13 AUG 2018: In case you missed it, and even if you didn’t, here’s a quick look at some of last week’s need-to-know travel news:

AIR

Saudia, the state airline of Saudi Arabia, cancelled all flights to Canada effective Aug. 13 in the wake of a diplomatic row between the two countries. See SAUDI ARABIA TAKES OFF.

Like arch rival Air Canada the previous week, WestJet set a new, single-day record of 80,219 passengers carried on board its aircraft on Aug. 7. WestJet also announced new twice-weekly, non-stop service between Calgary and Terrace, BC, effective Sept. 4.

Aimia continues to announce new preferred partners for its Aeroplan loyalty programme. Following Porter Airlines, Air Transat and Flair Airlines, join the programme effective July, 2020. See MORE POINTS PARTNERS.

TOURS  

Transat’s 2018-19 cruise programme will have a fresh look. Notably new are more than 10 first-time ships, Princess Cruises, Cartagena as a port of embarkation, and new river European river cruises available as excursions. Returning will be cruises sailing out of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Nothing says summer like planning the Christmas vacation. And to help inspire those images of sugar plums dancing, Trafalgar has launched its 2018/19 Christmas Spectaculars European programme, offering up the best of the season, and especially Europe’s magical Christmas markets, through three “handcrafted” programmes in Germany, Central Europe and Russia.

Connecting with destinations in a different way is the philosophy behind Collette’s new tour line, Explorations. From truffle hunting in southern France to having a home-hosted meal in Morocco, or overnighting in a glass igloo northern Finland, the small group tours are designed to provide hyper-local and active immersive experiences, coupled with unique lodgings that take travellers “beyond the surface of the destination.”

DEALS & DISCOUNTS

Transat’s Cubamania sale offers up to $700 in savings on all-inclusive packages in Cuba when booked by Oct. 31 for travel between Nov. 1 and April 30, 2019.

For another week, clients can score savings on Tahiti, French Polynesia and South Pacific voyages with Paul Gauguin Cruises. Through Aug. 18, travellers can save up to US$2,900 p.p. on select luxury voyages, which also include round-trip airfare between Los Angeles and Papeete, Tahiti. A sample qualifying voyage is the seven-night Tahiti & the Society Island, now priced from $4,145 p.p.

HOTELS

Raffles Europejski Warsaw is now welcoming guests. The fully restored Hotel Europejski is a Warsaw landmark dating to 1857 and was considered one of Europe’s grand dame hotels. Located on the city’s Royal Route, the new-look icon features 106 suites and chic décor reflecting the hotel’s glamourous past, along with 500 pieces of original Polish artwork.

RESORTS

Food is up at the Barcelo Maya Grand Resort Sept. 8-15 as the Mexican resort presents is fourth annual Gourmet Festival. Tapping the gastronomic culture of the Riviera Maya region, the fest will feature such renowned chefs as Pedro Abascal, Ryan Stern, Nalja Vargas, Drew Decman, Xavier Perez Stone and Alejandro Sanchez. Meals (with wine) are priced at US$45 for hotel guests and $65 for others, including day pass to the resort.

Count Catalonia Hotels & Resorts as a member of Air Canada Vacation’s Sun Collection now. The all-inclusive resorts in the Riviera Maya and Dominican Republic are suitable for both family and adults-only vacations. ACV clients can save up to $600 per family of four and receive eight days of airport parking when booking by Sept. 9.

THEME PARKS

Tickets are now on sale for Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood. This year’s weekend dates are: Sept. 14-15, 20-22, 27-30, Oct. 4-7, 11-14, 18-21, 25-28, 31, and Nov. 1-3. Meanwhile, add the classic film Poltergeist to the list of themed mazes at the attraction, as well as at its cross-country counterpart in Orlando.

CRUISE

Ultra-luxury line Seabourn has received approval to begin sailing to Cuba from Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico, starting with a 12-day cruise aboard Seabourn Sojourn departing Miami on Nov. 4, 2019.

In what it is describing as “a move that will redefine the modern vacation album,” Royal Caribbean International is introducing a first-of-its-kind tool that transforms travellers’ photos into an original, shareable soundtrack with a video to match. Powered by artificial intelligence, Soundseeker enables users to upload three photos to Sounderseeker, where they turn into a digital soundtrack based on colour, landscape, backdrop, emotion, body language and facial expression. The result, according to RCI, is a “shareable and one-of-a kind soundtrack – virtually DJing life’s most brag-worthy moments.”

Luxury cruise line Cunard is introducing voyage and tour packages on flagship ocean liner Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria. The new three- and four-day pre- and post-cruise tours invite guests to discover ports like Rome, Hong Kong, Dubai and Cape Town through a mix of iconic landmark and cultural activities, along with upscale hotel accommodations.

Due to popularity with guests, St. Maarten will be home base for Star Clippers’ Star Flyer during the 2019-20 winter season with 13 departures planned from the northeastern Caribbean island.

EVENTS

September will see the roll out of Air Canada Vacations’ winter Sun Collection at gala trade shows in five Canadian cities: Vancouver (Sept. 10), Calgary (Sept. 11), Halifax (Sept. 18), Toronto (Sept. 20), and Montreal (Sept. 23). All events are from 5 to 9 p.m. and will feature special entertainment in addition to all the tour operator’s latest news and an opportunity to meet supplier partners. Title sponsors are Sandals and Bahia Principe. Contact ACV for site details and reservations.

FAMS & INCENTIVES

It’s better in the Bahamas, at least when booking the Warwick Paradise Island-Bahamas resort’s “Forever Summer” promotion, which offers 40% off the resort’s best flexible rate and US$30 spa credit for clients and 15% commission. The promo is in effect through Sept. 14 for travel in 2018.

PEOPLE

There’s a new pair of Irish eyes, literally, at Tourism Ireland in Canada. Dublin-native Sandra Moffatt has joined the tourist board’s team in Toronto as its new Trade Promotions and Digital Marketing Executive. Moffatt’s role will be to plan and implement targeted trade marketing activities with key Canadian travel partners, tour operators and airlines and managing strategic digital communications.

Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold have named Paula Rizos as Director of Business Development for BC, Yukon and the Northwest Territories. The industry veteran most recently worked at Discover Canada Tours. She can be reached in Vancouver at paula.rizos@insightvacations.com.

TICO

The Travel Industry Corporation of Ontario reports that Sinorama Holidays Inc. in Markham voluntarily terminated its Ontario Travel Industry Act, 2002 registration to do business as a travel retailer effective Aug. 8.

CONSERVATION

Helping mark World Lion Day on Friday (Aug. 10), Lion World Travel reported the repatriation of “King,” an abused one-year-old lion cub found in an apartment in Paris, to the Shamwari Game Reserve in South Africa. Toronto-based Lion World, led by Lucille Sive and Cris David, helped sponsor the transfer of King as part of a multi-national rescue effort.

Add Hard Rock International to the list of hotel brands that are pitching plastic straws. The process begins at its properties around the globe on Sept. 1. Also underway is a transition to paper-only to-go bags.

DESTINATIONS

Canadians are playing a part in a recent tourism boom in Israel with this country posting a 4% increase in visitations in July over the year previous. Overall, Israel arrivals are up 17% to 2.4 million for the first half of the year over 2017 and almost 50% over the same period in 2016.

Japan has been awarded its 18th UNESCO World Heritage site. The “Hidden Christian Sites of Nagasaki” comprise 10 villages in northwest Kyushu, as well as the ruins of Hara Castle – originally built by the Portuguese – and St. Mary’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in the city of Nagasaki, all relating to the country’s checkered Christian heritage from the 16th to 19th centuries.

Festivities, including an 80-car caravan of both vintage and modern cars, last week marked the long-awaited re-opening of California’s iconic Hwy 1 coastal route, parts of which had been closed for 18 months following damage from torrential rains and mudslides.

Grenada puts the spotlight on its Scuba bona fides Oct. 3-6 at the Pure Grenada Dive Fest. Highlights for the underwater crowd include the world’s first Underwater Sculpture Park and the Caribbean’s largest wreck dive, the Bianca C.

Send your news to baginski@travelindustrytoday.com

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TURKISH DELIGHT: Airline scores with Toronto golf event1

15 AUG 2018: Oakville, Ontario, is a long way from Antalya, Turkey, but close to 100 participants in the Turkish Airlines World Golf Cup Toronto region qualifier last week had their eye on the latter as they teed off at Glen Abbey Golf Club for a chance to represent Canada at the Cup finale.

For friends of the airline, including many from the travel trade, the chance to play at venerable Glen Abbey – frequent home of the Canadian Open – was enough to inspire an early morning tee-off, but one lucky (and talented) duffer would win a trip to Turkey to take part in the finals of the Cup, along with corresponding winners from a whopping 100 destinations in 63 countries worldwide.

 

The event, according to Turkish Airlines, is the largest global amateur golf series in the world, “mirroring the truly global reach of Turkish Airlines.” Having launched in 2013, and along with the airline’s extensive sponsorship of professional golf, it also reflects the airline’s “commitment to golf,” especially in Turkey.

Belek, in particular, and Istanbul are hot spots for the game in Turkey, which the Turkish tourism board says is no longer golf’s “best-kept secret,” thanks in large part to its great international standard courses (many paired with five-star resorts), ideal Mediterranean climate and historical setting.

But no matter where duffers take to the links, “Golf clubs fly for free. We like to look after our golfers,” an airline exec assured the Glen Abbey group at the awards ceremony following the event.

As for the Grand Final in Belek, Oct. 27-Nov. 4, Troy Vigushin, an air tactician at Flight Centre Travel Group in Toronto, took top prize and will be flown business class to Antalya and hosted for eight nights at the Titanic Delux Belek.