21 JAN 2019: In case you missed it, and even if you didn’t, here’s a quick look at some of last week’s need-to-know travel news:
AIR
WestJet has taken delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, marking “a new chapter” in its transition to a global network carrier. The plane will fly Toronto-Calgary starting Feb. 20 until international service from Calgary to London-Gatwick begins on April 28. Two more Dreamliners will arrive in February and March to coincide with the start of Calgary-Paris and Calgary-Dublin services respectively.
Jazz Aviation will continue to provide regional service to Air Canada through at least 2035 thanks to an amended and extended Capacity Purchase Agreement (CPA) between AC and Jazz parent company Chorus Aviation Inc.
Royal Air Maroc has taken possession of its first 787-9 Dreamliner. The long-range “super efficient” aircraft will be used on its Casablanca-New York route, amongst others. The airline recently announced that it is joining the oneworld alliance.
DEALS
Through Jan. 25, Sunwing is offering savings of up to 40% on vacation packages to top-rated resorts across the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America during the tour operator’s Blue Monday Buster Sale. Among the options are Royalton Cancun, Grand Memories Punta Cana and Riu Ocho Rios.
Travellers who book a cruise package in Europe with Transat by Jan. 31 will receive the following perks: a US$100 onboard credit per cabin on a selection of Costa Cruises itineraries in Europe or chocolate-covered strawberries and two bottles of wine per cabin on a selection of cruises in Europe with Norwegian Cruise Line.
Expiring EBBS: Globus would like to remind travel advisors that its 7.5% early booking bonus on 2019 European, North American and South and Central American escorted tours is slated to expire on Jan. 29. Similarly, Trafalgar advises that clients have until Jan. 31 to save 10% off the price of a 2019 Europe or Britain guided vacation by Jan. 31.
TOURS
Goway has been appointed an Official Licensed Travel Operator for the 2019 Presidents Cup golf event in Melbourne, Australia, taking place Dec. 9-15. The 13th edition of event the will be held at the prestigious Royal Melbourne Golf Club, which hosts the biennial contest featuring some of the world’s best golfers comprising international and US teams. Goway was also an agent for the event in 2011 and ’13.
A new, re-designed South Pacific 2019 program by Contiki features 16 new and improved tours designed to reflect the needs of its youth audience. Changes include smaller group sizes (max 30 travellers on Australia’s East Coast and 25 in the Northern Territory); more time in-destination (less coach time) with the inclusion of more internal flights; and the addition of scenic train journeys to itineraries. Other additions include expanded Special Stays options, new experience inclusion choices and six new tours, including three new Australian trips (with sailing add-ons) and one New Zealand adventure.
Just in time for humpback whale season in Hawaii, Maui Kayak Adventures has added a new, four-hour whale-watch kayak and snorkelling experience. Guests on the tour will see humpback whales, as well as sea turtles, tropical fish, manta rays and other Hawaii marine life on this lengthier tour designed for paddlers looking to split their time between viewing humpback whales and snorkeling to see other marine life.
HOTELS
Best known for its sun properties, RIU Hotels & Resorts has recently begun making a mark with its line of urban resorts, including hotels in New York, Miami and Berlin. Come 2021, Toronto will join the quickly expanding roster of six RIU Plaza properties (with three more currently under construction) with a new 350-room hotel in the city’s financial district. It will be the first RIU in Canada, which the company notes is a prime source market for its hotels in Mexico, Caribbean and Central America through its partnership with Sunwing.
Red Roof is also coming to Canada with the opening this spring of the brand’s first property in this country. A former Travelodge at Calgary Airport will be converted into a Red Roof PLUS+ & Suites, the first of multiple upscale economy properties that Red Roof plans to introduce in Canada over the next five years.
Open Now:
Located directly opposite the Gare du Nord in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, 25hours Hotel Terminus Nord is the 13th property for the brand and first outside of its base in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Launched in 2005, 25hours Hotels caters to urban, cosmopolitan travellers, aiming to be “hip, relevant and affordable.” Rates start at €174 per night.
Delta Hotels by Marriott Dallas Allen & Watters Creek Convention Center is the first of the Delta Hotels brand in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and the first new-build in North America. The 300-room hotel features 84,00 sq. m. of convention space and is located just north of Dallas off Hwy. 75.
RESORTS
Sandals has unveiled its newest Over-the-Water Serenity Chapel at Sandals Ochi Beach Resort – the third such facility in the all-inclusive chain’s portfolio. The new 41-sq.-m. chapel can accommodate 40 guests and features delicate décor chosen by the bridal couple as part of Sandals’ Aisle to Isle wedding program. The picturesque venue also affords 360-degree, panoramic water views and a glass floor aisle.
Las Vegas’s first ground-up resort development since 1980 has been announced. Circa Resort & Casino is scheduled to open at the end of 2020 as part of the Fremont Street Experience.
CRUISE
Star Clippers is introducing several new destinations beginning in April 2020—all of which are available for booking now. In the Med., new port calls for the Royal Clipper include Stintino in Sardinia, Propriano in Corsica, and Vis, Korcula and Zadar in Croatia. In South East Asia, Star Clippers will visit to Cambodia for the first time, and will vary port of calls on the Thai, Malay and Indonesian archipelagos. Star Clippers sailings are set apart from other cruises in that many of the ports visited by their fleet of tall clipper ships cannot be accessed by larger vessels, which translates to fewer crowds, and a more authentic experience for guests.
Carnival Cruise Line says its 2020 summer/fall season for the Carnival Legend will be its most diverse and comprehensive to date with 34 ports in 14 countries being offered in a series of nine- to 14-day voyages. Destinations include Norway, Scotland, Ireland, Croatia, Portugal, Greece, Greenland and Iceland. Additionally, hundreds of shore excursions will be available through the Carnival Adventures program.
Luxury cruise line Cunard reports that it will spend a full season in Alaska from June through September in 2020 on a newly-refitted Queen Elizabeth. Cunard is making its return to Alaska in this May and will double its program in 2020.
THEME PARKS
Chinese lunar New Year and the “Year of the Pig” will be ushered in on Feb. 2 and celebrated through the 17th at Universal Studios Hollywood and a host of a uniquely themed programs featuring Hello Kitty, Kung Fu Panda, Minions, and a Mandarin-speaking Megatron. Universal Plaza, located at the heart of the theme park, will also be elaborately decorated and offer themed interactive entertainment.
The Epcot International Festival of the Arts is now in full swing at Walt Disney World in Orlando. Running until Feb. 25, the event features world-class culinary, visual and performing arts, including the Disney on Broadway Concert Series, which expands this year to every day of the festival.
FAMS & INCENTIVES
To mark the Reflect Resorts & Spas, AMResorts is offering travel counsellors a chance to win a stay when booking the family-friendly brand’s locations in Cancun, Los Cabos and Nuevo Vallarta. The incentive is effect through Feb. 28 for travel through March 29.
Agents can earn 4X Sunwing STAR points for bookings of the Royalton Cancun Resort and Spa in Mexico, which opens later this month. Reservations must be made by Jan. 25 for travel Feb. 1 to Oct. 31. Quadruple points are also be awarded for bookings at the Riviera Cancun and Bavaro Royaltons and Hideaway at Royalton Riviera Cancun. Plus, each time an agent makes a booking at a participating resort, they’ll be entered into a contest for the chance to win an all-inclusive vacation for two to one of the aforementioned resorts.
APPOINTMENTS
Exodus Travels has named Wendy Mills as its new BDM for Eastern USA & Canada. The industry veteran counts roles with the Crowne Plaza Beaverbrook and CAA on her CV.
GOOD DEEDS
As part of its support for SickKids Foundation in Toronto and its Centre for Global Child Health’s (C-GCH) Capacity Building programs in sub-Saharan Africa, Ethiopian Airlines Canada donated 24 round-trip tickets to the organization last year, which helped C-GCH team members fly to Ethiopia, Mali and Ghana to assess, plan and deliver important newborn and child health programs in 2018.
BY THE NUMBERS
2018 was a “prolific” year for Montréal’s tourism industry: Overall tourist numbers rose 1.9%, the city received more than 100,000 cruise passengers (+11%), and Montréal–Trudeau Airport reached a record-breaking milestone on Dec. 19 by welcoming 19 million passengers in a single year; plus average hotel occupancy rate was 73.4%. In 2019, Tourisme Montréal is forecasting that tourism spending in the city will grow 5.6% with tourism numbers rising 2.4%.
DESTINATIONS
New York is reporting record tourism numbers for 2018: 65.2 million visitors. Of that total, 13.5 were international visitors, including one million Canadians, making Canada the city’s No. 3 international source market behind Britain (1.4 million) and China (1.1 million), but ahead of Brazil and France.
New entry regulations designed to manage the number of visitors to Machu Picchu are now in effect. Effective Jan. 1, entry times are hourly from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. with entry tickets clearly indicating the time that visitors can enter the site for a maximum of four hours. Another conservation effort at the historic site is the entry restriction of single use plastic, a regulation that has been put in place at 75 other protected natural areas across Peru.
Culture, nature and “summer cities” will be celebrated in Germany this year through marketing campaigns by the German National Tourist Board, which will also highlight the centenary of the Bauhaus art/design movement with digital and event offerings.