Australia: There’s nothing like it!

Canadian agents invited to become Aussie specialists and win

IAN STALKER Tourism Australia is seeking a talented Canadian travel agent to become a part of a new VIP program. The tourism body is inviting those who have completed introductory modules of its Aussie Specialist Program (ASP) to be one of the country's first-ever Aussie Specialist Ambassadors, the rewards of which will include a free fam to the country next spring. "We are very excited to...

 

Education looms large at TLN Regionals

School's not out for members of Travel Leaders Network

Pictured: Roger Block, president of Travel Leaders Network, joined Christine James in Toronto. IAN STALKER The network hosted its second 2018 Ontario regional in Toronto last week, and will hold similar events in Calgary and Edmonton later in October. Christine James, Travel Leaders Network's vice president Canada, says the annual gatherings benefit Travel Leaders Networks members who...

 

Discovering another side of Jamaica

Story and photos/ ANN RUPPENSTEIN After taking a winding road from Kingston high up into Jamaica’s lush Blue Mountains, I’m sitting in a 200-year-old Georgian style house about to taste coffee brewed from beans grown and harvested in the famed surrounding range. It’s on the veranda at Craighton Estate, overlooking sweeping views of thick green foliage, that I come face-to-face with...

 

Louisiana feeds the soul

Rebranding showcases what makes the state authentically unique

ANN RUPPENSTEIN (Photo above: At the Toronto event held at Ruth’s Chris Steak House are (l-r) Charlie Whinham, Louisiana Office of Tourism; Christy Chachere Lohmann, Visit Baton Rouge; Megan Ryburn, Louisiana Office of Tourism; Doug Bourgeois, Louisiana Office of Tourism; Jesse Guidry, Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission; Joanne Scalamogna of Access Marketing and Jo Banner, New...

 

Colorado calling

Taking the plunge in the Rocky Mountain State

TED DAVIS (Photo above: Crested Bute Mountain Resort in Colorado.) Canadian skiers and snowboarders who are seeking downhill thrills further afield will likely include Colorado in their considerations. But the choice of ski resorts in the state is so vast and potentially confusing that a basic overview can be helpful. One thing is for sure... “the Canadian market is a top market for...

 

Old meets new in Cuba’s capital

Gaviota upbeat about luxury Havana hotels

IAN STALKER (Photo above: A Cuba delegation in Toronto included Xavier Destribats, Kempinski’s chief operating officer for the Americas; Villanueva; Frank Pais Oltuski Rodriguez and Carlos Latuff Carmenate of Gaviota; Govea; Mariela Zaldivar and Luis Jimenez Ayala of Iberostar; and Marti Aragones of Melia Cuba.) Something old, something new… Cuba’s Gaviota Tourism Group has put a...

 

Celebrity goes over the Edge with new flagship

GREG COATES [caption id="attachment_113959" align="alignright" width="300"] Martini Bar[/caption] It’s described as “the most anticipated ship of the year,” and with good reason as Celebrity Cruises’ new flagship, Celebrity Edge, is sure to be a game-changer in the industry. The 2,918-passenger Celebrity Edge is currently getting its finishing touches at the Chantiers de...

 

Revitalized Air Canada Vacations making dreams come true

GREG COATES (Photo above: Air Canada Vacations threw quite a party last week in Toronto as it wrapped up its Dream Maker tour, following stops in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Halifax. Pictured at the Toronto event are Nino Montagnese, managing director, Air Canada Vacations, and Sandals’ Maureen Barnes-Smith.) The vibe was electric last Thursday (Sept. 20) as Air Canada Vacations...

 

A world of wonders await in Germany

Story and photos ANN RUPPENSTEIN (Photo above: Rothenburg ob der Tauber) [caption id="attachment_113938" align="alignright" width="225"] Bremen[/caption] As I stood in front of a bronze statue of a rooster on top of a cat, on top of a dog, on top of a donkey outside of the Town Hall in Bremen, I could almost hear my great-grandfather providing sound effects – crowing, barking and...

 

Upgrade your winter

Canadian travel to Switzerland shows no signs of cooling off

ANN RUPPENSTEIN (Photo above: Pictured at a Switzerland Tourism winter launch event in Toronto are: Ursula Beamish-Mader, Nick Turnell, Pascal Prinz, Samuel Bohren, Nathalie Rothlin, and Virginie Baerswyl Koulibaly.) Coming off a record year with the best overnight results in a quarter of a century, Canadian travel to Switzerland shows no signs of cooling off. In fact, numbers for the first...