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
Dec. 5 marked Transat’s 15th annual “Flight with Santa Claus,” when hundreds of children coping with a life-threatening illness, and their families, boarded flights out of Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver to meet Santa and his elves in the sky. The event, a partnership initiative by Air Transat and the Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada, has become an annual Holiday tradition.
Porter Airlines has resumed seasonal service between Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport and Mont-Tremblant International Airport. Flights are available until March 30, 2020, with service up to four times weekly.
Passengers travelling to or through Dubai between Jan. 1 and March 30 with Emirates will be able to use their boarding pass for savings of up to 30% off at retail outlets and up to 50% off on leisure activities at over 500 locations across the United Arab Emirates thanks to the My Emirates Pass seasonal promotion.
DEALS
Through Feb. 2, Best Western Hotels & Resorts BW Rewards Rush Promotion offers up to $60 in gift cards for their winter travels. Members will receive a Best Western Travel Card following each eligible stay, including $10 following their first stay, $20 following their second stay, and $30 following their third stay. This offer is available to travellers who stay at any BWHR branded hotel, including Vīb, GLō, Sadie and Aiden.
Until Jan. 8, 2020, Club Med guests can book seven-night air-inclusive escapes starting at $1,649, plus receive additional perks such as free first-checked luggage and more. Special to families, kids under four years old stay free and children under 16 get up to 50% off. Couples will also receive a free room upgrade and there is no single supplement for solo travellers. Travel must be completed by June 20 and eligible resorts include Punta Cana, Cancun Yucatan, Sandpiper Bay, La Caravelle, Columbus Isle, Turkoise, Buccaneer’s Creek and Ixtapa Pacific.
A soothing couple’s massage, mimosa breakfast in bed, and in-room welcome gift are part of the “Love. Unlimited” package available from adults-only Secrets Resorts in the Caribbean through the end of 2020. Priced at $199, it must be booked by April 20.
TOURS
TravelBrands has launched a new product line specifically tailored to golf and ski lovers. TravelBrands Golf & Ski, by Ultimate Vacations allows agents to create customize golf or ski experiences for client in such destinations as Arizona, Scotland and the Caribbean for the former and British Columbia, Colorado and Switzerland for the latter. Packages include top-class hotels and resorts and agents can pair a golf escape with an all-inclusive vacation or tap ski experts on the best ski towns all over the globe, the best times to expect snow and different package types.
Collette has been accepted into Virtuoso’s exclusive portfolio of luxury travel partners, comprised of more than 1,800 preferred suppliers in 100 countries.
Small-group tour operator Exodus Travels has launched Small Ship Voyages, a new premium collection of cruise experiences in some of the world’s most sensational destinations. From dolphin-spotting on an HBO’s Succession-style luxury yacht in the Maldives to meeting the tribal communities of Melanesia, each small ship voyage combines cultural connections, impressive landscapes and wildlife experiences with first-class accommodation, cuisine and service. All voyages are hosted by National Geographic Explorers, celebrated photographers, renowned marine biologists, naturalists, archaeologists, anthropologists and ornithologists, as well as local Exodus guides with firsthand knowledge of each destination’s customs and ecology.
RESORTS
Guests at RIU Resort’s complex in Costa Rica now have a fun, new option to colour their vacation. Splash Water World (photo) is available free to guests of both Riu Guanacaste and Riu Costa Palace and features five slides of varying speeds, like the four-lane Aquaracer slide and two body bowl tubes, in addition to various games with jets and water pistols, and pools with aquatic elements for small children. Both resorts are offered by Sunwing.
HOTELS
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts will make its entry into the Czech Republic with the Golden Prague Hotel, slated to open in 2023 after an extensive refurbishment. Located on Parizska Boulevard and on the banks of the Vltava River in the Old Town of Prague, the hotel, currently operating as the InterContinental Prague, will join the Fairmont portfolio under the name “Golden Prague Hotel managed by Fairmont” as of May 2020.
Universal Orlando Resort’s eighth hotel, Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites, will open on March 17, 2020.
Open:
A new, independent boutique hotel has launched in downtown Squamish, BC, promising “an edgy hotel experience you might find in a major urban centre, but with a local flavour.” Aimed at the “adventure-hard, play-hard community who need a place to crash at the end of the night,” the 27-room Crash Hotel features hip designs and amenities like a mountain bike locker in the lobby. Located between Vancouver and Whistler, Squamish is a mecca for mountain biking, après skiing and snowboarding, rock climbing and the mountain scenery.
CRUISE
After a brief hiatus, Avalon Waterways is returning to Egypt. Passengers will be able to sail on the luxury cruise ship MS Farah on a the new 10-day “Taste of Egypt” itinerary, which explores the Pyramids and Sphinx in Giza; the Ramses II and Alabaster Sphinx in Memphis, as well as Cairo’s oldest church – the Hanging Church, plus Tutankhamun’s Tomb in the Egyptian Museum – all before the cruise, which visits Luxor, the Avenue of Sphinxes; the Karnak Temple Complex, Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens; Kom Ombo, and more. 2020 departures are available at a discounted price through Dec. 16.
After an inaugural year cruising the Great Lakes, Canadian Maritimes and New England, Victory Cruise Lines is taking its two vessels, M/V Victory I and M/V Victory II, to Costa Rica, Panama, the Yucatán Peninsula and the Southeast US Starting in March, through to the end of the year, cruises range from nine to 10 days and start at $2,699 double occupancy, including a pre-cruise hotel. Sample itineraries include American Southeast: Jacksonville, Florida to Freeport, Grand Bahama; Yucatán Peninsula: Roundtrip Cancun, Mexico; and Costa Rica & Panama.
Carnival Radiance will homeport in Galveston, Texas, beginning in 2020, giving Carnival Cruise Line four vessels operating out of the destination year-round. It will be joined by Carnival Breeze returning from Port Canaveral, along with the Dream and Vista.
ATTRACTIONS & THEME PARKS
The Tourism Industry Association of Ontario’s has revealed its Attraction of the Year – Science North. The award was voted on by visitors as part of the annual Ontario Choice Awards. The Sudbury-based attraction received the most votes overall across all categories of the awards, outpacing the other two finalists, African Lion Safari and Winter Festival of Lights.
EVENTS
In celebration of International Volunteer Day (IVD) on Dec. 5, many Trafalgar employees across the globe contributed some of their paid volunteer time to take part in initiatives including beach clean-ups, gift wrapping, dog walking, and food drives across the world, all of which contribute towards a grand total of 24,000 paid volunteer hours across the course of the year (photo: Toronto office). Trafalgar’s parent company The Travel Corporation offers staff two days a year for volunteering to “make a difference both locally and internationally.
FAMS/INCENTIVES
In celebration of its new Central and South America brochure, Goway is offering agents the chance to win a Galapagos cruise for two (including air from Quito to Guayaquil). To qualify, agents must make a new minimum seven-day land or land and air booking from the brochure by Dec. 31 for travel by June 30. Each booking earns one entry into the draw. The winner is also required to answer a skill-testing question. Draw will take place Jan. 7.
Through Dec. 31, agents can earn 2X STAR Agent Rewards Points with Sunwing on all new bookings to Melia Hotels & Resorts, Paradisus Hotels & Resorts, and Sol Hotels in Cuba for departures between Jan. 1, and April 30. A host of consumer incentives are also in effect.
PEOPLE/APPOINTMENTS
Sunwing Airlines president Mark Williams has been awarded the Air Transport Association of Canada (ATAC) Lifetime Honoree Award. The prestigious award is given by ATAC individuals who have made significant contributions and improvements to the Canadian air transportation industry and have been a part of the sector for a minimum of 25 years.
Also, at Sunwing, Heather Calvert has been appointed BDM for Central Canada. Located in Regina, Calvert has more than 20 years of experience in retail travel sales in both Saskatchewan and Manitoba. She can be reached at hcalvert@sunwing.ca.
John Felice, formerly of CruiseShipCentres, has been hired as Director, Leisure Sales, Western Canada for Vision Travel. Based in Richmond, BC, he will oversee 24 retail locations and over 200 travel advisors. He can be reached at john.felice@visiontravel.ca
NEWS
A new website has been launched by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) to serve as a comprehensive travel resource for those planning to visit Japan during the Olympic and Paralympic games and, additionally, as a definitive guide to the greater destination of Japan. Check out the Tokyo and Beyond 2020 site HERE.
CAA has named its 2019 Partner of the Year award winners: Ocean Cruise – Royal Caribbean International; Tour – Trafalgar; River Cruise category – AmaWaterways; and Travel Advisor Choice awards – Rocky Mountaineer and Trafalgar.
BY THE NUMBERS
Twenty out 29 European destinations reported increasing numbers in either arrivals or overnights from Canadian visitors during the first half of the year, according to figures from the European Travel Commission (ETC). Slovakia led the way with a 45% increase, possibly related to the Ice Hockey World Championship being held there in May. Other high-flyers included Lithuania (39%) and in Southern/Mediterranean destinations; Turkey (31%), Slovenia (21%) and Cyprus (19%). Italy also performed well with a 19% increase in arrivals. On the other hand, nine destinations saw no enlargement of arrivals or overnights from Canada, with Iceland (-25%) and Latvia (-16%) experiencing steep declines in arrivals. Annual average growth of travel from Canada to Europe is expected to hover around 3% over the five-year period 2018-2023.
DESTINATIONS
A new footbridge at Tintagel Castle on the north Cornish Coast of England now gives an alternative to 140 of up and down stairs, making it much more accessible to visitors. The 70-metre long bridge from the mainland to the island fortress where King Arthur is said to have been conceived uniquely has a 40 mm gap in the middle symbolizing connecting the past to the present. Group tours are available at the castle for a small extra charge.
With a thriving LGBT community and reputation as place that celebrates diversity and individuality West Hollywood will unveil an AIDS Monument next year in conjunction with the $86-million revitalization of West Hollywood Park. Honouring the 650,000 lives lost to this disease, the Daniel Tobin-designed monument will chronicle the AIDS pandemic comprehensively through the lens of eyewitnesses still with us will and be a central icon for all who visit the park. It is the only such monument in the US
Visitors to Switzerland can brew their own special beer with the support of the Kornhausbräu master brewer at special brewing seminars offered in the city of Rorschach. Suited to small groups (7-15, and for either accomplished beer experts home brewers or novices. In small groups, you will learn how to brew using equipment with a capacity of 3,381 oz. /100 liters. Your beer will be delivered to you after it has fermented for about five weeks. The visit includes a selection of local cuisine and a degustation of the home-brewed beer varieties.