In the heart of Havana

Go beyond the beach as Cuba’s capital marks 500 years

ANN RUPPENSTEIN With its centuries-old faÇades, cobbled streets and an abundance of classic cars, it’s easy to imagine a time when Ernest Hemingway roamed the streets of Havana in search of his next libation – in between, or perhaps, to fuel – his writing sessions. “He knew all the bars here in Old Havana,” tour guide Betsy Olivares of Cubatour muses as the group approaches one...

 

Zipline can be an Acapulco highlight

IAN STALKER (Photo above: Among those ready to set off on Acapulco’s XTASEA zipline are Travel Courier’s Ian Stalker (second from left, back row) and Newlink’s Hillary Ovalle (back row, right) and Analia Brache (front row, centre).) Some folks are just hard to impress, even if you’re a consummate daredevil... I joined others visiting Acapulco for Tianguis – Mexico’s annual...

 

Still cowboy cool

Fort Worth

GREG COATES Home to rodeo and the Stockyards National Historic District, as well as the world’s largest honky-tonk, travellers can certainly get their cowboy on when visiting Fort Worth. In the late 19th century, Fort Worth became an important trading post for cowboys at the end of the Chisholm Trail. Today, it is modern and one of the fastest growing cities in the US. The Texas city has...

 

Travelbrands thanks agents, launches exclusive contest

GREG COATES (Photo above: TravelBrands president Frank DeMarinis with Gina Marcone of Transat Travel, winner of a million Loyalty Points) TravelBrands kicked off a series of cross-Canada “Agent Appreciation” events on April 1 in Toronto, hosting approximately 700 Toronto-area agents and launching an exclusive contest for agents, all while showcasing the company’s latest...

 

Switzerland welcomes alpine explorers

IAN STALKER (Photo above: Pascal Prinz (l), who heads Switzerland Tourism’s Canadian office, Ursula Beamish-Mader, also of the Canadian office, and Martin Nydegger, CEO of Switzerland Tourism. Nydegger was visiting Toronto and Vancouver last week.) Swiss tourism officials are inviting those who like to go “a-wandering” along a mountain track to do so with alpine peaks whose names draw...

 

Palladium Hotel Group takes centre court in Mexico

GREG COATES Agents with clients looking for a new luxurious Mexican getaway now have a significant new option, thanks to the Palladium Hotel Group. The Spanish hotel chain recently celebrated the official opening of its two newest resorts – TRS Coral Hotel and Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres Resort & Spa – and the Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre in Costa Mujeres, north of...

 

The Uniworld story continues

Luxury river cruise line set for major expansion

GREG COATES With five new Super Ships coming online between now and 2020, as well as exotic destinations to go with them, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises is once again raising the bar in the luxury river cruise category. The new ships are in line with the line’s commitment to transform its entire fleet to Super Ships in the coming years. By 2020, more than half of the ships in...

 

Peru: More than meets the eye

IAN STALKER Pictured above, from l to r, are Julian Cotignola of LATAM Airlines; Elisabeth Hakim of PromPeru; Ben Stasiuk of Goway; Dallyce Macas of explora; and Cristina Hure of The Travel Corporation. Elisabeth Hakim of Peruvian tourist board PromPeru told a recent Toronto gathering that “everyone associates Peru” with Machu Picchu, the mountaintop Inca site that has earned UNESCO...

 

Collette makes a difference locally and globally

ANN RUPPENSTEIN In 2020, Collette’s newly relaunched small-group travel style, Explorations, is going to feature impact moments for travellers to make a difference as they discover and explore the world. These moments include supporting social enterprises and non-profits, such as the Sheroes’ Hangout, a cafe in India staffed by women who were victims of acid attacks. “We’ll go there...

 

Partners for life

Trafalgar makes agents a priority

IAN STALKER Trafalgar proudly notes that it has been befriending travel agents for more than 70 years, and its parent company has established a terrific rapport with them as well. Wolf Paunic, who oversees Trafalgar’s Canadian operation, says the tour operator continually reaches out to the travel agency community. “For over 72 years, Trafalgar has worked closely with retail travel...