With just 15 luxury tents surrounded by 19 forested hectares on the edge of a private peninsula in Punta Mita, Mexico, Four Seasons’ new adults-only Naviva resort is now welcoming guests with the promise of a personalized retreat that “awakens the intrinsic bond that humans have with nature.”
Earlier this year four of us – old friends (in both senses!) – arrived in Bocas del Toro, a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea off the far western shores of Panama. We had been tossing around the idea of a winter getaway for several weeks but found a decision difficult. City or somewhere quiet? Beach or countryside? Hotel or self-catered? We each had different ideas, but had agreed that it should be a destination none of us had visited before. Then came an inspired suggestion … Panama! A ‘first’ for each of us. And we could spend a relaxing week in the tropical islands of Bocas and a busy week in Panama City. All our boxes were ticked!
Mexico’s Pacific Coast is a beautiful mix of charming towns, stunning beaches and tropical landscapes, and no destination better captures the best of this paradise than Mazatlán. This idyllic resort town is perfect for couples planning their nuptials down south and offers a variety of options for all kinds of celebrations, big and small. Known as The Pearl of the Pacific, Mazatlán is a breathtaking location that brings couples’ destination wedding dreams to life.
The charm of the Caribbean is undeniable. The gorgeous tropical landscape makes this region an appealing choice for a stunning ceremony venue. Sandals® Resorts calls the Caribbean home for the same reason — we can’t deny the magic of this place. When guests have started newly engaged life, Sandals Resorts would be their best choice to explore a venue. From the lush jungle scenery to the powdery white-sand beaches, our resorts have several distinct locations to select from. Couples can also customize their passionate getaway whichever way they wish. There’s no end to the ways to create perfect Caribbean escape.
The first couple married at Sandals Montego Bay in 1981 made their way back to renew their vows after a health challenge proved that through sickness and in health, Love Is All You Need.
Political turmoil is nothing new in Peru, which has seen six presidents in the last five years. But the scale of violence following President Pedro Castillo’s Dec. 7 impeachment and arrest for a clumsy effort to shutter Congress – unrest that has left 57 people dead and hundreds more injured – has revived class and racial divisions and thrown a wrench into Peru’s important tourism industry.
WestJet has unveiled 20 new routes and three new destinations – Minneapolis, Detroit and Washington DC (Dulles) – to the airline’s summer schedule, which features what the carrier calls its “largest expansion in history” out of Edmonton. At the same time, Porter is launching Ottawa-Charlottetown service in May.
A senior executive of Southwest Airlines apologized to a US Senate committee late last week for a December meltdown and said the airline is upgrading software to help fix its inability to reassign crews after the winter storm. The president of the Southwest pilots’ union told senators that airline leaders ignored calls to improve technology for years, then botched the recovery from the storm – losing track of employees and operating more than 500 empty flights while passengers were stuck on the ground over the holidays.
Following strong annual percentage increases in international visitor arrivals (IVAs) to Asia in 2022, predictions now are for a return to pre-COVID levels this year, with growth momentum slowly moderating in strength to 2025 as pent-up demand gradually eases.
Sandals Resorts has earned a worldwide reputation for providing two people in love with the most romantic all-inclusive vacation experience in the Caribbean. For over four decades, couples from around the globe have flocked to 17 resorts in Jamaica, Antigua, Saint Lucia, Bahamas, Grenada, Barbados and Curaçao to enjoy the very best in luxurious accommodations, delicious 5-Star Global Gourmet™ dining, impeccable 5-Star Service from friendly and attentive staff and so much more.
The union that represents pilots at WestJet says it is asking for federal assistance after months of failing to reach a contract agreement with the airline. The official request begins a process that could result in a strike, or lockout, if the impasse is not resolved.
The UP Express train service between Union Station in downtown Toronto and Pearson International Airport near the city resumed Sunday morning after cancelling all trains on Saturday due to “service issues.”
Air Canada Vacations has launched a new dedicated support program for independent travel advisors. ACV@Home is designed to provide assistance, creative tools, and training to help grow the community for travel professionals working from home. The tour operator is further introducing an awards program to recognize top-producing home-based agents.
Call it “Another Side of Britain,” or “icons with a twist,” but VisitBritain is urging visitors, and those who send them there, to look at the destination with fresh eyes, and beyond the tried and true.
Six major tour brands under The Travel Corporation umbrella – Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, Luxury Gold, Costsaver, Brendan Vacations, and Contiki – have now aligned under one rewards program: Global Tour Rewards.
GayTravel.com has named the recipients of its annual Gay Travel Awards for the past year, with 39 inclusive LGBTQ+ winners selected from hundreds of finalists, in categories across the industry spectrum, including hotels, destinations and Pride events.
More protests rocked France on the weekend; Crystal cruise line is back and set to sail again this summer; there was more news about NEXUS; a new tourism day gained UN approval; and Sunwing said ‘I do’ again to its popular annual destination weddings guide.
Paris is the world’s most powerful city destination, according to new research from the World Travel & Tourism Council, but the French capital is bound to be overtaken by ‘staggering’ Beijing by 2032 reveals the WTTC forecast.
For the past couple of years, hotel and airline loyalty programs have extended elite status in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. But in 2023, that’s coming to an end. A tsunami of downgrades will wipe out some travellers’ elite status because pandemic-era offers are expiring and loyalty programs are upping the qualification requirements.
When Cirque du Soleil created its first permanent Las Vegas production with Mystère at Treasure Island Hotel & Casino in 1993, founder Guy Laliberté said his fledgling circus troupe wanted to “grow a flower in the desert.” Safe to say that flower became a bouquet even he couldn’t have imagined.
Egypt has unveiled dozens of new archaeological discoveries, including two ancient tombs, at a Pharaonic necropolis just outside of the capital Cairo. The artefacts, unearthed during a year-long excavation, were found beneath an ancient stone enclosure near the Saqqara pyramids and date back to the fifth and sixth dynasties of the Old Kingdom, spanning from roughly 2500 BC to 2100 BC.
There are more than 3,500 pubs in London but, to be honest, some lack the distinctiveness that truly sets an establishment apart when it comes to having a memorable and quintessential British experience when dropping in for a pint or glass of wine (or two).
Sparking blue waters line a beautiful wave-free beach of fine white sand. Palm trees sway in a gentle breeze while friendly bartenders offer up as many cool drinks as you want. It’s the picture that appears in your mind’s eye whenever you think of an idyllic day on a Caribbean beach. That mental ideal seldom lives up to reality in many Caribbean cruise ports, as thousands of cruise passengers flock to the nearest beach at some popular cruise ports.
Burt Bacharach died yesterday at the age of 94. The Oscar and Grammy-winning composer has had Top Ten hits since the 1950s, and was known for such standards as “What the World Needs Now Is Love,” “Walk on By,” “Alfie,” “That’s What Friends are For,” and “Raindrops keep Falling On My Head.”
With 98 percent of the delayed passport applications having now been processed, according to the federal government, the Passport Office is preparing for its next large wave of renewals as the first passports issued with a 10-year expiry date come due in July.
Against the backdrop of a global pilot shortage, hopefuls aspiring to a career in the skies say their Canadian licensing applications are taking far too long to process. Student pilots who have completed the training requirements for their private or commercial pilots’ licences say their credentials are being delayed due to what they say are unacceptably lengthy processing times at Transport Canada.
The United Nations General Assembly has unanimously adopted a resolution to have Feb. 17 officially declared Global Tourism Resilience Day, which will be celebrated for the first time next week. Pioneered by Jamaica, the initiative was supported by over 90 countries.
The International Air Transport Association has issued new guidance to assist airlines and handling agents to transport mobility aids safely and efficiently and improve the travel experience for passengers with disabilities.
Marco Island is the most expensive destination in Florida for hotel stays, according to a new survey by CheapHotels.org, which compared hotel rates across 30 popular Florida destinations early this year – typically the high season for most destinations in the Sunshine State.
The US Congress began considering critical aviation legislation on Tuesday in the aftermath of recent close calls involving airline and cargo jets at airports in New York and Texas. Lawmakers celebrated the small number of deaths on airline flights in the United States since a 2009 crash that killed 50 people, but they noted the recent scary incidents.