Off to the races in Kissimmee

Travel agents come out on top in The Air Canada Race 2018

ANN RUPPENSTEIN No one remembers second place. It started as an inside joke, but it’s a motto that may have helped one team successfully come out on top in the 2018 edition of The Air Canada Race held in partnership with Experience Kissimmee. Travel agents from coast to coast – quite literally from Prince Rupert, BC, all the way to Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador – recently...

 

Air France’s new vice president, general manager has big plans for Canada

ASHLEY ROCHEFORT (Photo above: Steven Larkin, director sales, Canada, Delta Air Lines, and Vincent Etchebehere, vice-president and general manager, Air France–KLM, Canada, at the Air France Bistro at TIFF.) Glitz. Glamour. Style. Once again, Air France – the official airline of the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) – welcomed festival-goers at its Air France Bistro...

 

The Okinawa option

TED DAVIS [caption id="attachment_113329" align="alignright" width="300"] Both ANA (All Nippon Airways) and JAL (Japan Airlines) operate flights to Okinawa.[/caption] Travellers to Asia whose leisure priorities are focused on big cities like Taipei, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul and Tokyo can also consider a quiet island stopover in the immediate vicinity. Okinawa is that island, a place that...

 

Puerto Rico pleased with post-Maria progress

IAN STALKER (Photo above: The 16th-century citadel of El Morro is a San Juan landmark.) Hurricane Maria huffed and puffed, but tourism officials say it couldn’t knock Puerto Rico’s tourism trade down for the count. Those officials say power is once again up and running throughout the country, tourists visiting will find plenty of hotels and attractions to choose from, cruise ships are...

 

Weakened Lane moves away from Hawai‘i

IAN STALKER Hawaiian tourism officials were telling those vacationing in Hawai‘i Monday they should continue to be cautious, even as Hurricane Lane weakened dramatically and was moving away from the state. Tourism authorities were cautioning yesterday that flash flooding continued in some parts of Hawai‘i, along with heavy rain. However, Sunday morning saw winds from Lane reach no more...

 

Luxury travel uncovered

ANN RUPPENSTEIN When it comes to luxury travel, the gloves are off – white gloves, that is. While luxury often gets associated with white glove service and champagne upon arrival, Jason Merrithew, president of Merit Travel, says these days it’s all about experiences. “Luxury is becoming more about how people are actually consuming and living in these cultures that they’re visiting....

 

Discover the Czech Republic in the heart of Europe

IAN STALKER (Photo above: Rudolph Nareen of Astor Travels, Nalina Williams of Platinum Hospitality Group and Duzar) Jiri Duzar of Czech Tourism says his homeland is smack-dab in the middle of Europe, something that he says well serves visitors wanting to explore different countries on that continent. [caption id="attachment_112517" align="alignright" width="300"] Charles Bridge, Prague,...

 

Tour Operators regret suspension of Saudia Toronto Service

IAN STALKER Saudi Arabian Airlines’ decision to suspend Toronto service in the wake of an ongoing diplomatic feud between Ottawa and Saudi Arabia has disappointed tour operators that send people to the Middle East, even as those tour operators note there are numerous alternatives for those planning to travel to the region. The state carrier announced earlier this month that it would halt...

 

Have family, will travel

1,000 km, eight people, seven nights and two cars made for one memorable adventure in Newfoundland

Story and photos by ANN RUPPENSTEIN It didn’t start out as planned. Instead of kicking off a family vacation with eight of my closest relatives, thanks to a delayed flight and a missed connection I found myself sitting alone in a hot tub in the backyard of an expansive house that sleeps 16. I don’t know if absence truly makes the heart grow fonder, but at that moment I actually craved the...

 

Country comforts

Rural charms of Northern Thailand

Story and most photos by TED DAVIS (Photo above: Workers harvesting tea at the Chok Jamroean Tea Plantation in Chiang Rai province (photo courtesy Surapol Supawattanakul for the Tourism Authority of Thailand) [caption id="attachment_112027" align="alignright" width="199"] Girl in traditional dress at the Jinnaluck sustainable arts centre.[/caption] For 18 days in early July, the...