AMERICAN AIRLINES TO LAUNCH QUEBEC CITY-CHARLOTTE ROUTE
American Airlines will launch new seasonal service between Quebec City and Charlotte, NC, on Aug. 10, with Saturday flights weekly through Nov. 2.
Destinations
SCOTLAND TAPS GAELIC INTEREST FOR NEW TOURISM STRATEGY
A new tourism strategy aimed at delivering authentic and memorable visitor experiences by celebrating Gaelic culture, heritage and language has been launched in Scotland. The new plan highlights an increasing interest in the Gaelic language and culture from both domestic and international visitors.
PALM BEACHES PUMPED ABOUT NEW TRAVEL TRADE PORTAL
Discover The Palm Beaches (DTPB), the tourism marketing organization for Palm Beach County, Fla., has created a new resource to help travel professionals learn, sell, engage with, and promote The Palm Beaches.
THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT: New Caribbean tourism group has fresh vision for Canada
A new Caribbean tourism group founded by the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s former Canadian BDM has launched in Canada. One Caribbean Canada is the brainchild of Nancy Drolet, who has assembled an inaugural list of 18 destinations and several hotels in the region, with the notion of banding together to better promote the Caribbean in this country.
FOUR EASY WAYS TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL TOURISM WEEK
National Tourism Week (NTW) – April 15-19 – is coming up. The campaign is orchestrated by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) and billed as a crucial platform for highlighting the pivotal role of tourism in Canada.
BEHIND THE WAX: Who’s hot at Madame Tussauds
It’s a long way from Queen Victoria to Doja Cat (a rapper), but Madame Tussauds is pulling back the curtain to provide a glimpse into the research process that may culminate in the iconic attractions’ next wax models.
‘COME WITH AN OPEN MIND’: Remote St. Helena builds on Napoleon legacy
History buffs (or those who watch the new Disney+ biopic on Napoleon Bonaparte) may know the remote island of St. Helena as the site of the former French emperor’s exile, but the British overseas territory – a small, craggy island in the South Atlantic Ocean – hasn’t seen many tourists in the past for good reason: It’s one of the most remote inhabited places in the world.
THREE SECLUDED BEACHES THAT EMBUE CUBA’S QUIET SIDE
Cuba is a hot-spot destination for Canadians looking to spend their days soaking up the sun on a soft-sand beach and wading in crystal-clear waters. While renowned Varadero Beach is popular among travellers and picturesque under any light, Cuba is also home to plenty of white sands found off the beaten path that are ideal for travellers seeking some solitude away from the crowds.
TROPICANA CHECKS OUT: Famed Vegas resort closes for good
From its lavish opening in 1957 on a Las Vegas Boulevard surrounded by wide-open desert, to its sleepier years amid a boom in megaresorts, the Tropicana Las Vegas has been a familiar landmark in Las Vegas. Now the Strip’s third-oldest casino, the famed resort shut its doors for good at noon Tuesday, with demolition slated for October.
A RESPONSIBLE PARTNERSHIP
VisitScotland has launched an innovative new partnership The Travel Corporation (TTC) and the Travel Foundation designed to inspire and support climate action within Scotland’s tourism industry and drive change with businesses, visitors, and destinations.
BUG OFF: U.S. set to experience biggest cicada emergence in centuries
Pack your earplugs. Trillions of evolution’s bizarro wonders, red-eyed periodical cicadas that have pumps in their heads and jet-like muscles in their rears, are about to emerge in numbers in part of the United State not seen in decades and possibly centuries.
SCHENGEN STATUS A BOOST TO ROMANIA, BULGARIA TRAVELLERS
In move that will benefit millions of travellers annually, Romania and Bulgaria partially joined Europe’s ID-check-free travel zone on Sunday, marking a new step in the two countries’ integration with the European Union.
ANOTHER FINE PICKLE: It’s game on in Antigua-Barbuda
Is it the most queried question in travel? “Do they have pickleball?” With this in mind, the Antigua and Barbuda has served up a list of places in the twin Caribbean island nation where visitors can grab a paddle and have a “slamming good time with the warm sun shining down and the gentle Caribbean breeze on your face.”
PARIS PREPARING FOR INVADER: He comes, he glues, and disappears into the night
For the Paris Olympics, it could almost be a new sport: Score points by hunting down mosaics that a mystery artist who calls himself “Invader” has cemented to walls across France’s capital, the world, and even had carried aloft to the International Space Station.
‘ALL HANDS ON DECK’: Niagara braces for eclipse throng
Niagara Falls is bracing for its largest influx of tourists in its history with more than a million people expected to flock to the city for next week’s total solar eclipse. A state of emergency has already been declared for Niagara Region on April 8, though Niagara Falls’ mayor is urging visitors to prepare for, not avoid, the spectacle.
DUBAI: Lifestyles for the rich and famous, and everyone else
Dubai welcomed more tourists than ever before in 2023, attracting 17.15 million international overnight visitors. And they weren’t all rich and famous – a perception that Visit Dubai is eager to dispel, urging the trade to consider that “If you think you know Dubai, think again!”
JTB TO HOST ‘EVENING WITH JAMAICA’ EVENTS
The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) is inviting travel advisors from across the Greater Toronto Area to experience a night of destination knowledge, cultural exploration, and island hospitality during a two-part ‘Evening with Jamaica’ event series on April 16 and 17.
DISNEY, DESANTIS SETTLE BITTER DISPUTE
Allies of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Disney reached a settlement agreement Wednesday in a state court fight over how Walt Disney World is developed in the future following the takeover of the theme park resort’s government by the Florida governor.
AGENTS MEET THE REAL NEW ZEALAND
Accompanied by key suppliers from New Zealand, the South Pacific country’s national carrier called in Toronto and Calgary this week as part of a North American mission designed to “harness everything New Zealand… and bring a touch of New Zealand” to the trade.
BISTRO WAITER RACE: Paris serves up century-old tradition again
France’s capital resurrected a 110-year-old race for its servers Sunday. The dash through central Paris celebrated the dexterous and, yes, by their own admission, sometimes famously moody men and women without whom France wouldn’t be France.
PRE- AND POST-CRUISE: The perfect 48 hours in Greater Fort Lauderdale
Port Everglades, the world’s third largest cruise port, is among the top gateways for Canadians heading off on a Caribbean cruise vacation. And located only 15 minutes from downtown Fort Lauderdale – and even less from the airport – it’s perfectly positioned for clients who want to add on extra time in sophisticated and fun South Florida to their cruise vacation.
VIP PASSPORT PROVIDES SPECIAL DEALS FOR TRAVEL ADVISORS
Travel professionals can discover special deals and not-to-be-missed attractions now that Visit Lauderdale, the official destination marketing organization for Greater Fort Lauderdale, has launched its new VIP Passport for travel advisors.
FREE FORT LAUDERDALE, LET US COUNT THE WAYS
Greater Fort Lauderdale’s tropical paradise offers a sweet retreat for all who visit. Better still, there are countless free ways to explore local gems, annual events, and worldclass art venues and attractions, no matter the interest or party size.
80TH ANNIVERSARY: ‘Great Escape’ exhibit remembers war horror, heroics
On March 24, 80 years ago, in one of the most ingenious and audacious acts of defiance of World War II, 76 prisoners of war tunneled out of a German POW camp into a snowy forest. For most of the escapees, it ended tragically. Three made it to safety, but the others were recaptured and 50 of them were executed.
CARIBBEAN COMEBACK: Canadians play part in region’s recovery, and what’s in store for ‘24
Canadian arrivals numbers to the Caribbean reached 88.1 percent of pre-pandemic levels in 2023. And with an estimated three million tourist visits by the end of the year, the performance of Canada represented a whopping 46.1 percent increase over 2022, according to the Caribbean Tourism Organization.
UNLIMITED OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPLORE OFF-SHORE IN CUBA
Cuba is renowned for its sandy beaches, but there’s more: unlimited opportunities for adventure and discovery lie just beyond the shore. From calm, shallow waters that are ideal conditions for a family swim to sunken shipwrecks on the ocean floor waiting for the true adventurer, the Caribbean Sea offers unforgettable experiences above and below the surface.
10 REASONS TO VISIT BRITAIN THIS SUMMER
From chocolate to new luxury in London, plus world-class sports and brand-new cultural hubs, there’s no shortage of hot new openings and fresh takes on traditional classics on display in Britain this summer. Here’s a quick look at 10 to-do tips to help a make a visit in 2024 even more memorable.
JAMAICA DECLARES NEW BENCHMARK FOR TOURISM
As Jamaica prepares to host global delegates at the Caribbean’s pre-eminent travel trade event, Caribbean Travel Marketplace, in May, the country’s tourism minister has declared a new benchmark for tourism metrics: 2023. “Normally we talk about 2019 (before the pandemic), as being the benchmark,” Edmund Barlett said during a zoom event ahead of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s 42 annual event. “Now we have changed that. 2023 is the new benchmark for Jamaica’s tourism.”
G ADVENTURES BOUND FOR BOSNIA
G Adventures will soon be offering an extended program of trips to Bosnia and Herzegovina that are designed to support local communities, while showcasing the Balkan nation’s distinctive culture, nature and heritage.
MAD ABOUT TRAD: Delightful Dublin is music to our ears
Since the age of four, when my mother first played the irrepressible song “Off to Dublin in the Green” by an obscure group called The Abbey Tavern Singers, I’ve been hooked on traditional Irish folk music.