SEP 09 2018: 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
If there was ever any doubt about the pervasive nature of the NFL south of the border, Alaska Airlines is allowing early boarding to passengers wearing Russell Wilson jerseys this fall. Wilson is quarterback for the Seahawks of Seattle, AA’s home town.
In recognition of Teddy Bear Day, Sept. 9, Southwest Airlines and partner Build-A-Bear donated 20,000 teddy bears to charities and hospitals throughout the US.
TOURS
Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours is truly going above and beyond. Last week the company unveiled its new state-of-the-art helicopters, which will give guests on the Scenic Eclipse discovery yacht a sky-high view of the beautiful sights the vessel travels to. Featuring reduced sound levels, the Airbus H130 helicopter is also one of the most environmentally friendly on the market. The Eclipse sets sail in 2019.
Aqua Expeditions, which offers five-star luxury cruises on the Amazon River in Peru and on the Mekong River in Vietnam and Cambodia, is simultaneously launching a brand-new agent portal and online check-in system for passengers. Through the Agent Portal, agents will be able to check cruise availability, make a courtesy hold for up to seven days, and even opt to reserve multiple cabins at the same time. Agents who have an account will have 24/7 access to a log of all bookings, reservations and enquiries made. The Agent Portal also contains marketing materials agents may use to sell Aqua Expedition Cruises such as webinars, deck plans and itinerary information. Agents who book through the Agent Portal will receive a $50 amazon gift card for each successful booking. Meanwhile, the tour company has also waived single supplements for select fall sailings.
DEALS & DISCOUNTS
Visitors can enjoy Bermuda’s turquoise waters and pink-sand beaches for less this winter through the island’s up to 30%-off Splash Sale.
Bermuda is hoping to make a splash with visitors by offering up to 30% off at select island resorts and hotels – including the Fairmont Southampton – for bookings made between Sept. 25 and Oct. 16 for travel through April, 2019. Full details on the Splash Sale and a list of participating resorts will be released on GoToBermuda.com.
Transat’s Book Now, Beach Later Promotion allows clients to put only $100 down when booking by Sept. 30 for travel Jan. 4 to April 30, 2019. They will also receive a $50 future travel voucher and free seat selection. Agents earn double BONBON rewards on rooms, air-only and guided tours for South, Florida, Spain, Portugal, cruise, plus Duo packages.
With Sunwing’s BOGO sale, travellers can buy one and get the second at 50% off when purchasing packages from a wide range of resorts across the Caribbean, Florida, Mexico and Central America when they book by Sept. 14. And clients that book with Sunwing during this promotion can take their travel budget even further with an array of exclusive perks such as Kids Stay, Play and Eat FREE deals, unlimited specialty dining, discounted spa treatments, exclusive access to private beach and pool areas and much more depending on the selected resort.
Air Canada Vacations has launched an Early Booking Bonus for Trafalgar Guided Vacations in Europe offering savings up to $1,500 per couple. In effect until Nov. 18, clients will also receive free standard seat selection plus an additional $50 optional experience credit voucher. The promotion is based on new bookings for travel between Jan. 1 and Nov. 2, 2019, and requires a minimum five-night stay.
Early birds booking a European river cruise with Goway by Sept. 30 will save $1,800 per couple. Options include the Seine, Loire, Rhine, and Danube – the latter two noted for seasonal Christmas markets in Central Europe – as well as the Mediterranean and Baltic seas.
Summer may not be endless, but Contiki is encouraging 18 to 35s to at least make it last a little longer by taking one of the tour company’s Asia tours – including new adventures in Sri Lanka, Thailand and Cambodia – which are being discounted as part of its Extend Your Summer campaign. Through Oct. 31, clients can save up to 15% off on select adventures and receive $100 off their airfare. Check out www.contiki.com for specifics.
HOTELS
The first ever tri-brand Hilton, which will combine a Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn and Home2 Suites, will open in Chicago’s The Collection at McCormick Square complex on Oct. 15. Connecting to McCormick Place via a sky bridge, the complex includes the McCormick Place convention centre, Wintrust Arena, Hyatt Regency McCormick Place and the new Marriott Marquis Chicago.
Marriott International and luxury development firm Flag Luxury Group put the first shovels in the ground last week for The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad in Manhattan’s vibrant NoMad neighbourhood. The luxury hotel is expected to open in 2021.
As part of its ongoing focus on safety, Marriott International is ramping up the deployment of alert devices for housekeepers and other on-property associates allowing them to discretely summon help if they feel harassed in any way, need quick support or spot a guest in distress.
The company will be making associate alert devices a new standard across its portfolio of more than 5,000 managed and franchised hotels in the US and Canada and is exploring similar technology solutions to meet the needs of its global hotel portfolio and workforce.
RESORTS
Karisma Hotels & Resorts is expanding its presence in Colombia through a partnership with the Irotama Resort on Rodadero Beach in Santa Marta. Karisma will manage the resort’s 290 hotel rooms and the 265 condos with what company execs promise will be “the destination’s most luxurious offering,” and featuring “an upscale all-inclusive experience, renovated rooms and restaurants, and a superior level of service.” Santa Marta is the oldest city in Colombia, second oldest in South America, and about a four-hour drive northeast of Cartagena on the Caribbean coast. Karisma also operates three Allure hotels in the South American country.
Sunwing is reporting that a new Planet Hollywood Resort will grace Great Bay, St. Maarten. No date has been given for opening, but PHR, which uses the trademark slogan “Vacation Like A Star,” will open in Costa Rica in 2018 and Cancun next year. All three resorts will be offered by Sunwing.
Riu Hotels is helping Costa Ricans beautify and improve safety at Matapalo Beach through the construction of flower pot and bench barriers that prevent motorized vehicles from entering the beach and thereby endangering beach-goers. At the same time, public access to the beach has been improved with a bridge. It is the latest measure of conservation that Riu has undertaken in Guanacaste since opening the RIU Guanacaste hotel in 2009.
Solaz is the newest hotel on the Los Cabos strip between Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo. Part of the Marriott’s International The Luxury Collection, the Baja California resort sits on 13.7 hectares overlooking the Sea of Cortez with striking architecture and 128 spacious rooms, each with a private entrance and patio, contemporary furnishings and original art. Bluetooth technology offers touchscreen remote control access to the curtains, lighting and music while unobstructed views of the sea blur the lines between indoors and outdoors, with a natural flow from each room to its private terrace.
CRUISE
Cunard‘s new Three for All incentive offers guests a host of amenities on select voyages on the Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria. Including the likes of stateroom upgrades, reduced deposits, free gratuities and drinks packages, the promotion is available for booking until Nov 19, 2019, for travel from May through December 2019. The incentive is applicable on Transatlantic Crossings, Caribbean, New England & Canada voyages on Queen Mary 2 and a variety of European voyages on Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth. For details, visit cunard.com or the OneSource agent portal.
Princess Cruises’ has started a 200-day countdown to arrival of the Royal Princess in its new long-term homeport of Los Angeles before sailing its inaugural west coast voyage to the Mexican Riviera on March 23, 2019, and later in the season on to Alaska. The ship debuted in 2013, named by the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, with Princess noting that the original ship of the same name was christened by her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana in 1984.
Holland America Line‘s Nieuw Statendam, the second Pinnacle Class ship in the fleet, is a step closer to service after successfully completing two sets of sea trials off the coast of Italy where it is being built. Due for delivery Dec. 1, the vessel will explore the Caribbean in winter and then move to northern Europe, Iceland and the Mediterranean in summer during its inaugural year. This version of the Statendam is the sixth HAL ship to carry the name, the first having set sail in 1898.
Designed to both celebrate Polynesian culture and provide abundant cruise details, Paul Gauguin Cruises’ 2019 Tahiti, French Polynesia, Fiji & the South Pacific brochure has been released. Available in a 74-page print edition, and online, the guide explores the 2019 offerings of the m/s Paul Gauguin, the longest continually sailing cruise ship in the South Pacific. (pgcruises.com)
THEME PARKS
Universal Studios Hollywood has introduced what it calls a new “first-class ticket to terror” to help guests make the most of its Halloween Horror Nights this fall. The RIP Tour features a private guided tour (groups of 12) with trolley access, a gourmet buffet dinner, unlimited Universal Express line privileges and reserved seating, exclusive access to a specially-themed, “Stranger Things” lounge, and more. For details and to buy tickets: Hollywood.HalloweenHorrorNights.com.
FAMS & INCENTIVES
As part of its fall Asia campaign (see Deals & Discounts above), Contiki is giving away two $50 Lululemon gift certificates to agents. Contest participants must take a photo of themselves in their best yoga poses, from a selection of 12 pre-designated poses that range from the Bow to Boat poses and upload it on the Contiki Canada Agent’s Facebook group page by Oct. 31. The two best yogis will win one gift certificate each. For more information:
PEOPLE
Sunwing Travel Group will hold a Celebration of Life on Sept. 15 for Jennifer Perry, a veteran of the travel industry who passed away last week. The loss of the popular Sunwing team member, who served as director of product development and had been with the company for 15 years, is “profound,” says Sunwing. See: Jennifer Perry
Sandals recently recognized some of its best and brightest at the resort company’s annual global sales conference in Barbados. It’s no surprise that several members of the Canadian team were front and centre. Winston Chang, BDM, Western Canada, won two awards: Regional BDM of the Year, Canada, and National BDM of the Year – North America; Inside Sales Manager, Canada Teresa Villanueva was named Outstanding Team Player, Canada; Grant Lawlor, National Groups Manager, Canada, was awarded Spirit of Excellence, Groups Department; and Omar Josephs, National Manager, Industry Relations, was given the Warren Cohen Award for exemplary team spirit and dedication to the organization.
WestJet is actively seeking a new VP of sales after Lyell Farquharson left the company. In the interim, several members of the commercial leadership team, including Brian Znotins and Richard Bartrem, will fill in. Read full story, Changes at WestJet:
Crystal Jones has been promoted to inside sales at Goway with responsibility for GTA North and West, 613 area code, South and Northwestern Ontario and Atlantic Canada. Jones reports to Globus director of sales Kim Clarke and can be reached at 416-915-6084, toll-free 1-888-268-1928 or at crystaljones@globusfamily.ca. Read full story, Crystal Jones at Globus
Evan Kranson has joined Goway as a business development manager dedicated to groups. The sales and customer service veteran, with a background in both airlines and wholesalers, is based in Philadelphia with responsibility for all of North America. (groupsonnly@goway.com)
BY THE NUMBERS
Jamaica has had its “best summer ever,” according to tourism minister Edmund Bartlett, who revealed last week that the Caribbean nation welcomed 884,342 stopover visitors from May to August, which was a 6% increase year over year. Total visitor arrivals for the same months were, 1.3 million, a 4.4% increase.
Canadians are flocking to Europe in 2018 with estimated arrivals increases of 6%, according to the European Travel Commission. Leading the way is Latvia, which has seen a whopping year-over-year increase of 259% in the first half of the year. Clearly, Canadians have switched their allegiance from neighbouring Lithuania, which declined 24%. Other high flyers – at least in terms of growth – include Croatia, Turkey, Cyprus and Montenegro. Last year’s hotspot, Iceland, cooled slightly, with a 5% drop.
International Air Transport Association (IATA) industry performance statistics for 2017 indicate that worldwide annual air passenger numbers exceeded four billion for the first time in 2017, supported by a broad-based improvement in global economic conditions and lower average airfares. At the same time, airlines connected a record number of cities worldwide, providing regular services to over 20,000 city pairs in 2017, more than double the level of 1995.
As part of an initiative to reach 100% pay equity, Caesars Entertainment reports that 99% of women at the company’s corporate headquarters and 98% of women who work in non-union roles at the company’s domestic properties have no meaningful differences in average pay when compared to men in the same positions. The results are part of Caesars Entertainment’s “Gender Equity Initiative” launched in 2017, in partnership with the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative.
TICO
Yasmin Alam has been charged by the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) with one count of operating as a travel agent without being registered, contrary to Section 4(1)(a) of the Travel Industry Act, 2002. Alam operated in Toronto, and her first court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 20 at 9 a.m. at 60 Queen St., Toronto.
DESTINATIONS
The Great Trail – formerly The Trans-Canada Trail – has scored a $30-million investment from the federal government over the next four years for maintenance and improvements. Launched in 1992, the national network of recreational trails now spans 24,400 km of land and water routes through urban, rural and wilderness landscapes from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Arctic Oceans and links 15,000 communities including every provincial and territorial capital.
Tahiti typically inspires images of thatched luxury bungalows jutting out of azure waters set against pure white beaches and jagged mountains. This month Tahiti Tourisme launched a national campaign in Canada to promote a different angle: its guesthouses, and more specifically the home-like accommodations as a means to travellers seeking authentic and cultural experiences in the islands. Amongst other avenues, the campaign can be found at Facebook.com/TahitiTourismCA.
Losses at Brazil’s National Museum are being called “insurmountable” in the aftermath of a fire that gutted the cultural institution on Sept. 3. The Rio de Janeiro museum had boasted Latin America’s largest collection of historical artifacts and documents but had fallen into disrepair in recent years and lacked adequate fire prevention measures.