Hong Kong, Taiwan taking it to the next level
If there’s a secret to success, it’s probably to be found in the way that Hong Kong is continually coming to market with something new.
Consider, for example, the fact that for many years now, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) – along with promoting the wonders of Hong Kong – has been regularly developing a multi-destinational Asia travel strategy… Read >>

Irish tourism telling a brand new story
Changing the narrative
If you’re wondering why the people at Tourism Ireland are all smiles these days, stop wondering, the answer is simple: Ireland’s tourism industry has just turned in its fourth consecutive record year in terms of both visitors and revenues… Read >>

Virginia: all about quality of life and you’ve got to love that
Virginia has always been for lovers, but over the past two decades or so it has also given Canadians – and their travel agents – a whole bunch of very particular reasons to fall in love with its many and varied tourism offerings… Read >>

WestJet 2022
Taking its caring culture global
One of the things that Jane Clementino (pictured above far left, with (left to right): Kim Barbisan, Melissa Wallace, Matthew Djorsev, Christian Roussin, Joshua Knox, Shannon Cunningham,
Emily Spadafora, Denise Saunders ) is telling travel agents these days is that as WestJet follows its Vision 2022 plan to become a global airline in the next five years, its “culture of caring” won’t be changing… Read >>

Is this retail travel’s Airbnb?
Exclusive to Canadian Travel Press
In late March of this year, San Francisco start-up, FlyEx rolled out a personalized, on-demand, peer-to-peer travel booking and messaging platform (called Travel Chat) at SXSW (South By Southwest) in Austin, Texas… Read >>

It’s all about travel consultants
And just maybe, finding the Next Big Thing
If you ask Jason Merrithew what travel consultants need to do to be successful going forward, he’ll tell you the following:
“The travel consultants of tomorrow need to understand that they’re dealing with consumers that have never ever been more informed than they are today… Read >>

Growth and acquisition
It’s all about shared values
Company founder, Michael Merrithew is quick to answer: “We’re interested in talking with people in Canada or the US – that’s going to be our primary focus… Read >>

Trust in the sharing economy
Industry panel takes deep-dive look at emerging travel trends
Top industry executives were on hand in Toronto last week for a panel discussion on some of the key trends that will be shaping the travel marketplace both in Canada and globally for some time to come… Read >>

Merit goes global
Deal with H.I.S. Co. paves way for investment in growth
Welcome to the future!
While there’s no sign with that message actually hanging outside Merit Travel’s offices these days, there probably should be, as the mood emanating from the company’s Toronto headquarters – following its blockbuster deal with Japan’s H.I.S. Co. Ltd. – is on the turbo-charged side of upbeat… Read >>

Who’s keeping the Merrithews up at night?
Donald Trump.
That’s who’s keeping Michael and Jason Merrithew up at nights these days.
Now, Mike Merrithew, founder of the Merit Travel Group, can certainly point to a number of other factors, observing:… Read >>

Talking about the next generation
Tripxpertz launches new approach to online travel selling
“Content,” observes Brad Miron, “is the new travel currency.”
Miron, the founder and CEO of TripXpertz, sat down with Canadian Travel Press during the last week of January to talk about the launch of TripXpertz, which he described as a virtual agency website network of “destinational-focused sites that have high engaging content to address the gap between utility-based sites and where consumers really want to go.”.. Read >>

Keep your eye on the ball, there’s money on the table
So the question arose during CTP’s conversation with Lindsay Pearlman as to whether Ensemble Travel’s members are “change adverse” or “change embracing.”
It was another question that made Pearlman smile, before he responded with a cryptic: “Yes.”.. Read >>

Always ready for the next evolution
Ensemble Travel at 50
Cast your mind back to 1968.
If you’re a student of travel industry history, you might just recollect a group of 10 travel agents in Brooklyn, New York – led by Warren Buckner – who banded together to launch the Greater Independent Association of Travel Services or GIANTS… Read >>

The secret to a good night’s sleep
And how 140 characters is shaping the marketplace
If you ask Lindsay Pearlman (pictured above) what keeps him up at night as he looks ahead in 2017, you’ll probably be greeted by a big smile and a good deal of laughter.
“The question,” says Ensemble’s co-president, should really be: “Are there things that let me sleep when I look at 2017. You know, the biggest thing right now is [Donald] Trump.”.. Read >>