Representatives from Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) touched down in Montreal last week to share the latest destination news and connect with travel agents, tour operators, and travel media. The event featured dinner and an immersive mural painting activity designed to offer a taste of the coastal city’s eclectic ViBe creative district.
Surpassing all previous records, the Bahamas welcomed over 9.64 million visitors in 2023, marking a historic milestone the Caribbean nation. The figure represents a 38% increase over 2022 and a 33% increase compared to the previous 2019 record.
The Eiffel Tower reopened to visitors on Sunday after a six-day closure because of striking employees demanding better maintenance of the historic landmark, showing traces of rust, and salary hikes. The operator of the 330-metre tower said it reached an agreement with unions representing the workers after promising to allocate an “ambitious 380-million euro (about $412 million) investment by 2031” for renovation work.
From traditional rustic wooden cabins to avant-garde culinary experiences, sugar shacks come in many forms. Long wooden tables draped with checkered tablecloths set the stage for a hearty Québécois meal where almost every dish is bathed in maple syrup. Besides serving up delicious food, sugar shacks are a social hub for friends and family – and a favourite for visitors to La Belle province.
Women in matching checkered aprons, headscarves, and a rainbow of running shoes limbered up as they prepared for the centuries-old pancake race in the English country town Olney. They rolled their shoulders in unison, raised up on their toes and did squats before stepping to the starting line – frying pans in hand.
There was certainly no shortage of top-of-mind topics at Atout France’s annual Canadian roadshow this week – a four-city tour that winds up in Vancouver Thursday after gala event in Montreal, Toronto, and Calgary. After all, the Summer Olympic Games awaits the starters gun July 26 in Paris, D-Day will be thoughtfully remembered in Normandy on its milestone 80th anniversary on June 6, and the long-awaited re-opening of Paris’s landmark Notre Dame Cathedral is scheduled for Dec. 8 (it was famously devastated by fire 2019).
The cruise ships dot the Nile like planes coming into an airport, though the procession belies the fact that they are operating at half capacity or less as Egyptian tourism continues to be rocked by the country’s perceived proximity to the war in Palestine – despite the fact that the distance from Gaza to Giza is close to 500 km., and through the Sinai desert no less.
Travel advisors are invited to connect with JTB Canada team during virtual drop-in sessions as the tourist board launches a new virtual travel agent engagement series with the Jamaica Winter Open House, taking place today (Wednesday, Feb. 21) from 1 to 3 p.m. ET. Further sessions are planned throughout the year.
For anyone with even a passing acquaintance with London, the city’s Tube map is as iconic as the red buses or the black cabs. But for the past few years, there’s been something not quite right about the map originally designed by Harry Beck in 1933 – a collection of orange train lines, mostly orbiting the inner city, known as the London Overground.
Springboarding off a “phenomenal” year of tourism, which included $125 million in revenue from the tourist development tax – the second highest in its history – Visit Lauderdale has unveiled a series of ambitious destination marketing initiatives for 2024 designed to “share our message of inclusion and diversity to travellers who are looking for fun, bold, immersive, and interactive experiences.”
Visitors to Greater Fort Lauderdale will discover a destination where the Sunshine state’s magic collides with the region’s vibrant beats. Beyond breathtaking landscapes and balmy weather, Florida’s musical soul finds its home here, resonating with the rhythm of diversity that makes this destination exceptional.
With a culinary landscape and cultural scene flourishing with newfound vitality, Greater Fort Lauderdale’s buzzing neighbourhoods offer a diverse array of creative, highly sought-after restaurants, but also classic comfort food, from pizza to barbecue and, of course, ice cream – the perfect compliment to the South Florida warmth.
Canada’s smallest province is looking to boost its tourism profile through a deal with the National Hockey League. The agreement announced Tuesday designates Tourism Prince Edward Island as the “official travel destination partner of the NHL.’”
With a Family Day and Spring Break on the horizon, Orlando is sure to be in the spotlight for many Canadians. And with more than two dozen new experiences set to amuse, entertain, and dazzle in the theme park capital, here’s a look at just some of what’s new for the upcoming holidays, and beyond.
Ho Chi Minh City, a culinary haven renowned for its vibrant street food scene, has embarked on an international campaign to showcase its unique and transformative cuisine. Spearheaded by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, the campaign has enticed audiences worldwide since December with its compelling video titled “All You Can Eat.”
It’s probably no surprise that Las Vegas Harry Reid Airport saw its busiest day ever following Super Bowl LVIII. The airport handled almost 104,000 air travellers, with early morning flights extremely busy on Monday.
During my recent visit to Lee County, Florida I couldn’t help but strum along to Jimmy Buffett’s 1977 hit song, “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes.” As I walked the streets and beaches of Fort Myers, Sanibel and Captiva islands, these lines in particular stood out:
With a rich cultural heritage and vibrant culinary scene, Denmark always has plenty on the go to entice visitors, not least a host of new events and experiences set to take place in 2024. From unique sightseeing and active adventures to only-in-Denmark culinary celebrations, here are seven mouthwatering reasons to visit this year.
The island of Maldives in the North Central Indian Ocean, is high on the ‘gotta go’ list of many travellers. Who can resist an alluring island, graced with stunning white sand beaches, luminous cyan-blue waters, and dazzling coral reefs. And, it’s not just brochure BS, the beauty of this paradise seems infinite – but there’s a catch – an underreported story that raises eyebrows.
In an initiative to enhance the knowledge of travel agencies across Canada about Taiwan’s diverse travel offerings, the Taiwan Tourism Administration (TTA) has announced the launch of its online Taiwan Tourism School. This e-learning platform is specifically designed to acquaint Canadian travel professionals with the unique allure of Taiwan as a premier tourist destination.
Visit Tampa Bay has introduced a new and comprehensive training, marketing, and sales tool designed specifically for travel advisors. The Tampa Bay Specialist Learning & Sales Companion features cutting-edge technology and is touted as “a significant advancement in remote destination sales and training” that goes beyond a typical educational course.
With a record winter tourist season on the horizon and 10 consecutive quarters of growth posted, Jamaica is reporting visitor arrivals of approximately 4.1 million for 2023. This represents a 16% increase over the previous year’s numbers and a 7.5% increase over 2019 pre-pandemic numbers. Of this total, more than half of the island’s visitors are from the US at approximately 3 million.
While most museum gift shops typically offer books about the venue and its contents, The Wizard of Oz Museum in Cape Canaveral, Fla., takes its own story from the books to the screen by way of an immersive experience designed for visitors of all ages.
When the Tropicana Las Vegas opened in 1957, Nevada’s lieutenant governor unlocked the door to what would become a Sin City landmark for more than a half-century. Then he threw away the key. “This was to signify that the Tropicana would always stay open,” said historian Michael Green.
Disneyland Paris has reopened the doors of its landmark hotel following a complete “royal” reimagination that pays homage to both Disney royal stories and celebrated European landmarks such as Le Château de Versailles.
Air Canada Vacations’ 2024 Europe Travel Agent Toolkit is back and packed with opportunities to boost sales and earn bonus commission, plus savings on personal vacation travel to Europe. The updated toolkit features new additions and enhancements aimed at empowering travel professionals with comprehensive resources to support travel agents as they navigate the tour company’s extensive Europe portfolio.
Peru’s government has backtracked on plans to outsource the sale of entry tickets to Machu Picchu to a private company, amidst questions from the local tourism sector and a week after protesters blocked access to the country’s most famous tourist attraction and rail service to the area was suspended.
Hong Kong’s most eye-catching Chinese New Year celebration is making a grand comeback. The “Cathay International Chinese New Year Night Parade” returns after a five-year layoff and is set to take place on the first day of the Year of the Dragon on Feb. 10.
Beyond keeping up with Karly (our host and a speed-walker of the first order), Las Vegas is meant to be experienced at double speed. The current concept of “slow tourism” does not apply here.
New York’s American Museum of Natural History is closing two halls featuring Native American objects starting Saturday, acknowledging the exhibits are “severely outdated” and contain culturally sensitive items.