ROUND-UP: NOV. 4-7, 2019

11 NOV:  In case you missed it – or even if you didn’t – here’s a round-up of last week’s news and information in travel and tourism.

Air

A new inflight entertainment system has been booted up on all Air Transat Airbus A310, A321ceo and Boeing 737 aircraft, replacing the CinePlus A and B apps (deactivated on Nov. 1). Passengers travelling on those aircraft can now choose films, TV shows and games directly on their smartphones, tablets or laptops. Airbus A330 and A321neoLR will still feature individual touch screens.

WestJet’s ultra low-cost subsidiary Swoop is now collaborating with the Expedia Group to enable customers to package flights and hotels in its 17 destinations in Canada, the U.S., Mexico and the Caribbean. Swoop Getaways, available at FlySwoop.com, offers 15% off the price of thousands of hotel options.

Betsy Beer is back at Cathay Pacific. First introduced on its long-haul flights in 2017, the craft beer – named after Cathay Pacific’s first aircraft, a Douglas DC-3, which flew passengers around the region in the 1940s and 1950s – a has a new taste and look and is available on long-haul flights and in Cathay airport lounges.

DEALS

Close to 10,000 Sunwing vacation packages this winter are available at 40% off for a limited time. Options include the Royalton Bavaro Resort and Spa in Punta Cana, CHIC Punta Cana, and Royalton Suites Cancun.

For a limited time, clients can save $350 p.p. on select Collette tours and 2020 dates that include the once-in-a-decade Oberammergau Passion Play. Use the offer code OBER2020.

Tourism Eastern Townships, in partnership with the region’s four ski mountains – Mont Sutton, Mont-Orford, Bromont Montagne d’expériences, and Owl’s Head – has launched L’EST GO, a card offering discounted lift tickets redeemable at all four venues. The card offers savings of up to 40% on regular daily lift ticket rates.

TOURS

In line with its JoinTrafalgar sustainability initiatives, Trafalgar is introducing a new 2020 trip solely focused in immersing guests in Native American history and culture in the USA. The “Southwest Native Trails” tour, available in the tour operator’s recently released USA & Canada brochure, takes travellers off the beaten path to ruins, dwellings, and places of great significance including Arizona’s Canyon de Chelly National Monument, providing access to each area’s original peoples communities and traditions across an entire itinerary.

Hawaii Forest and Trail has launched private tours for up to 12 guests on Oahu. Guests can choose to personalize their adventure and do a waterfall swim, beach walk or two great hikes – one of them incorporating a mountain picnic – within a four-hour minimum tour. Transportation, snacks and beverages are included. Another new itinerary introduces O’ahus ridgeline Pālehua trail.

With the aim of making a visit to Oxford and Oxfordshire, U.K. “as convenient as possible,” the DMO for the region, Experience Oxfordshire, has launched a pass designed to be “the only ticket you need to explore (the city) and beyond.” Valid for two consecutive days, the Oxford Pass provides free entry to a host of attractions, as well as walking tours, hop-on-and-off sightseeing buses, public transport and some shopping discounts. Among the sites included are Blenheim Palace, the Ashmolean Museum, and Carfax Tower. Details and orders for the Oxford Pass (adults £69, under 16 £39) can be found at oxfordpass.com.

HOTELS

InnVest Hotels and Choice Hotels Canada have announced the revitalization of 53 InnVest-owned Comfort Inn properties across Canada with a $100-million investment over the next few years. The investment coincides with a new Comfort brand identity and the recent launch of a new ad campaign that highlights the refresh of the Comfort brand across North America. The roll-out begins in Winnipeg with the prototype, expected to be complete in early 2020, followed by the complete renovation of the remaining 52 properties including a full modernization of the exterior, expanded breakfast rooms and elevated experience in all 4,127 guestrooms. There will also be 10 new-builds in Canada in the coming years.

The Bürgenstock Selection is now offering a winter-themed Swiss Escape experience designed to give travellers more time to explore some of Switzerland’s most desired destinations. With savings of up to 25%, the multi-night offer is available to guests visiting at least two of the following Bürgenstock properties: Hotel Schweizerhof Bern & THE SPA, the Royal Savoy Hotel & Spa Lausanne and the Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne. Offers include “stay five, pay four” and “stay eight, pay six.”

Open Now:

The nine-suite ESPACIO The Jewel of Waikiki by Aqua-Aston Hospitality aims to “redefine the luxury hotel experience in Waikiki.” Each of the hotel’s nine floors is home to a single three-bedroom suite with a dedicated butler, Italian-marble bathrooms, dry sauna, lanai Jacuzzi, full kitchen and inclusive luxury rental car. Public spaces include a restaurant, rooftop infinity pool and spa.

RESORTS

St. Thomas’s Frenchman’s Reef Marriott Resort & Spa and a new, adjacent resort under Marriott’s Autograph Collection, Noni Beach, a St. Thomas Resort, are scheduled to open in 2020, more than two years after the former sustained damage from Hurricane Irma. The US$200-million project is under way with the new Frenchman’s Reef to feature 384 guestrooms, including 28 suites, three resort pools including an infinity edge pool with swim-up pool bar, and state-of-the-art luxury wellness spa. Noni Beach Resort, the first Autograph Collection hotel in the U.S. Virgin Islands, is comprised of series of intimate beach house style villas containing 94 guestrooms, including two honeymoon suites, all nestled directly on the beach.

The Grand at Moon Palace Cancun’s recently opened “The Library” is a vintage Speak Easy inspired by the Roaring ‘20s. Accessible via a secret entrance behind the library shelves, guests can choose from a variety of uniquely hand-crafted cocktails designed to transport them back to the Prohibition-era. The adults-only bar is open nightly to all guests from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.

CRUISE

This month, MSC Cruises begins welcoming its first guests onto its new private island destination in The Bahamas, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve (photo). With endless sweeping vistas of crystal blue waters and eight beaches to choose from, offering different activities and services, the island is easy to get around and easily accessible from the ship by foot, or electric tram. A sampling of activities includes deep sea fishing, scenic boat ride, luxury pedal boats and illuminated night-time paddle boarding.

With its picturesque downtown and spectacular harbour, not to mention nearby Butchart Gardens, Victoria is a great place to start an Alaska cruise. With this in mind, Cunard is offering more chances to do so in 2020, on July 8 and 20. The roundtrip excursions aboard the Queen Elizabeth are in addition to previously announced August cruises. Cunard is doubling its Alaska program in 2020, spending a full season in the region from June through September with 10 voyages ranging from nine to 12 nights.

Twenty new “Crystal on Broadway” theme cruises have been added to Crystal Cruises’ 2020 voyage roster. On 10 worldwide sailings each, Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity will welcome to their stages Broadway stars, and on some occasions, choreographers, directors, costume designers and other artists and professionals from Broadway.

THEME PARKS

With the much-anticipated Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge themed area now open (Aug. 29), sights are set on phase two, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, coming Dec. 5. Both are located at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (DHS) in Orlando.

Dockside Inn & Suites at will open next Spring at Universal Orlando Resort, bringing to eight the number of onsite hotels. Until Dec. 2, clients take advantage of a third park for free offer, for travel through May 22, 2020.

EVENTS

Eager to showcase The Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian, the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) has reaffirmed that all systems are go to bring the region’s largest and longest-standing tourism marketing event to The Bahamas early next year. The 38th Caribbean Travel Marketplace (CTM) will take places as scheduled Jan. 21-23, 2020 at the Baha Mar Performing Arts and Convention Center in Nassau, bringing together hotel and destination representatives as well as other tourism providers; wholesalers and tour operators; online travel agencies; along with media for two intensive days of business meetings, and prescheduled appointments.

FAMS/INCENTIVES

Throughout the month of November, agents making new bookings at select RIU resorts with Sunwing can earn 2X STAR reward points and up to 3X the RIU Partner Club (RPC) points for travel between Dec. 19 and April 30, 2020. Sunwing is also offering a range of consumer incentives throughout the month. Additionally, agents making group bookings by Nov. 26, for travel between Feb. 1 and Oct. 31, 2020 will 4X STAR points.

PEOPLE/APPOINTMENTS

Vegas may have lost the game, but it was a winning night for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority as the LVCA hosted some industry partners at a recent Leafs-Knights game in Toronto. Among those on hand for the event (photo) were David Han and Joanna Zwink, representatives of the LVCVA, along with Jo Castro, Breakaway Travel; Elvi Cal, TravelBrands; Barbara Polanco, WestJet Vacations; Andrei Losinski, WestJet; Nancy Jeronimo, Air Canada Vacations; Ian Elliott and Patrick Luciani, TravelOnly; Gilbert Manza, Executive Travel; and Natalia Lopez, The Traveller.

 Three members of the Unique Vacations Canada team were recognized with individual honours at the recent Sandals Global Sales Conference held at Beaches Turks & Caicos. They include Business Development Manager of the Year, Canada: Guy Archambault, BDM Montréal, Gatineau and Northern Québec; Rookie of the Year, Canada – Donné Nixon, BDM Manager, Alberta & Northwest Territories; and Outstanding Team Player, Canada – Lesiane Royer, Inside Sales Coordinator.

 Busabout has named Kayla Mitchell as its new Business Development Manager for Canada, with a principal focus on trade growth across the country.  Described as an “award-winning free-spirited travel expert,” Mitchell has more than seven years of diverse experience in the travel industry most recently as a travel consultant at Flight Centre.

NEWS

On the eve of its 50th year, Goway Travel, plans to expand its team of Destination Specialists by 20 to 30% next year in line with its company growth goals. The company will be recruiting in both Toronto and Vancouver. Goway notes that it has invested heavily in technologies in 2019 including a new customer relationship management platform and a leading professional development program for their sales teams.

BY THE NUMBERS

New York’s LaGuardia airport is undergoing an US$8-billion transformation. When done, the “Whole New LaGuardia” will ultimately comprise 250,000 sq. m., 72 new gates across six concourses, two expansive new terminal arrivals and departures halls connected by a central hall and 22 km. of new roadway network.

DESTINATIONS

Stonehenge enthusiasts can now see the skies above the iconic site any time of the day or night thanks to a new website offering live camera steaming footage. And while it has been known to rain once in awhile in England, viewers will otherwise be able to check out the sun, moon and stars, and “see the ever-changing views whenever they wish – and to see how the builders might have seen their place in the cosmos.”

The Oak Room in Adare Manor, County Limerick; Variety Jones in Dublin; Bastion in Kinsale, County Cork; and the Muddlers Club in Belfast have been awarded new Michelin Stars. Additionally, Aimsir at Cliff at Lyons in County Kildare and The Greenhouse in Dublin have also been awarded two stars. Ireland now has a total of 21 Michelin-starred restaurants.

Manhattan’s second-tallest skyscraper, One Vanderbilt, will debut in 2020 at more than 425 m. In addition to a new 1,350-sq. m. restaurant and café from chef Daniel Boulud, the building will include an indoor-outdoor observation deck at 335 m. above street level. Visitors will be able to access the new observation deck through an entrance inside Grand Central Terminal.