Transat Distribution Canada: Welcome to the evolution of retail travel

BOB MOWAT (Photo above courtesy  TRANSAT DISTRIBUTION CANADA) In the second part of CTP’s exclusive interview with TDC’s Nathalie Boyer and Susan Bowman, the conversation focuses on challenges, growth and a whole lot more. About a year ago, Transat Distribution Canada’s general manager, Nathalie Boyer, and its vice-president marketing & industry relations, Susan Bowman, talked...

 

Managed tourism targeted at PATA Mart in Malaysia

TED DAVIS (Photo above courtesy PATA: Traditional Malaysian dancers at the opening night welcome reception for the recent PATA Travel Mart in Langkawi.) [caption id="attachment_114563" align="alignright" width="300"] (Photo by Ted Davis): Tuan Mohamaddin bin Ketapi, the Malaysia minister of tourism, arts and culture, takes questions during a press conference at the PATA Travel...

 

Jamaica is ready for a hot winter

ANN RUPPENSTEIN [caption id="attachment_114455" align="alignright" width="300"] Jamaica’s minister of tourism Edmund Bartlett and Playa Hotels & Resorts’ Kevin Froemming at the 28th annual Jamaica Product Exchange in Montego Bay.[/caption] (Photo above: At the opening ceremonies for JAPEX 2018 are (l-r) Donovan White, Jamaica’s director of tourism, Baxter Media’s Ann Ruppenstein...

 

TIAC talks cannabis legalization

IAN STALKER (Photo courtesy of the Canopy Growth Corp.) Don’t expect tourism authorities in this country to reach out to marijuana enthusiasts who like to take the high road when they travel abroad. In fact at a recent TIAC town hall gathering in Toronto, officials from TIAC and other tourism organizations weighed in on the Oct. 17 legalization of cannabis in this country, with none...

 

Ganja Journeys

Is cannabis tourism a viable business venture?

TED DAVIS Like it or not, the legal retailing of cannabis in Canada is soon to get underway. As of Oct. 17, a whole new business sector based on cannabis sales through licensed outlets – with all the much-discussed pros and cons – will start operating across the country. Much of the discussion ahead of this ground breaking launch has focused on pros like a predicted reduction in...

 

It’s bottoms up when the sun goes down

IAN STALKER (Photo above: Cool drinks await at the Sirata Beach Resort’s Harry’s Beach Bar.) Cricket Wagner of St. Pete Beach, Florida’s, Sirata Beach Resort says resort guests needn’t be thirsty when they gather during the evening to watch the sun lower itself in the sky. The Gulf Coast-fronting resort this year began posting the times of area sunsets, and inviting guests to enjoy...

 

Vietnam proud of its distinctive cuisine

IAN STALKER Here’s some food pho thought from Vietnamese tourism officials – the country’s a major culinary centre. A Vietnamese tourism delegation visited Toronto recently, promoting the attributes of the southeast Asian country, which includes a food scene that drew international attention when the late food enthusiast Anthony Bourdain and former U.S. president Barack Obama had lunch...

 

Cuban history lives on in Santiago de Cuba

IAN STALKER (Photo above: Guide Betsy Olivares Betancourt points to bullet holes in what was the Moncada Barracks.) Tourism officials say the city of Santiago de Cuba can lay a rightful claim to playing a pivotal role in the Cuban Revolution, with the eastern city being home to the structure that saw the first shots fired in that multi-year guerrilla campaign. Among Santiago de Cuba...

 

Experience elevated elegance with Luxury Gold

Keys to the VIP

ANN RUPPENSTEIN (Photo above: Luxury Gold has a new tour in Russia launching in 2019) During a visit to Italy, Brad Ford had an experience that truly stood out from the crowd. Rather than touring the tourist hot spot with the masses, he was able to explore every detail of The Sistine Chapel’s intricate ceiling, painted by Michelangelo, exclusively with the small group on his Luxury Gold...

 

It’s not as scary as you may think

Welcome to the future

BOB MOWAT (Photo above courtesy/ TRANSAT DISTRIBUTION CANADA) (In the first part of a two-part feature, Canadian Travel Press’ executive editor, Bob Mowat sits with Transat Distribution Canada’s general manager, Nathalie Boyer and its vice-president marketing and industry relations Susan Bowman and discovers that the future of retail travel is looking good, real good.) If the truth...