28 OCT 2019: In case you missed it – or even if you didn’t – here’s a round-up of last week’s news and information in travel and tourism.
AIR
WestJet has expanded ticketing time limits, allowing travel counsellors to hold fares without a fee, deposit or payment for an extended period. The time limits vary: Domestic – up to 24 hours from reservation; Transborder – up to the end of next day from reservation (Basic, Econo, EconoFlex, Premium and Business); Transborder – up to three days before departure (PremiumFlex and BusinessFlex); International Sun – up to 72 hours from res.; transatlantic and rest of world – up to 72 hours from res. (Basic, Econo,EconoFlex, Premium and Business); and, Transatlantic and rest of world – up to three days before departure (PremiumFlex and BusinessFlex).
On Sunday, Cathay Pacific introduced its new A350-1000 aircraft on Toronto flights. The move coincides with the airline’s 25th anniversary of service to this country in 2019. Cathay’s inaugural Canadian flight was between Toronto and Hong Kong (via Anchorage, Alaska) on June 9, 1994 on 747-400 aircraft. The -1000 plane boasts the latest in aviation technology in terms of its range, fuel efficiency and quiet cabin environment.
There’s a new hotel in London Heathrow. Located at terminal 3 and affiliated with the Plaza Premium Group, Aerotel London Heathrow has 82 guest rooms (single, double and families up to four) and offers flexible booking hours for global travellers. Six-, nine-, 12-hour and overnight packages start at £50 excluding VAT. To celebrate the opening, guests booking a nine-hour package or above will receive a 30% discount until Dec. 31.
DEALS
Priced from $130/day and available from November to March, Globus Escape tours showcase Southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East during the “slow” season when the weather is still warm in places like in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Morocco, Israel and Egypt, but prices are lower and crowds fewer. Globus has a selection of 45 tours throughout Europe, including eight in Italy.
Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line guests that book a Cruise & Stay Package at the Melia Nassau Beach Resort, SLS Baha Mar and Comfort Suites, Paradise Island, before Nov. 6 will receive a $100 onboard credit. Cruises start at US$69 p.p.
Korea Grand Sale 2020, the annual shopping, culture, and tourism festival for foreign tourists, will take place Jan. 16-Feb. 29. Organized by the Visit Korea Committee, the event features K-pop Star Training programs, K-beauty tryout programs, gourmet tours of Korea and indoor/outdoor activities for the winter season. Early bird sales have started with up to 95% discounts on tickets sold by eight Korean airlines for flights to Korea from overseas on about 100 routes plus up to 80% discounts plus an extra 10% markdown for rooms at about 200 hotels in Korea.
TOURS
Oceanwide Expeditions is fully primed for the 2020 Antarctic season, having made a series of key upgrades to its three m/v cruisers, Plancius, Ortelius, and Hondius. The vessels received multiple renovations: updated cabins for Plancius, a dining room and crew area makeover for Ortelius (photo), and more user-friendly gangways for Polar Class 6 Hondius, as well as numerous smaller updates.
Families are the flavour of the month with Transat in the tour company’s “Family Time Promo.” Until Nov. 17, the national multiplatform campaign includes Web, social media, radio, display and print advertising aimed directly to families who “mainly book beach getaways to enjoy some quality time together.” Featured is social media content, a YouTube video (see it HERE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=487X-lixVIA) and new section devoted to families on the web site featuring promotions, hotel profiles, recommendations based on interests and suggestions for excursions.
Delivering on the growing trend for conscious travel among Gen-Z and millennial travellers, Contiki’s Australia product release for 2020-21 introduces a collective of brand-new ethical travel experiences, including giving something back to the communities and wildlife visited on trips. Tour highlights include a visit to a turtle hospital at the Great Barrier Reef, having breakfast with koalas on Magnetic Island, and an Indigenous dot-painting workshop at Uluru. Clients can save 15% when booking by Jan. 30 for travel from April 1.
HOTELS
With three hotels in Havana (and 20 in Cuba), Iberostar notes that it is ideally positioned to help visitors discover the city during its 500th anniversary celebrations. The Habana Riviera by Iberostar boasts a prime urban location in a skyscraper affording unique views of Havana’s Malecón seafront avenue; the Iberostar Parque Central is nestled in the heart of Old Havana; and Iberostar Grand Packard is a grand luxury hotel standing on Paseo del Prado, overlooking El Morro castle. The hotels will also be involved in special events focussing on Cuban fashion, sport, culture and tradition during the next few months.
The opening date for the Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas, USVI has been moved up to Nov. 22 from Dec. 1.
Open:
Llanerch Hotel has opened after a £2m investment. The two-storey hotel with 26 rooms and suites each with views of the countryside is situated in the heart of the Llanerch Vineyard, 20 minutes from Cardiff, Wales. As well as Llanerch’s popular ‘Cariad’ wine tasting and vineyard tours, there’s an award-winning restaurant and a cookery school owned by Angela Grey.
RESORTS
The five-star Riu Palace Tikida Taghazout is RIU Hotels & Resorts’ latest entry in Morocco, and sixth overall. The all-inclusive Atlantic-facing resort is located on the beach in the Taghazout Bay area, Morocco’s new tourist destination 15 km north of Agadir.
A partnership with Robert Mondavi means all Palace Resorts properties will now feature the popular wines at all restaurants as well as in every guest room. The brand is known for its Cabernet Sauvignon wines, including the signature wine, Fume Blanc.
CRUISE
Set to debut in Portugal on April 9, 2020, Uniworld’s S.S. São Gabriel is one of four Super Ships launching next year, joining S.S. Sphinx, Mekong Jewel, and S.S. La Venezia. The newest ship on the Douro River, the São Gabriel will feature top-deck suites (photo) enhanced with butler service, giving clients the option to dine at any time. The ship will sail an 11-day itinerary from Lisbon to Porto.
Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas will sail the Eastern Mediterranean in style come summer 2020 after the vessel’s $110- million “amplification” that will include racer waterslides, a redesigned, resort-style poolscape with poolside bar; transformed kids and teens spaces; and more. Beginning May 7, Explorer will set sail on seven- and nine-night itineraries to Italy and the Greek Isles.
In early 2021, Disney Cruise Line will return to New Orleans for a limited-time engagement with Disney Wonder sailings to the Bahamas and Caribbean, including visits to Disney’s private island paradise, Castaway Cay. A lineup of popular itineraries will also continue across the Disney fleet with cruises to tropical destinations from Texas, California and Florida. Bookings are now open.
THEME PARKS
SeaWorld Entertainment and Sesame Workshop, the non-profit educational organization behind Sesame Street, have revealed the location of a new Sesame Place theme park: San Diego, Ca., due to open Spring 2021 on the site of Aquatica. It will be the second Sesame Place in the U.S. following Philadelphia, which has been operating since 1980.
EVENTS
At this year’s Switzerland Travel Mart (STM) in Lucerne, three North American tour operators were awarded the Gold Flower Award, including Goway, representing Canada. (The others: Tauck and EuroBound). The biannual award is given out to reward innovation, a high level of professionalism and outstanding cooperation in connection with the promotion and sales of tours to Switzerland. Goway Travel was represented by Craig Canvin (photo, 2nd from r), VP, UK-Europe. “Goway has launched numerous new Switzerland itineraries including the Grand Tour of Switzerland by electric cars and by scenic trains. Additionally, they have launched wonderful winter experiences such as Christmas markets, skiing and city trips,” said Pascal Prinz, Switzerland’ Tourism’s Canadian market manager.
FAMS/INCENTIVES
To celebrate the fifth anniversary of its Facebook group, YourTravelBrandsBDM, TravelBrands is encouraging travel agents to sign on to help reach a goal of having 10,000 members. Once the goal is reached, TravelBrands says it will give its agent Facebook members the chance to win a host of “amazing prizes.”
PEOPLE/APPOINTMENTS
Thursday (Oct. 31) is the final day to say farewell to WestJet Vacations VP Tim Croyle, who has decided to retire after 16 years at the airline. WestJet has begun the process of filling the WestJet Vacations role while cargo responsibilities go to Charles Duncan, Executive VP and Chief Strategy Officer.
NEWS
Enrollment is now open for its 2020 Travel Agency Membership (TAM) and Individual Agent Membership (IAM) programs with Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). Travel agencies interested in joining can apply for a Travel Agency Membership while Individual Agent Membership is open to travel agents associated with a 2020 CLIA Travel Agency Member. Benefits include booking credentials, professional development, discounts and bonus commissions, a listing on Agent Finders, and more.
BY THE NUMBERS
Hilton claims to have the largest hotel construction pipeline in Canada with nearly 70 hotels and 8,000 rooms, comprising 22% of the total new-builds in market. Brands being built include Canopy, Tapestry and Tru.
DESTINATIONS
St. Vincent and the Grenadines marked 40 years of independence from Great Britain on Sunday (Oct. 27) with a military parade and various celebrations across the nine inhabited islands. Visitor arrivals to the islands in first eight months of 2019 increased by 9% with the Canadian numbers among the best performing markets. Air Canada Rouge will offer begin a second weekly flight to St. Vincent and the Grenadines staring on Sunday, Dec. 15.
Now open, Cocktails & Screams is Orlando‘s first year-round Halloween-themed bar. The new speakeasy-style downtown haunt is very immersive, featuring spooky scenes from Dr. Frankenstein’s lab to a hallway straight out The Shining, with themed cocktails to match.
Jamaica’s Tourism Enhancement Fund has completed a promenade leading into the town of Ocho Rios, which will soon be officially opened; to be followed immediately with the creation of an Elegant Corridor along that same strip.