STORY & PHOTOS by Ted Davis
The film “Blood Lions” is no longer being shown at theatres, but the impacts of its world tour in 2016 have spread like a bomb blast. They are driving supplier bans by major booking sites and may even be affecting South Africa’s tourism image.
The documentary spotlights a practice whereby bred lion cubs are raised in captivity, with no intention
of...
Tourists can connect with nature at Wild Florida (pictured above). Photo: Scott Audette
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FOR FLORIDA, THIS IS KEN LAWSON
In 2016, Florida saw more than 3.3 million Canadian visitors enter the Sunshine State. Canada continues to be Florida’s No.1 international market for visitation, but over the past few years,...
Monitoring the situation
Ian Stalker
Two adventure tour specialists say their Kenya tours are continuing uneventfully following sporadic violence in the run-up to and aftermath of the country’s Aug. 8 election.
Dozens of people were reported killed before and after the vote, with clashes between rioters and police at times seeing police use both gunfire and teargas to disperse crowds angered at an election process...
(Saint Lucia, pictured above, is a hot spot for Canadian weddings. Photo courtesy Anse Chastanet)
ANN RUPPENSTEIN
While tropical locations are as hot as ever, some Canadian couples are heading to more off-the-beaten-path and rather unique places for their destination weddings. From the Vegas Strip to romantic destinations in Ireland, here’s the lowdown on what – and where’s –...
(photo above courtesy COCOON EVENTS)
ANN RUPPENSTEIN
From ceremonies infused with local traditions to lavish luxurious locations, today’s destination weddings are anything but cookie-cutter. Whether it’s going the extra mile to reach a more remote country or paying a little bit more for a truly memorable experience, modern day brides and grooms are going after the celebrations of their...
Eric Barber
It is no secret that travel agencies have endured a torrid last 15 years in our industry, whether it was the meteoric rise of the Online Travel Agency (OTA) or the constant reduction of revenue sources such as commissions from segments of the business, agencies have had to continually reinvent themselves to stay relevant to their customers.
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Mike Dunbar
Visit Florida was “asleep at the wheel” while Canadian visitation submarined over 15 consecutive quarters, but a “major initiative” is in the works to kick-start a rebound after “taking the market for granted.”
Those were the frank admissions and sincere promise made by Visit Florida executive Nelson Mongiovi during last week’s Governor’s Conference on Tourism in...
Canada–USA traffic continues to rise
Mike Dunbar
So much for the Trump Slump!
The anticipated transborder visitor fall-off, fueled by opposition to the new president, has failed to materialize. To the contrary, the Canada–USA traffic count has risen for six of the first eight months since Donald Trump was elected last November.
And the latest statistics show conclusively that the migration southwards is being led by air travel...
Just for the sport of it...
GREG COATES
While skeptics may think the National Hockey League is taking a bit of a gamble by bringing a team to Las Vegas – the Vegas Golden Knights are set to take to the ice next season – many others, including more than 14,000 season ticket holders, would disagree.
This held true during the 2017 NHL Awards & Expansion Draft in June when a packed house jammed into the...
Armando Mendonça
The majestic mountainous backdrop of Innsbruck (pictured above, photo courtesy INNSBRUCK TOURIMUS), capital of Tirol, left me speechless as my train slowly approached the main railway station. Just across the street from the station is the historic and conveniently located Grand Hotel Europa – my home for the next four days. Last year, this property signed on as one of the...
