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HOTEL WEEK: Kempinski adds two landmark hotels in Dubai

Kempinski Hotels has doubled its footprint in Dubai after signing a partnership with Abu Dhabi National Hotels to rebrand two iconic properties. On Jan. 1, the Kempinski flag was hoisted above Kempinski The Boulevard Dubai and Kempinski Central Avenue Dubai, formerly Address Boulevard and Address Dubai Mall respectively. The addition of these two landmark properties to the Kempinski portfolio significantly expands the brand’s presence in Dubai, which was one of the best-performing destinations worldwide for the luxury hotel group in 2023.

MAKING WAVES: Stats reveal most popular cruise lines, top trends

After serving up close to 20 million cruise quotes, online travel advisor marketplace CruiseCompete has released its CruiseTrends 2023 Annual Report offering an inside look at what consumers want in cruise vacations based on their requests.

NEW JETBLUE CEO FIRST FEMALE TO LEAD A U.S. AIRLINE

JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes will step down next month and be replaced by the airline’s president, Joanna Geraghty, who will be the first woman to lead a major US carrier. Geraghty, 51, joined JetBlue in 2005 and has taken on an increasingly prominent role at the New York-based airline in recent years, including becoming president and chief operating officer in 2018.

AGENTS CAN WIN BIG WITH G-NORMOUS INCENTIVE

G Adventures’ annual incentive is back and bigger than before with up to $75k in cash and prizes up for grabs by travel advisors, including an $11k grand prize to celebrate the 11th year of G-Normous. Running for four months through April 30, agents across Canada are being invited to compete to see who will be crowned the annual G-Normous winner.

HOTEL WEEK: Jumeirah to double portfolio by 2023

Jumeirah Group, the hospitality company that lists such iconic properties as the Burj Al Arab in Dubai amongst its roster of luxury properties, has set out ambitious plans to double the size of its portfolio by 2030, building on its strength in the United Arab Emirates and further expanding its portfolio into key global markets.

NEW PRESIDENT AT ONTARIO TOURISM, ANDREW SIEGWART

The Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO) has announced the appointment of Andrew Siegwart as its new President & CEO, effective Jan. 21. In his new role, Siegwart will guide the organization in promoting and advancing Ontario’s tourism industry while ensuring its growth, sustainability, and alignment with important societal goals.

WHAT’S DOING AT DISNEYLAND IN 2024

For the first time, Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Ca., has released its lineup of special events and limited-time festivities for the coming year, with 2024 highlighted by the resort-wide Pixar Fest celebration beginning in the spring.

ARE YOUR CLIENTS SICK OF WINTER? Here’s where to send them

Have you been tirelessly fielding requests from clients who are done with winter’s chilly antics? They’ve simply had enough of having frozen fingertips, shoveling driveways, and experiencing a wardrobe crisis every time they leave the house. It’s not just the winter blues; the never-ending small talk about the weather just about morphed them into the grumpiest version of themselves.

INTO THE LIGHT: What TRAVELSAVERS advisors foresee for 2024

With a strong return to travel last year now in the rearview mirror, TRAVELSAVERS Canada advisors are now looking ahead a profitable year ahead with over 75% of respondents to a recent survey foreseeing their sales increasing in 2024. Only 3% think sales will decline, with no one anticipating a significant drop.

ALL ABOARD FOR LIMA, THE JEWEL OF LATIN AMERICA

Lima, the vibrant capital of Peru, invites travellers to embark on an extraordinary adventure this winter. Located on the Pacific coast, this coastal metropolis offers an array of cultural, culinary and historical delights that are sure to capture the hearts of your clients. And talk about great timing: Air Transat recently introduced new direct flights between Toronto and Lima, operating twice weekly year-round, making this captivating destination more accessible than ever.

HOTEL WEEK: What’s coming from Accor in ‘24

Accor, which boasts a 5,500 properties across 40-plus brands in 110 countries (plus 10,000 food and beverage outlets, wellness facilities and workspaces) has a few (well, a lot) more hotels coming in 2024, from an Orient Express in a historic building in Rome and a Raffles in Jaipur, to a Novotel in Hamburg and a Movenpick in Jakarta.

METEORIC RISE: What’s behind Bahamas’ record tourism numbers

The Bahamas is continuing a “meteoric” rise in tourism as air and sea arrivals reach unprecedented heights, marking sustained growth that has surpassed previous years’ benchmarks. As of the end of November 2023, the cumulative count of foreign air and sea arrivals soared to over 8.65 million, representing 41.8 percent surge compared to the corresponding period in 2022.  

THE PLANE FACTS: Canadian carriers unaffected by latest 737 Max mishap

Canadian airlines say they don’t fly the Boeing 737-9 Max jetliners that US regulators have grounded after an Alaska Airlines plane suffered a blowout while in flight. The Alaska Airlines 737-9 Max jetliner blew out a window and a portion of its fuselage shortly after takeoff nearly five kilometres above Oregon late Friday, creating a gaping hole that forced the pilots to make an emergency landing as its 174 passengers and six crew members donned oxygen masks.

VISA FLIP-FLOP: Brazil, Turkey changes benefit Canadians

Both Brazil and Turkey have changed visa rules that will benefit Canadian travellers. But while the latter has cancelled visa requirements for several countries, including Canada, Brazil has only postponed the reintroduction of requirements until April 10.

HOTEL WEEK: Hard Rock breaking ground for Greek tourism

Hard Rock International has broken ground for a luxury resort and casino in the heart of Greece’s Athens Rivera. The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Athens will be the first integrated resort of its kind in continental Europe and will serve as a driver for entertainment and tourism in the city of Athens.

TICO TALK: Charges, claims, closures and convicted

December was a busy month for the Travel Industry Council of Ontario. In addition to its ongoing restructuring plans, TICO carried on the day-to-day business of regulating the province’s travel sector with a series of claims, charges, closures and convicted notices.

ROUND-UP: Jan. 1-5, 2024

A new currency is being introduced in the Dutch Caribbean and two eastern European countries are set to join the Schengen zone; additionally in this week’s round-up, a setback for Transat in labour negotiations, more measures to limit overcrowding in Venice and G Adventures’ has tapped into Taylor-mania for its “biggest agent experience ever.” NEWS

BIG AND BOLD PLACES TO TRAVEL IN 2024

With 2024 being the first year that the entire world has fully reopened all its borders since the pandemic, there’s no shortage of places to travel. With this in mind, bigger and bolder are trending for 2024, says tour company Abercrombie & Kent, with travellers embracing long-haul destinations and travelling for longer to really get under the skin of new cultures through ever-more-immersive experiences – the new luxury.

NORDIC DEEP FREEZE WREAKS HAVOC ACROSS EUROPE

Extremely cold temperatures compounded by gale-force winds and snow wreaked havoc across the Nordic region Thursday, leaving thousands without power while others braved the cold for hours stuck in their cars along clogged highways. Heavy rains in Germany, France and the Netherlands again caused floods in regions that have seen persistent flooding in the last two weeks.  

DEFINITELY ‘DUSHI’: Colourful Curaçao’s unquenchable charm

There’s a frequently used word in Papiamentu – “dushi”– which, while hard to precisely translate from the local lingo on the Caribbean island of Curaçao, essentially means positive vibes, beautiful, and the good things in life, all mashed up into one.

AFTER-HOURS ACROPOLIS TOURS UNVEILED – FOR A PRICE!

Fancy seeing the ancient Acropolis uncluttered by thousands of selfie-snappers? A solution is in the works, but it will set you back up to 5,000 euros ($7,300). Starting April 1, 2024, Greece plans to offer exclusive guided tours of its most powerful tourist magnet to handfuls of well-heeled visitors outside normal opening hours.

INSPIRATION FOR RATATOUILLE: Famed Paris restaurant re-opens

The Tour d’Argent already boasts a 320,000-bottle wine cellar, a world-famous duck recipe and a storied 441-year history. Now, the legendary Paris restaurant is about to serve up its “plat de résistance”: a front-row view of two of the biggest events of 2024 – the renaissance of Notre Dame Cathedral and the 2024 Summer Olympics.

THE INDUSTRY-SHAKING IMPLICATIONS OF BLEISURE TRAVEL

Some call it “bleisure travel,” “laptop lugging,” “workations” or simply “blended travel.” The gist is the same: Remote and hybrid employees extend work trips to include leisure activities or work during their leisure trips. Whatever it’s called, it could upend the traditional divide between leisure and business travel.

BACK TO BARGAINING FOR TRANSAT, FLIGHT ATTENDANTS

It’s back to the bargaining table this week for Air Transat and its flight attendants after the latter voted to voted to reject a tentative deal with company. There are currently no strike or lock-out notices issued by either party and both say they are keen to reach a new agreement quickly.

G ADVENTURES TO THANK TOP AGENTS WITH TAYLOR TIX

As part of its worldwide “You Belong with G Experience” campaign, agents from Canada will be invited to join G Adventures to see ‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour’ live in Toronto this coming November. The tour company says the incentive is the biggest agent experience it has ever delivered, with top sellers from different countries around the world also heading to concerts in New Orleans and London.

DESTINATION FRANCE READY TO ROLL OUT CDN. ROADSHOW

Mark your calendars, the next edition of the Destination France road show will roll out in four Canadian cities in February: Montreal on Feb.  19; Toronto Feb. 20; Calgary Feb. 21 and Vancouver, Feb.  22. Details to come.

‘IT WAS HELL’: Planes collide at Tokyo airport

A large Japan Airlines passenger plane and a Japanese coast guard aircraft collided on the runway at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on Tuesday and burst into flames, killing five people aboard the coast guard plane, officials said. All 379 people on Japan Airlines flight JAL-516 got out safely before the Airbus A350 was fully engulfed in flames, Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito confirmed.

VENICE TO LIMIT GROUP SIZES: Latest measure to combat crowds

The Italian city of Venice announced new limits on the size of tourist groups, the latest move to reduce the pressure of mass tourism on the famed canal city. Starting in June, groups will be limited to 25 people, or roughly half the capacity of a tourist bus.

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