ANN RUPPENSTEIN
The Dominican Republic is coming off a record-breaking year for tourism, thanks in large part to Canadians.
Speaking at the recent 20th Dominican Annual Tourism Exchange (DATE) in Punta Cana, Paola Rainieri de Díaz, president of the Dominican Republic Association for Hotels and Tourism (ASONAHORES), announced a 6.2% increase in overall tourism to the country in 2018, with...
IAN STALKER
(Photo above: Old Havana is always popular with visitors.)
Tourist boards and tour operators alike are singing the praises of this country’s travel agents, saying the work they do is nothing less than invaluable.
With May 1 Travel Agent Day looming, agents’ travel industry counterparts are eager to show their appreciation for those who direct clients their way on a...
ANN RUPPENSTEIN
These days, travellers are looking for more from their vacations than simply seeing the sights. They want to be authentically immersed in the destination through experiences and local interactions. At the core, it’s the people they encounter along the way who help shape their trip.
In the same way, cultivating personal relationships is also key to the success of travel...
ANN RUPPENSTEIN
Iberostar Hotels & Resorts is upping its game in Cuba. Not only has the company, which has a portfolio of more than 120 four- and five-star hotels in 18 countries across three continents, significantly increased the number of properties and hotel rooms in the Caribbean destination, but it’s continuing to raise quality standards across the board to be in line with its...
IAN STALKER
Pictured above: Buffalo has a lively culinary scene.
The New York State Division of Tourism wants to draw attention to parts of New York State that are at times overshadowed by the bright lights of New York City.
“Everyone has heard about Times Square and the Statue of Liberty,” Markly Wilson, the division’s director of international marketing, told a recent Toronto...
IAN STALKER
Pictured above: Free-roaming bison can be seen in Custer State Park.
Katelyn Richter says there’s nothing bad about South Dakota’s Badlands.
In fact, they’re actually an intriguing sort of place that have landscapes that often seem lunar-like and are marked by buttes, canyons, pinnacles and spires, says South Dakota Department of Tourism spokeswoman Richter, noting the...
IAN STALKER
Pictured above: The Sky Bar at Tivoli’s flagship hotel in Lisbon serves drinks in a lofty setting.
The hospitality industry in the most westerly country in continental Europe is now being shaped in part by the Far East.
Thailand’s Minor Hotels added Portugal’s Tivoli Hotels & Resorts to its brand inventory and also brought a weighty brand name in Thai resort circles...
TED DAVIS
[caption id="attachment_121584" align="alignright" width="300"] The Vancouver skyline in winter, with the North Shore Mtns. as a backdrop.[/caption]
The hard lessons of overtourism experienced by destinations around the world found their way into the agenda of the recent BC Tourism Industry Conference, as stakeholders sought future directions for their businesses. Information...
IAN STALKER
Jacinthe Doucet says the part of Quebec she promotes is offering those who would be absolutely giddy about the prospect of seeing free-roaming bruins in the wild an opportunity to grin and bear it.
Doucet promotes the Lanaudiere and Mauricie regions – dubbed Authentic Quebec – which includes large wilderness tracts, among them La Mauricie National Park.
Among wildlife...
IAN STALKER
Those who will never sour on whiskey sours are certain to appreciate a new project that has Pennsylvania as its epicentre.
Pennsylvania tourism officials say an app will be in place in July for the Whiskey Rebellion Trail, which begins in Washington DC and works its ways through southern Pennsylvania, ultimately reaching Pittsburgh.
The trail chronicles the 1791-1794 Whiskey...
