09 OCT 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
Sunwing hopes to see more Canadians in Cienfuegos this winter thanks to its new service to the south coast Cuban city. Direct flights from Toronto will operate on Mondays between Dec. 17 and April 22.
A bigger footprint in key markets highlights Air Transat’s just-released 2019 Europe flight program. New flights to Split, Croatia, bring the airline’s total destinations on the continent to 27, while there will also be more flights to Italy, Greece, France and Portugal. Moreover, the airline reports, passengers heading to destinations such as Nice, Porto and Basel next summer will fly in one of two new Airbus A321neo LR airplanes being added to the fleet.
Count Air Canada among the business relieved that Canada and the US have agreed on a new trade deal after over a year of acrimonious negotiation. “Air Canada supports all initiatives that encourage travel between Canada, the US and Mexico,” stated the airline’s president and CEO, Calin Rovinescu.
New AC flights: Air Canada will begin new year-round flights between Toronto and Vienna on April 29, 2019, in partnership with alliance partner Austrian Airlines. The 787-9 Dreamliner service will be daily in season and five days a week from November to March. Also, seasonal service between Montreal and Bordeaux, France, will operate June 15-Sept. 15, 2019, four times weekly aboard 737 MAX 8 aircraft. Introductory fares from $998 and $798 round-trip and all-in, respectively, can now be booked.
CommutAir, which operates as United Express, is expanding into Canada with flights starting Oct. 4 from Newark and Washington, DC, to Montreal. YUL will be the first international destination since the airline transitioned to an all-jet fleet and Quebec City and Ottawa will join the network in coming months. CommutAir serves 25 US destinations and calls itself “America’s fastest growing regional airline.”
WestJet’s new low-cost airline Swoop continues to build out its route network with the introduction of four new services to Cancun, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta beginning Jan. 8. The three Mexican destinations will all be served from Hamilton, Ont., with twice weekly service (three times to Cancun), while Abbortsford, BC, also gets two flights a week to PVR.
TOURS
Eight specially handcrafted trips to 19 countries make up Trafalgar’s Travel With Faith program for 2019/20, ranging from a “Pilgrimage to Poland” to tours that feature the once-a-decade Oberammergau Passion Play in Germany in 2020. “Clients can reaffirm their faith through enlightening travel to some of the world’s most spiritual and uplifting destinations,” says the tour operator.
A new 2019 brochure by Goway covers the tour operator’s exotic offerings from Mexico and Central and South Americas to both northern and southern polar regions. Designed to be a comprehensive selling tool for the regions, the 2019 Central and South America Travel Planner includes new destinations and a full range of product, including mainstay tours, city stopovers, boutique travel ideas, and signature Holidays of a Lifetime.
Almost 100 tours, more than 70 authentic experiences, three brand new trips (Scandinavia plus two in Greece), and several enhanced itineraries frame Insight Vacations just-released 2019 Europe and Britain guide. Highlights include Venice Carnival, Bastille Day, Oktoberfest, Edinburgh Tattoo and Christmas Markets as well as tours marking the 75th anniversary of the World War II D-Day landings in Normandy. There are also early booking bonuses by Oct. 31 and Jan. 31.
DEALS & DISCOUNTS
Select 2019 Mekong river cruises on the Avalon Saigon (photo) include free airfare when booked by Oct. 23. The new Avalon Waterways all-suite vessel is now sailing 13- and 18-day itineraries through Vietnam and Cambodia. More details HERE.
For the rest of the year, Collette is offering $300 off air-inclusive bookings on a variety of European tours departing in 2019. Clients can fly with Sky Team partners Delta, KLM, Air France, or ALITALIA from any Canadian gateway.
During October, TravelBrands Cruises, by Encore Cruises is allowing consumers to book with only a $1 deposit. The offer is applicable to new individual and cruise tour bookings after Feb. 1, 2019, with Azamara Club Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Costa Cruises, Holland America Line, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International.
Those booking a holiday at any of Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts, Secrets, Breathless, Dreams, Now, Reflect or Sunscape Resorts & Spas propert through Dec. 12 (for travel through Dec. 22) will receive discounted rates and up to $400 worth of resort coupons per room with AMResorts’ Vacations Half Off promotion.
HOTELS
Five new hotel signings in Africa signal Marriott International’s expansion plans on the continent, which the company says is “under capacity” when it comes to rooms. The new signings consolidate Marriott’s presence in Ghana, Kenya, Morocco and South Africa and mark the company’s entry into Mozambique, bringing its portfolio to 21 African nations. Among the new conversion deals is the Marriott Marrakech Hotel in Morocco, which will be rebranded in 2020.
Raffles Hotels & Resorts has embarked upon an expansion plan that will nearly double the size of its collection over the next several years. Of special note are Raffles Meradhoo Maldives and Raffles Shenzhen, which are both expected to open later this year. The Maldives destination will offer the ultimate in exclusivity and privacy with its 21 island villas and 16 ocean villas, and dedicated PADI-certified dive centre. Raffles Shenzhen will be the brand’s third hotel in China, located near the city’s Qianhai Economic Zone and only 30 minutes from Hong Kong. The sophisticated hotel will include 200 guestrooms and serviced residences at the top of an 80-storey tower.
Best Western Hotels & Resorts’ new boutique hotel brand, GLo, has made its debut in DeSoto, Texas. Developed especially for millennials, the brand features modern design and state-of-the-art technology, including digital keys, digital concierge, and communal workspace positions. The upper-midscale brand has will roll out more properties in secondary markets in the US in the future.
RESORTS
A new strategic alliance with Rex Resorts will see Sunwing run six of the brand’s Caribbean hotels starting Dec. 1. The properties, located in Grenada, Tobago and Barbados, will be upgraded by Sunwing and will be rebranded as either luxury Mystique or mid-market Starfish resorts. Check out the full STORY.
Jamaica’s Half Moon resort has rebranded its villa section as Rose Hall Villas operated by Half Moon. It’s all part of a US$75 million “transformation” of the 64-year-old property started last year. The resort has 210 rooms, with 28 additional villas, all on a 400-acre estate 10 minutes from Montego Bay.
Scrub Island Resort, Spa & Marina, in the British Virgin Islands is once again fully up and running after significant renovations following Hurricane Irma, which made landfall in the BVI in September 2017.
CRUISE
Carnival is promising a month of “frightfully fun” activities for all ages as the cruise line takes its Halloween celebrations on October sailings “to the next level.” The month-long “spook-tacular” is highlighted by the debut of Patch the Pumpkin Pirate, a colourful swashbuckling seafarer who towers 12 feet tall and greets guests as they board each ship.
In a departure from the past, Vancouver-based Scenic Luxury Cruise & Tours has released three brochures for 2019-20. The new guides – Europe and the America, Antarctica, and Arctic, Fjords & Baltic – include both cruise offerings and land-cruise combinations aboard the Scenic Eclipse luxury expedition yacht, some of which can be split for non-cruisers. Digital versions of the brochure can be viewed at www.scenic.ca and printed ones can be pre-ordered there as well. Several EBBs and special offers are in effect for bookings made by Jan. 31, 2019.
Jon Bon Jovi is set to rock Norwegian Cruise Line on pair of special “immersive fan experience” cruises in 2019 in which the Grammy-winning singer will perform and take part in other interactive guest experiences. Norwegian Jade will be host to Runaway To Paradise’s Caribbean cruise, which will be sailing from Miami to Nassau on April 12-16, while Norwegian Pearl will be the setting for a Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona to Majorca, Aug. 26-30.
FAMS & INCENTIVES
Meliá Hotels International Cuba is Sunwing’s Learn, Earn and Win partner for October. Until the end of the month, agents can earn 4X STAR Agent Reward Points that convert into cash on all new bookings to select hotels for departures from Jan. 5 to April 30, 2019. Plus, each time an agent makes a booking to a participating Meliá resort, they’ll be entered into a weekly contest for a chance to win an all-inclusive vacation for two to a Meliá resort. Hotels participating in this promotion are Paradisus Princesa del Mar, Meliá Marina Varadero, Meliá Las Americas Golf and Beach Resort, Meliá Jardines del Rey, Meliá Las Dunas, Meliá Cayo Santa Maria and Sol Rio de Luna Y Mares Resort.
CLARIFICATION: Agents have until Oct. 19 to book Royal Scenic’s Vietnam fam with Philippines Airlines. Details on the Nov. 10-17 excursion, priced from $999, can be found HERE.
PEOPLE
Travel and aviation industry veteran Lyne Chayer is Sunwing’s new general manager for Quebec.
BY THE NUMBERS
Canadians aren’t crazy about co-existing with Airbnb and other short-term rental accommodation – at least according to the Hotel Association of Canada. New research by HAC suggests that only 1% of those surveyed felt that this sector of the sharing economy has a positive impact on their community, and that 50% would feel less safe if short-term rentals were located in their neighbourhood.
Travel truly is life changing, according to a survey commissioned by Swiss International Air Lines in the U.K. More than 40% of survey respondents said a travel journey had “changed them” and helped shape their personalities, while 20% said they were inspired to take up a new hobby and another 15% started to exercise. Meanwhile, taking photos was considered the key to preserving lasting memories, while 51% said they were most inspired by landscapes and natural surroundings.
The global air transport industry supports 65.5 million jobs and US$2.7 trillion in global economic activity, according to new research released by the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG).
DESTINATIONS
Puerto Rico’s recovery continues from the ravages of Hurricane Maria last year with the official re-opening of the Dorado Beach, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve hotel. The ultra-luxury resort, located approximately 30 km. from San Juan, has undergone a “meticulous restoration” including the addition of more than 300,000 new plant species to create “a truly tropical sensory experience.”
Celine Dion fans who have been procrastinating over seeing the Canadian singer’s show at Caesar’s in Las Vegas now have only until June 8, 2019, to do so, as Dion’s second of two residencies, spanning 15 years (with a four-year hiatus from 2007 to ’11) and over 1,000 shows, makes its final curtain call.
Leisure Pass Group’s new Go Cancun Card is an all-in-one ticket to 23 attractions, tours and activities at savings of up to 45% on standard admission and tour prices in the Mexican tourism mecca. Highlights include water sports, dolphin encounters, cruises and cultural excursions. Prices start at US$84 per adult and $49 per child (aged 5-11) for a one-day card, with two-, three-, four-, five- and seven- passes also available (we can’t help but wonder what happened to the six-day pass!). Passes for three or more days include free admission to one of an additional five ‘premium’ attractions. The can be ordered at www.gocancuncard.com. Customers receive their pass via e-mail and can then choose to print it at home or download it to their smartphones. A longer-term Cancun Explorer Pass is also available.
Contact: baginski@travelindustrytoday.com