IHG HOTELS FORGING A LEGACY OF LUXURY

With its six brands of its 19 brands now representing nearly a quarter (22%) of its global pipeline – nearly double its stake from just five years ago – IHG Hotels & Resorts, says it will continue to expand and invest in the segment, particularly in the Americas. Globally, IHG has transformed its Luxury & Lifestyle portfolio through notable acquisitions of Six Senses, Regent Hotels & Resorts and Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants; the growth of its legacy InterContinental Hotels & Resorts and Hotel Indigo brands; and the launch of Vignette Collection.

SWINGING IN MEXICO:The New and Improved Higuera Golf Club in Punta de Mita, Riviera Nayarit

Guaranteed sunshine, lush green mountains, a turquoise sea and enough margaritas to stave off scurvy are a few of the reasons why I’ve made the Bay of Banderas my home-away-from-winter for almost 20 years. But I am also a self-confessed golf fanatic and Riviera Nayarit is arguably one of Mexico’s top golf destinations. Now the golf scene here is even better with the transformation of what was originally called Litibu, now called Higuera Golf Club, named after the wild fig trees that proliferate the area. In fact, the golf club’s logo was modelled after the humongous higuera tree at the back nine taco shack. 

A WEIGHTY ISSUE:  A good idea or fat shaming?

Each aircraft has a set maximum weight for safe takeoff. Almost everything that gets onto a commercial plane — fuel, checked-in baggage, cargo and meals — is weighed. For passengers and their cabin bags, most airlines use average data. But Finland’s national carrier Finnair said Friday that it started asking passengers this week voluntarily and anonymously hop onto a scale with their hand luggage at the country’s main airport in Helsinki.

CONFLICT CONCERNS IMPACT CRUISE: Major detour for Virgin’s Resilient Lady

Concerned about potential escalations to the conflict in the Middle East, Virgin has announced a major detour for the repositioning cruise of its ship, Resilient Lady, departing Australia on March 27. Leaving from Sydney, the repositioning cruise will sail around the coast of Africa.

LOOKING BACK, AND FORWARD, AT 25 YEARS OF ONEWORLD

The oneworld alliance is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2024. Launched on Feb. 1, 1999 by founding members American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and Qantas, the alliance has flown nearly nine billion customers on its member airlines and currently boasts a takeoff or landing somewhere in the world every six seconds, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

BET ON IT: The most Instagrammable casinos in Canada  

Take a bow Casino Rama.  The Ontario casino has taken the top spot with 26,587 posts.  New research has revealed the most Instagrammable casinos in Canada. Niagara Fallsview Casino, also in Ontario, ranks second.

MONKEY BUSINESS: Something sniffy in passenger’s luggage

A passenger returning from a visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo reported that his luggage contained dried fish after US Customs and Border Protection dog sniffed out something unusual in his bag.  However, an inspection at Boston Logan Airport revealed something quite different – mummified monkeys.

TAMPA TIME: Transforming travel training

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.

ROUND-UP: Feb. 5-9, 2024

Last week, the shoe dropped on new TICO registrant fees in Ontario, while news emanated from the second airports in both Montreal and Toronto. Air Canada Vacations launched its Europe tool kit featuring bonus offerings for travel advisors, while G Adventures invited agents to be ‘change makers.’ And Chinese New Year celebrations got underway in grand style in Hong Kong.

JUST GROW UP: Be a respected traveller rather than an ignorant tourist

As travel, both domestic and international, increases, appalling behaviour by tourists is unfortunately also on the rise.  In recent years such behaviour has included inappropriate or insufficient clothing at sacred sites, driving a car across a fragile medieval bridge, and defacing cultural and historic sites and artifacts. Tourists have damaged heritage sites, eaten endangered species, and – in the case of one couple – stolen nearly $2 million worth of wine from a Michelin-starred restaurant. Tourists have (allegedly) insulted border guards, and flashed in front of kids. And when they’ve been caught out, they’ve often pleaded ignorance.

JAMAICA WELCOMES RECORD VISITOR ARRIVALS: Now Exceed Pre-Pandemic Numbers

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.

6 TIPS TO HELP PREVENT AIRPORT LUGGAGE LOSSES

It’s the bane of every traveller: lost luggage. Indeed, last year 26 million bags of luggage were misplaced or lost on flights and in airports around the world, according to 1st Move International. With this mind, the British-based company that has helped customers transport belongings across borders for the past 25 years has made a list of tips to get where there going with minimal baggage burdens.

DESTINATION DUPES: Budget-conscious alternatives for romance season

As romance travel season kicks off, TRAVELSAVERS Canada advisors are sharing affordable and less-visited destination options for couples looking for a budget-friendly escape. As typically frequented locales may experience high traffic during peak romance season, destination dupes offer less-mainstream alternatives for travellers.

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE THE WIZARD OF OZ MUSEUM

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.

WILL SHIPS SAILING FULL SCUTTLE CRUISE DEALS?

Cruise lines are riding the crest of an enormous wave. Could it wash away your options for a cruise getaway? Carnival Corp. reports that almost two-thirds of the capacity of its fleets for 2024 is already booked, with occupancy on its ships over 100 percent.
Holland America Line had the biggest sales day in the brand’s 150-year history in January, up 18 per cent from its previous peak sales day recorded in July, 2023.
Norwegian Cruise Lines Holdings ships sailed at 106 per cent of occupancy in late 2023 and advance bookings are 59 per cent higher that they were in the strong fall of 2019.

LISTENING IN: Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs wow at the GRAMMYs

Tracy Chapman’s performance of her song “Fast Car” with country musician Luke Combs, who recently recorded it, was one of the highlights and an extraordinarily moving moment at the GRAMMY Awards. Chapman is a four-time GRAMMY winner and 13-time nominee. She first performed “Fast Car” at the 1989 GRAMMYs where she won the award for Best Female Pop Vocalist. At the 2024 GRAMMYs, Combs was nominated for his rendition of the track for Best Country Solo Performance.

WALKOUT CAUSES DELAYS AND CANCELLATIONS AT LUFTHANSA:

German airline Lufthansa said up to 100,000 passengers could be affected over February 07 and 08 as Verdi union members at Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, and Duesseldorf airports walked out early on Wednesday due to an ongoing pay dispute. The walkout impacted check-in, ground handling and maintenance operations and caused hundreds of flight cancellations and delays.

WOMEN AND YOUTH ‘SOARING’ IN TRAVEL & TOURISM

The Travel & Tourism sector is delivering soaring employment opportunities to women and young people around the world, according to new research. A recent report shows that the sector directly employed a rapidly rising number of women between 2010 and 2019, increasing from 38.6 million to 47.8 million, an increase of 24%. 

FLIGHT CENTRE TRACKS ‘ROAMANTIC’ ZILLENNIAL GETAWAYS

As Cupid readies his arrows, a recent Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) survey conducted by YouGov, reveals that Canadian Zillennials – a blend of Gen Z and Millennials – are charting a new course for romance this Valentine’s Day.

END OF AN ERA: Las Vegas icon to make way for new ballpark

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.

DISNEY ROLL OUTS RED CARPET AT RE-IMAGINED PARIS HOTEL

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.

MASSIMO BRANCALEONI TAKES ON A NEW ROLE AT SILVERSEA  

Ultra-luxury cruise line Silversea has expanded the role of cruise industry veteran Massimo Brancaleoni who becomes Senior Vice President, Global Sales & Revenue. In this new role, Brancaleoni will continue to report to Silversea President Barbara Muckermann.  Brancaleoni has almost 30 years of experience in the global cruise industry and has held executive positions for international organizations in Europe and Asia. He joined Silversea in January 2023 as Senior Vice President, Global Sales.

BUSINESS DIGEST: Tips for building brand awareness

Building brand awareness is essential for long-term success in today’s competitive business landscape. Public relations is an essential tool in shaping how the public perceives a brand. Here are some tips to help you succeed in the brand awareness game.

WESTJET SET FOR SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN SUMMER SCHEDULE

WestJet is set to introduce 10 new routes and return or extend 16 routes this summer, offering a significant increase in coast-to-coast travel options for travellers. Underpinning its growth strategy, the increases on domestic, leisure and international travel routes represent a 15 percent gain year-over-year.

YOU’VE COME A LONG WAY, BILLY: Toronto’s city airport celebrates 85 years

A celebration has been launched to mark ‘85 Years of Flight’ at Toronto’s downtown island airport. Conceived in the 1930s as the main airport for Toronto, the construction of what is now Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) was completed in 1939 at the same time that Malton Airport (now Toronto Pearson International Airport) was constructed as a secondary, alternate airport to be used in the event of bad weather.

REGENT SEVEN SEAS GRANDEUR: A sumptuous cruise ship for elite guests

When Regent Seven Seas Cruises set out to define and deliver “the world’s most luxurious cruise” it understood the lifestyle values of the elite cruise guests it aims to cultivate. In launching Seven Seas Grandeur, RSSC – itself trademarked as ‘The World’s Most Luxurious Fleet’ – ensured its all-suite, all-balcony, all-inclusive new ship would embody the sumptuous cruise environment craved by people accustomed to splendid surrounds, service, and food.

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