Tour Operators
It’s all about the beach
Well, the truth is out. Forty-five per cent of Canadians say that they prefer a beach vacation to all other types of vacations -- and that puts Canucks far ahead of the global average which was 33%. The findings are part of the newly released 2012 Flip Flop Report that was conducted by Harris Interactive for Expedia.ca and which looked at the behaviour and preferences of over 8,000 adults in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia in a total of 21 countries. Globally, the average beach holiday is just over one week in length at 7.7 days. Canadians inch past the global average...
ACV unveils new collection
Air Canada Vacations has launched its 2012 South America, Asia, South Pacific Collection. The 100-page brochure features a variety of newly-added tours, such as treks in Australia or along the Peruvian Inca Trail, Spaceship campervan rentals in Australia and New Zealand and that's just a sampling of what ACV is offering in over 15 countries. As well, when you book your client an ACV Air & Hotel or Air & Tour package in any destination in South America or the South Pacific by July 15, 2012, you can save your clients $250 per couple. And if you book an Air & Hotel or Air & Tour package in any...
Want more visitors, don’t raise taxes
Leave it to the Irish to come up with a pretty straightforward approach to increasing tourist arrivals -- don't raise taxes. Tourism Ireland reports that the value added tax (VAT) on tourism services in the Republic of Ireland will remain at 9% until the end of 2013. Jayne Shackleford, manager of Tourism Ireland in Canada, points out that: "The island of Ireland continues to offer great value to visitors throughout 2012 and into 2013. Value for money remains one of our key messages this year as we promote Ireland as a vacation destination to Canadian holidaymakers. The perception of value...
Rugby Canada partners with Merit Travel
Rugby Canada has picked Toronto-based Merit Travel Group as its Official Travel Partner leading up to the 2015 Pan Am games and 2015 Rugby World Cup. Merit will provide a full service travel program to all of the National teams and programs operated by Rugby Canada. Nick Taylor, director of commercial operations for Rugby Canada, said: "Ensuring that our athletes arrive at their destination in the safest and most efficient manner means that they, and our management team will be able to focus on the training and competitive aspects of their tours." He noted as well that the new relationship...
New Sunquest Wedding Guide available
The latest edition of Sunquest's popular Wedding Guide is now available and filled with all sorts of useful information for clients planning a destination wedding, honeymoon escape or renewal of vows ceremony. Acting as a complement to Sunquest's Southern Sun brochure (the 2012/13 edition will be available within the next couple of months), this guide contains all the other "need-to-know"information (facilities, services, etc.) about the many resorts that Sunquest offers that specialize is making those "I do's"extra special. Destinations throughout the Caribbean, Mexico, Costa Rica and...
Discover the secrets of Omega Tours
In a world that's all about speed, Omega Tours has certainly taken its time. For the past 20 years, it has been offering guided excursions to Canadian travellers through a small number of channels, carefully refining its packages during that time, and now it's ready to extend its product offering to the entire Canadian travel agent community for the first time. Omega Tours' owner, Christina Sarracini observed: "Our product has continued to evolve and now we're ready to offer this former family secret to any and all Canadian travel agents." And after a "soft launch" of two decades, what agents...
TOI lends support to initiative
The Tour Operators' Initiative for Sustainable Tourism Development (TOI) has indicate its support for efforts in favour of a global, multilaterally-agreed framework for the reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions from aviation that would mirror the global nature of travel and tourism, with all jurisdictions working hand-in-hand. TOI chairman, Michel Lemay commented: "The travel industry at large, as well as the aviation industry, have already taken actions to reduce GHG emissions and we would welcome globally-accepted market-based measures, provided the approach dovetails with other...
Red hot deals from Insight
Insight Vacations is offering Red Hot Specials on select Definite Departures for only one more week. Until May 15, 2012, couples booking a Red Hot Special can save up to CDN$2,350 and relax with the knowledge that their premium or luxury trip is guaranteed to run. Examples of some of the itineraries available, include Insight's 17-day Country Roads of France tour and its new 10-day Hawaiian Dreams GOLD luxury escorted tour, to name but two. "With fantastic limited time savings combined with the guarantee of a Definite Departure and all at uncompromised premium quality, now is certainly the...