to-bottom transformation that added new dining venues, a heated infinity pool – a first for the river cruise industry – and...
IAN STALKER
(Photo above: Acapulco is famed for its bay and beaches.)
Acapulco’s on the verge of seeing a very weighty name in all-inclusive lodging arrive in the Pacific Coast destination, with tourism officials expecting it will provide a big boost to a city that has seen its share of foreign tourists vacationing in Mexico fall in recent years.
US-based AMResorts, which has upscale...
GREG COATES
Disney is set to open its largest single land expansion ever – the highly anticipated “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge” – ahead of schedule at Disneyland Park in California on May 31 and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida on Aug. 29.
Disney officials brought their “Discover the Magic Tour” to Toronto April 15, a comedic-style...
ANN RUPPENSTEIN
Before getting into the travel industry, Angella Bennett was eyeing a slightly furrier field.
“It’s funny, I wanted to be a vet. This was my passion back in time, I wanted to be a veterinarian. But I had gone to school outside of Montego Bay, which was then more the tourism capital. When I returned home there was only [jobs in] hotels or banking, and so I decided my...
