1stto - The Travel Network
Transcription
1stto - The Travel Network
Week of December 21, 2015 C A N A DA’ S M O S T TRUSTED T R AV E L T R A D E P U B L I C AT I O N S I N C E 1 9 6 8 Hardware hogs! Canadians win big at Karisma gala opportunity to recognize their hard work.” Veteran winner Kim Crosby of SunLovers Travel in Victoria, BC, ANN RUPPENSTEIN who has taken home The majority of the 450 industry professionals on-site awards since its inception for the recent 8th Annual Gourmet Inclusive Vacation in 2008 – including the Consultant (GIVC) Awards by Karisma Hotels & Resorts most prestigious Hall of (Dec. 11) were American, but a significant number of Fame recognition in 2013 Canadian agents and tour operators still came out on top. – received nods for Top 10 Wedding Producers – Azul Held at the El Dorado “Travel agents are essenHotels, Diamond Level 5 Royale in Riviera Maya, tial to growing our busiand being the Top Selling Mexico, in conjunction ness, and eight years ago, Home-Based Agent in with a four-day sales and we committed to fully Canada. marketing forum, the luxsupporting the travel “When I was introury hotel collection recog- agent community with duced to Karisma Hotels nized its top-performing the debut of the GIVC & Resorts, I remember international travel program,” Alex Portman, thinking this is a match consultants by distributing senior business developmade in heaven. Our 100 awards in categories ment manager – national, philosophies were and are like Top Growth by region, Canada, told Canadian the same – a passion for Top 10 Producers, and Travel Press. “In Canada, providing an experience of Highest Category Sales, as Karisma channels all service that goes above and well as honouring those of its business through beyond expectations,” she who achieved Diamond GIVC agents, and the told Canadian Travel Press. See KARISMA page 8 Level sales status. awards give us an Pictured at the 8th Annual Gourmet Inclusive Vacation Consultant Awards (l-r) are Jeroen Hanlo, VP of food & beverage operations at Karisma; multiple award winner Kim Crosby of SunLovers Travel in Victoria, BC; Mandy Chomat, executive VP of sales & marketing, Karisma; and Rienk de Jong, VP of sales & marketing, Karisma. Agents should welcome NDC MIKE DUNBAR The retail travel trade need not fear IATA’s New Distribution Capability (NDC) currently being beta-tested by the first batch of member airlines. In fact, they should be wholeheartedly embracing the new XML Internet transmission standard since it puts them on an equal sales footing with carrier web sites. And, if the Internet had been around in the 1960s, the airlines would not have 1221PG01.indd 1 developed the computer reservations systems that are still – 40 years or so later – being used as the primary booking tool by the indirect sales channel. That was the clear message delivered by NDC program director Yanik Hoyles during a one-day media blitz at IATA headquarters in Geneva. According to Hoyles “airlines were ahead of the curve when they developed their distribution networks. See NDC page 2 12/17/2015 3:49:01 PM NDC Continued from page 1 QR A350 unveiled in NYC If a picture is worth a thousand words, the images on this page say a lot. Qatar Airways debuted its new Airbus A350 at JFK airport in New York City Dec. 10, the first time the state-of-the-art vessel has appeared in North America, and CTP was on hand for the preview, which comes ahead of planned service to Philadelphia, Jan. 1, and later in 2016, Boston and JFK. The plane was launched on service from Doha to Frankfurt, Singapore and Munich in 2015. Described by QR as “the most modern wide body aircraft flying today,” the A350 is designed for passenger comfort utilizing state-of-the-art technology. Amongst the amenities are: • Wider seats in both Business and Economy classes; • The lowest twinengine noise level of any aircraft; • WiFi and up to 2,000 entertainment options on individual screens in all classes; • and, the lowest CO2 emissions of any in the wide body category. “We are proud to be the first commercial airline to land the Airbus A350 in the United States,” said Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker. “As the global launch customer of this new-generation aircraft, we are excited to introduce it to the American market…” “The A350 will bring its unbeatable economics and superior passenger comfort to another continent,” said Fabrice Brégier, Airbus President. “The A350 is the aircraft of choice in its category and set to become a reference among passengers for its unrivalled cabin comfort and quietness.” They built the original CRSs in the ‘60s, providing them to travel agents in the ‘70s, giving them access to airline res systems. He noted, “Today, approximately 60% of ticket sales by value are sold by travel agents, travel management companies and online travel agencies.” But Hoyles cautioned, “You would never design this proprietary, single-use network if the Internet existed at the time. The legacy network powering the indirect model is based on pre-Internet data transmission standards which have extremely limited capabilities, few off-the-shelf applications and even fewer developers working on them.” As a result, he pointed out, “Travel agents today have very limited access to airlines’ rich content; options that are sold on airline websites are rarely available through the agency channel and new airline products such as preferred seating and lounge passes take a long time and cumbersome processes to be marketed through the channel.” Because “the plumbing wasn’t designed to achieve what websites can do” the indirect channel struggles in three key areas, said Hoyles. It has very little capability to offer differentiation beyond price and schedule so product information is limited; speed to market of new product such as premium Y is so slow that it can take years to add and, lastly, personalization is very limited. Hoyles explained, “NDC is about giving travel agents the same capability as airline web sites.” 2 • CANADIAN TRAVEL PRESS • DECEMBER 21, 2015 1221PG02.indd 2 12/17/2015 3:49:49 PM TED DAVIS Air New Zealand is increasing capacity to its Auckland-Vancouver service by adding a fourth weekly flight the spring of 2016. The airline will be adding 3,700 seats to this popular route from April 2 to May 7, 2016, in the lead-up to the peak northern summer season. The fourth weekly flight will depart from YVR on Saturdays, and this represents a 33% boost in capacity compared to the previous year. The latest increase is part of Air New Zealand’s overall capacity increase on the Vancouver-Auckland route and marks the third capacity lift over the past year. The peak northern summer period is from Travel Press holiday schedule With our last issue of 2015, we bid you Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noel, Happy Holidays, and all the best for the New Year. We’ll be back in 2016. Digital only, Jan. 4 Please note that our Jan. 4, 2016, issue will be digital only, available to digital subscribers via e-mail. The print edition returns Jan. 11 with our annual “Hot Issue.” Print-only subscribers can receive the Jan. 4 edition by going to: http://www.travel press.com/subscribe/ or by clicking the “digital editions” box on TravelPress.com. Meanwhile, check out Travel Courier on Dec. 24 and Travel Press.com throughout the holidays for the latest news. ANZ adds more YVR seats Third time in the past year for booming gateway June-September, and ANZ operated five return flights per week during that time in 2015. The northern summer is a peak period for both New Zealand and Canadian travellers, as New Zealanders are often looking for a warmer vacation climes north of the equator – and some Canadian travellers are seeking holiday options down under dur- ing summer vacation. The airline has introduced a refitted B777200ER to the route, giving customers the chance to book the airline’s Economy Skycouch product, which offers more comfortable long-haul travel for couples or families. It is a trio of seats that can be configured to give travellers more room to stretch out and relax -- a flat, flexible space providing extra legroom and comfort. There are 18 Economy Skycouch rows on the Boeing 777-200ER. The price of an Economy Skycouch is based on the number of passengers who occupy the group of seats. Air New Zealand has moved to a daily return service on the popular Auckland-Vancouver route over the peak northern winter period through late-January 2016. Overall, almost 3,000 seats each way have been added to the route during the northern winter period, representing a 10% increase in capacity compared to the previous year. ’Tis the season: Juliane Ehrich (l) and Antje Splettstoesser of The German National Tourist Office celebrated the Christmas season with industry friends and partners at the GNTO’s annual holiday gathering, this year held at Archeo restaurant in Toronto on Dec. 14. In addition to sharing mulled wine, stories of German Christmas traditions, and general good cheer, it was announced that Canadian arrivals to the destination had increased 2.9% from January to October. Online Learning to Keep You Earning Introducing Collette’s New E-Learning Program: Collette University Designed with travel professionals like you in mind, it has one purpose – to help you earn more. Sign up today at gateway.gocollette.com Earn Travel Credits when you become a collette specialist For more information, contact your District Sales Manager or call 855.232.8687 Travel Industry Council of Ontario Reg. # 3206405; B.C. Reg. # 23337 DECEMBER 21, 2015 • CANADIAN TRAVEL PRESS • 3 1221PG03.indd 3 12/17/2015 1:07:48 PM TRAVEL PRESS Canadian 1 Vol. 48, No. 14, Published December 21, 2015 Edith Baxter, Editor-in-Chief Now that Brand USA is well into its sixth year, can you share the major successes achieved by your organization? destinations that are being seen as the new and exotic places to visit. 3 The currency imbalance has The rapid growth of Brand USA caused Canadian arrivals to drop, but is it all bad news? has been astounding. Since we Are there market segments that began operations in May 2011, are performing better than others? Brand USA has grown from a start-up organization to an organi- Our neighbours in Canada have zation supported by over 500 part- remained our No. 1 source market ners worldwide. In our short existence, we’ve also established a partner retention rate of 94%, generated more than two million Chris Thompson incremental international visitors to the President & CEO, Brand USA US which produced an additional US$6.5 billion in spending fueling local business, through various economic cycles. personal income and jobs. History has shown that exchange How about the challenges rates rarely affect tourism from you’ve had to overcome an established source market. along the way? Prior to According to the US Department Brand USA, the United States was of Commerce, International Trade one of the only countries that did Administration, over the past not have a destination marketing decade tourism from Canada to organization. In 2010, under the the Unites States has not been Travel Promotion Act, Brand USA affected by a stronger US dolwas created with the mission of lar. Canada will remain a priorattracting 100 million annual ity market for Brand USA, and, tourists by 2021. While we are while we don’t expect a significant well on our way to this goal, the impact due to the strong US dollar, challenge has been competing Canadian visitors may shift their with countries that have estabtravel patterns such as shortenlished organizations and emerging ing the length of stay or visiting a 2 different destination in the United States to offset the exchange rate. There are a variety of destinations and travel experiences available in the USA for all types of budgets. Randy Ross, Hughes Travel. Ridgetown, Ont. “Free fam trips or at least less expensive ones, and more commissions, especially on taxes.” 4 Have you been able to gauge the success of Brand USA’s “Flavours of the USA” culinary promotion? Studies have shown that food is a major driver for visitors to destinations. Through the “Flavours of the USA” culinary program, travellers are able to experience various regions and diverse experiences across the United States through its food culture. 5 What is your expectation for the pulling power of the upcoming “National Parks Adventure” movie premiering in February? In February 2016, “National Parks Adventure” will release globally in hundreds of giant-screen and IMAX theatres internationally and domestically, taking moviegoers on an up-closeand-personal journey through breathtaking views of the nation’s national parks. This film celebrates the 2016 centennial of the US National Parks Service, and is a 2016 priority for Brand USA. Teresa Bell, The Travel Establishment, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. “Looking at the situation around the world, it not only affects the travel industry, but also humanity, so I would say love and peace and no more wars. A fun and safe environment for travel and the travel industry.” Unnati Oza, Carlson Wagonlit, Toronto [email protected] Robert Mowat, Executive Editor [email protected] Michael Baginski, Managing Editor [email protected] Mike Dunbar, Assistant Editor [email protected] Greg Coates, Assistant Editor [email protected] Ian Stalker, Senior Writer What would you like to see Santa leave under the tree for the travel industry this year? “As a Canadian travel agent, it would be a higher Canadian dollar, so as to make travel more affordable. A close second would be good news on terrorism and travel in Europe.” ® “A return of our airline commissions, cheaper agent rates, for the airlines to get rid of the access charges and just to include it in the price and better hold times with certain tour operators, especially ACV. The best Christmas present would be a stronger Canadian dollar.” Cassandra Poole, Goliger’s Travel, Cambridge, Ont. [email protected] Ann Ruppenstein, Staff Writer [email protected] Ted Davis, Western Editor [email protected] Heifetz, Crozier, Law Legal Affairs [email protected] Unterberg, Labelle & Associates Legal Affairs Western Canada Editorial Office Unit 904, 207 W. Hastings St., Vancouver, BC V6B 1H7 Tel: (604) 685-2588 Fax: (604) 734-9743 [email protected] Quebec Editorial Office 149 Creswell Dr., Beaconsfield,Que. H9W 1E5 Tel/Fax: (514) 695-8126 Johnny Koo, Art Director [email protected] Wayne Labourn, Production Manager [email protected] Sharron Taylor, Adv. Material Coordinator [email protected] Emily McClung, Audience & Product Development Manager [email protected] Dee Ristic, Circulation Subscription Inquiries: [email protected] Publication Office 310 Dupont St., Toronto, Ont., M5R 1V9 Tel: (416) 968-7252 Fax: (416) 968-2377 www.travelpress.com www.travelpress.travel [email protected] (Editorial)[email protected] (Advertising) Michael Baginski, Publisher [email protected] Earl Lince, Director of International Marketing [email protected] Rodney Tugwell, Sales Manager [email protected] Mitchell McClung, Account Executive [email protected] Tabatha Fernandez-Bradley, Classifieds [email protected] Advertising Offices Western Canada Terry Ohman Tel: (604) 657-2100 [email protected] Alberta Greg Ohman Tel: (403) 804-3497 [email protected] Southern Florida Dino Torres Tel: (305) 775-8734 Fax: (305) 477-6607 [email protected] Northern Florida Gillian Harper Tel: (954) 933-2786 [email protected] Hawaii Laurie Doerschlen, Media Links Tel: 808-737-4621 Fax: 808-737-2695 [email protected] Brazil Claudio Dasilva Tel: 1-954-647-6464 [email protected] Mexico Paloma Martinez, Towmar Inc. Tel: 52 55 2122-3900 Fax: 52 55 5395-4985 [email protected] Central & South America Lillian Martinez Travel Representations & Marketing Tel: 305-476-1130 [email protected] Subscriptions: $80 - 1 year (Canada), $140 - 2 year (Canada), plus applicable taxes. $120 US funds - 1 year (Foreign). Airmail rates on request. Price per single copy $3.00 (plus applicable taxes). HST #R120906425.Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement No. 40063078. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circulation Dept., 310 Dupont St., Toronto, Ont., M5R 1V9 email: [email protected] ISSN 1994-3133. Published 47 times per year Copyright 2015 PRINTED IN CANADA W.H. Baxter - 1919 – 2004 Founder David McClung, President [email protected] Wendy McClung, Executive VP, Operations [email protected] We acknowledge the support of the Government of Canada 4 • CANADIAN TRAVEL PRESS • DECEMBER 21, 2015 1221PG04.indd 4 12/17/2015 1:08:46 PM 1st to Include Swim-Up Pool Bars. 1st to Include Unlimited Scuba Diving and Green Fees . 1st to Include Luxurious Love Nest Suites . 1st to Include Unlimited Premium Spirits 24 4/7. 1st to Include Professional English Guild-Trained Butlers. 1st to Include Unlimited Pours of Selected Robert Mondavi Twin Oaks Wines. 1st to Include Gourmet Discovery Dining with up to 16 Restaurants per Resort. * * TM ® Sandals Resorts revolutionized the All-Inclusive industry by constantly adding more luxury, more innovations, and more quality inclusions than any other resorts on the planet. That’s why y we are the Caribbean’s #1 Luxury y All-Inclusive Resorts for two people in love. TH E WO R LD’S ON LY FIVE -STAR LU XU RY I N C LU DED R E S O RTS ® JAMA I CA • ANTI G UA • SA I N T LUC I A • BAH A MAS • G R E NADA • B A R B ADOS EXPERIENCE ONE OF OUR “GAME CHANGER EVENTS” IN YOUR AREA…AND CHANGE YOUR GAME! www.sandals.com/TAS • 1-800-48SPECIAL *Visit www.sandals.com/disclaimers/canadiantravelpress122115 or call 1-800-SANDALS for important terms and conditions. 1221PG05.indd 5 12/17/2015 12:55:21 PM Trade talks Texas on Ontario visit GREG COATES A group of Texas tourism types recently made the rounds in Toronto and southern Ontario to update the trade on all that the Lone Star State has to offer. With plenty of access, including direct Air Canada service to Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and Austin, Texas, is easy to get to and only a 2.5-hour flight away – making it a viable destination for weekend getaways, officials told Canadian Travel Press, adding that the state is competitively priced, which helps make vacation dollars go further, especially when it comes to things like accommodation, dining and green fees. Cities such as Dallas and Houston also offer CityPass savings, featuring 50% off top attractions. Austin Known as the Live Music Capital of the World (with more than 250 venues), Austin is one of the fastest-growing cities in the US, and one that is attracting more and more tourists every year. The city is seeing a surge in accommodation offerings, including the recent opening of 1,012room JW Marriott Austin, the largest JW Marriott in the Americas. On tap is the Hotel ZaZa, set to open in 2017, and a US$370-million city centre hotel, managed by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. It will feature more than 1,068 rooms and be located directly east of the Austin Convention Center – linked by the Red River Canopy Walk. Coming attractions include NLand Surf Park, the only inland surfing destination in North America. Austin will also host the PGA World Golf Championships-Dell Match Play, March 23-27, 2016, at Austin Country Club. Houston Houston, meanwhile, is currently undergoing a US$1.5-billion investment in its downtown convention district, as the city prepares to host the Super Bowl in 2017. A new 1,000-room Marriott Marquis Hotel is part of the project. On the attraction side, Space Center Houston will open a new eight-storey-tall multiple-exhibit complex featuring a shuttle replica mounted on top of the first shuttle carrier aircraft, the NASA 905, in January. The plane will have multiple exhibits that explore innovations, science and technology. Visitors will be able to see inside the cockpit and learn how the plane was retrofitted to carry the shuttle. Reps from Vermont ski resorts in Toronto Vermont: Let it snow! ANN RUPPENSTEIN Fresh powder isn’t the only thing hitting • Stowe Mountain Resort & Lodge will the slopes in Vermont. Coinciding with have a new mountainside outdoor the recent 2015 Snow Show, representaskating rink, indoor rock climbing and tives from the state’s ski resorts were in fat-tire mountain biking. “Most recently, Toronto to share news and developments we’ve invested hundreds of millions of happening both on and off the mountains. dollars into amenities at the mountain “Last year was a record year for the to make it on par with the best and most snow season in Vermont,” said Parker world-class destinations,” says Jeff Wide Riehle, president of the Vermont Ski of Stowe, which will also launch a new Areas Association (VSAA). “In fact, the development and clubhouse in winter last three years were the best three years 2016. we’ve seen in a long time, so we’ve got a • Following the success of a six-passenger tremendous amount of momentum bubble chair with heated seats last year, coming up for this next season.” Okemo Mountain Resort is putting in With an annual average of 1.7 million another four-passenger bubble chair, a Canadian visitors, Canada remains a fi xed-grip lift, a new trail and snowmajor market for Vermont. Weekly nonmaking at Jackson Gore. “We’re up to stop direct air service between Toronto 120 trails and 21 lifts, so building every and Burlington have kicked off for a fift h year,” says Okemo’s group sales manager year on Porter Airlines with flights availBetsy Mckeever. able Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and • At Mount Snow Vermont, updates Sundays until April 2016. include a new snowmaking pipe to maxiFollowing are some of the developmize 645 recently installed guns. “We’ll ments that will catch the eye of visitors be able to make a whole lot more snow in and ski enthusiasts”: marginal temperatures, build up those • Sugarbush Resort replaced a double lift bases for springtime,” says the company’s with a new quad lift, increasing uphill Jack Fagone. Mount Snow Vermont is capacity from 748 to 1,800 people per also in the middle of a $52.5-million hour. The resort is also planning a food capital enhancement project. See VERMONT page 8 and wine festival for September. 6 • CANADIAN TRAVEL PRESS • DECEMBER 21, 2015 1221PG06.indd 6 12/17/2015 3:50:24 PM Shark tourism puts bite into conservation efforts TED DAVIS It’s a big job, but some progress has been achieved in building marine tourism initiatives that help stymie the destruction of marine life resources in the world’s oceans. These early inroads have the potential to help restore the badly damaged sea life populations back to health. For instance, “Sharks: Restoring The Balance” is a project sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund that raises the awareness of the crisis posed by the overfishing of sharks, as well as rays. It demonstrates that preserving the lives of these creatures for viewing by tourists is ultimately more profitable than killing them for sale as food. About 100 million sharks are killed annually, vastly depleting the shark populations – often just for the fins used in a Chinese soup dish. But global shark tourism operations are now generating revenues of about US$314 million per year, and this amount is growing, says the WWF. The Shark Reef Marine Reserve in Fiji, which offers shark dives, is regarded as a successful model. It charges a levy of about US$9 per diver (on top of other diverelated fees) that is used for the conservation of the reef, and thus the sharks, rays and other sea life. Rays, like the giant manta ray, also have a great potential for building more income alive and swimming rather than dead on a fishing boat. “A fisherman will sell a manta ray for a one-time price of about $500,” says Andy Cornish, director of the “Restoring the Balance” project. “That same manta ray has the poten- tial to generate about $1 million in tourism viewing income over the course of its lifetime,” he said. DECEMBER 21, 2015 • CANADIAN TRAVEL PRESS • 7 1221PG07.indd 7 12/17/2015 2:59:01 PM Karisma Continued from page 1 “I’m grateful for their partnership and have many happy clients because of it. I’m honoured by their acknowledgement.” This year a new Elite category was introduced, highlighting vacation consultants who exceeded the Diamond Level 5 sales category, which was previously the highest. Sandra Lombardi of Redtag.ca and Matt Soloway of LUXE Destination Weddings, both from Toronto, were among five recipients of the new award. “It’s an honour to be recognized by Karisma,” says Soloway, who has multiple wins under his belt, and also received awards for Top 10 Producers Azul Hotels and Top 10 Wedding Producers – Azul Hotels. “LUXE has been involved with the GIVC awards since day one, and we will continue to promote their brands to our wedding clients.” Another seasoned winner is Pamela Walker of I Do Weddings Away in Calgary, Atla., who has attended the awards since getting married at the Azul Sensatori six years ago. This year Walker, a top Canadian producer for the last five years and a top wedding producer, won awards for Diamond Level 5 and Top 10 Wedding Producers – Azul Hotels. “This is the one big event I look forward to every year, and I cherish my relationship with Karisma,” she says. “Without them, my business might not be as successful as it is today.” First-time winner Cristina Fedor of AMA Travel, Edmonton, Alta., who earned Diamond Level 5 status, already has her sights set on being an Elite agent next year. “It is wonderful to have a hotel chain that I can fully support and to have that recognized and be appreciated,” she says. “This is my first year to achieve any level of status with Karisma, but it won’t be my last. I’m really looking forward to the new properties that are being built right now that will allow me to sell Karisma to even more groups.” Along with winning the social media challenge for posting photos and tweets leading Vermont Continued from page 6 • Smugglers’ Notch, which made snowmaking improvements over the last three seasons, is featuring 400 new highefficiency snow guns and new snow gun placement, as well as a new kid-friendly learning area for three- to six-year-olds. “Our average annual snow fall is about 300 inches,” says Rob Aiken, senior sales director of group vacations & meetings at Smugglers’ Notch. “We do early morning runs if you want to sign up to come to the top and do the first tracks.” Award winners for Top Tour Operators in Canada, pictured at the El Dorado Royale in Riviera Maya, Mexico, are (l-r) Paula DeCampos, Transat Tours Canada, Matthew Djorsev, WestJet/WestJet Vacations and Judy Munden, Air Canada Vacations. up to the awards, Lori Gold of The Travel Network in Toronto picked up plaques for Top Growth by region – Central Canada and Diamond Level 5. “The support I get from Karisma helps me sell the properties with confidence, and know that my clients will be well taken care of,” she says. “I myself have stayed and vacationed at their properties over 15 times in the past six years. It’s my favourite resort company, so it’s a no-brainer to sell it to my clients.” Meanwhile, Sue Thomson of Tier One Travel, Calgary, Alta., received the Top Growth by region award for Western Canada. •“We continue to accept Canadian dollar at par,” says Jays Peak Resort’s Toland. • And Killington Resort is set for a $1.2million restaurant, following the recent completion of a $3.5-million adventure centre and a $7-million peak lodge, and ongoing upgrades to lift drives. “We also have a Yurt tucked away in the woods where you ride in a 30 person sleigh, towed by a Snowcat up some ski trails under the stars into the woods,” says Killington’s Michael Joseph. “You have a beautiful fivecourse meal prepared for you, all served by candlelight.” “Recognition is always welcome and especially so from an organization that is itself so well regarded,” she says. The other regional winner for Quebec & Atlantic Canada went to Shawna Stanhope of Destinationweddings.com in Upper Tantallon, NS. “Canadian agents are very important in growing sales in Canada,” says Portman. “The Canadian winners are not only passionate brand ambassadors, they are savvy business leaders… In the Riviera Maya alone, consumers are overwhelmed by hundreds of options. All of our Canadian winners are very experienced in the industry and understand the importance of the guest’s experience, not just their price point.” On the wholesale side, Transat Tours Canada, WestJet Vacations and Air Canada Vacations were awarded as Top Tour Operators in Canada. Portman says these Canadian operators are key to Karisma’s success. “We are pleased to partner with a high value partner such as Karisma who has a class of product all its own, delivering a great guest experience to our mutual clients,” says Matthew Djorsev, agency sales, Ontario and Manitoba at WestJet/WestJet Vacations, who picked up the award on behalf of the company. The evening culminated with cash giveaways for agents, totalling US$150,000. 8 • CANADIAN TRAVEL PRESS • DECEMBER 21, 2015 1221PG08.indd 8 12/17/2015 3:50:48 PM Jardines del Rey propels Gaviota growth IAN STALKER Cuban tourism division Gaviota is strengthening its position in Cuba’s Jardines del Rey archipelago, which in turn is bolstering its position throughout the country. Gaviota’s Fank Oltuski told delegates to Cuban tourism show FITCuba – held on the Jardines del Rey retreat of Cayo Coco – that the 2014-2015 season saw Gaviota open two “major” properties in Jardines del Rey, among them the Meliá Jardines del Rey, a 1,176room property that hosted the show. That in turn pushed the overall number of Gaviota hotel rooms in Cuba to 24,000, about a third of all hotel rooms in the country. Oltuski noted Gaviota deciding to open other hotels in Jardines del Rey this year, including the Warwick Ocean Cayo Santa Maria and the Casa del Mar, both 800-room properties. Another new Jardines del Rey arrival is the 482-room Iberostar Playa Pilar in nearby Cayo Guillermo. Oltuski noted Gaviota is opening hotels in other parts of Cuba, including Cuba’s prime resort destination of Varadero, where Gaviota had 12 hotels and over 8,000 rooms as of May. Gaviota also decided to begin offering Varadero’s Blue Ocean View this year, and more hotels are expected to come on line in 2016 and 2017. Oltuski praised the Meliá Marina Varadero, which has “brought us many insights into the future of sailing and yachting in Cuba.” The islands off the shores of Villa Clara, Ciego de Avila and Camaguey could begin attracting large numbers of yachters as the tourism infrastructure in those locales expands, he said. “This forces us to give Gaviota now has 35 maximum priority to the “modern catamarans,” nautical, considering the Oltuski continued. exceptional conditions of Oltuski said Gaviota these destinations for diving, has “excellent hotels” in sport fishing, recreational the eastern Cuban provboating among other offerince of Holguin and a ings,” he told the audience. dolphinarium. Oltuski said Gaviota wants to have nearly 50,000 rooms at 2020, a goal that he conceded “requires a great responsibility and effort.” Major international hotel groups now manage 87% of Gaviota rooms, he reported. Last year saw the number of tourists visiting Cuba top the three-million mark, and Oltuski said Gaviota believes Cuba can “exceed that figure broadly in a short time,” given current tourism trends. auténtica bliss Spectacular beaches wrapped around a country rich in history, culture and unspoiled nature. This is Auténtica Cuba. Explore it at gocuba.ca DECEMBER 21, 2015• CANADIAN TRAVEL PRESS • 9 1221PG09.indd 9 12/17/2015 3:02:49 PM photo courtesy/ TED DAVIS Hawaii weathers dip in Cdn. dollar TED DAVIS The sweet call of Hawaii has ensured that arrivals there have continued to grow at a robust rate since 2009, when the financial downturn conspired to squeeze holiday traffic. After that, arrivals multiplied and airline capacities/frequencies stayed on pace, ramping up in concert with demand – which continues to be strong around the world. Canada is a case in point, and this year, happy consumers have more choices on when they want to fly to Hawaii, from which city, and to which of the islands in the Hawaiian chain. There is significant extra capacity into Hawaii this winter, especially from Western Canada. Air Canada have doubled their capacity this winter from last, and WestJet are using their new 767-300ER aircraft on Hawaiian routes, meaning a significant increase in the number of available seats. Air Canada are also reintroducing their seasonal twice weekly 767-300ER service from Toronto on Dec. 20. But there are potential downsides to this capacity growth strategy, which relies on willing consumers to be a success. Canadian decisions to spend holiday time on a Pacific island that uses US currency are now being affected by a weaker loonie against the American dollar. And this may impact Canadian arrivals to Hawaii. “Flight Centre has not seen a reduction in demand to Hawaii, or in transborder travel in general, due to the current exchange rate,” says Mike Friend, vice-president – Product and Wholesale, Flight Centre Canada. “We have seen some cases where our customers are still travelling, but they may reduce the length of their stay by one or two nights,” says Friend. Despite a weak Canadian dollar, Hawaii is seeing strong numbers from Canada. But Hawaii market nuances may have more pitfalls in store for Hawaii travel sellers in Canada, also associated with the weaker currency. “The issue of inventory from point-of-sale Canada has become more critical with the recent decline of the dollar,” says Friend. “This is because both the Japanese and American markets to Hawaii pay a higher price for a room than the Canadian market does. Both these markets also traditionally book earlier than the Canadian market.” As a result, it is very difficult for the Canadian tour operators to get discounted rooms, as Hawaiian hoteliers are more motivated to do business with American and Japanese buyers, says the VP. The hoteliers will thus allocate more of their rooms to those markets, he says. This may be an extra, unwelcome factor that the Hawaii sector faces as it works to drive demand. “With all the extra air capacity from Canada, there is the potential for an imbalance between air seats and available rooms,” says Friend. Nevertheless, the Conference Board of Canada says the islands are still flying high as a travel destination for Canadians, ascending, in fact, to third place in its travel intentions list for US destinations. Trailing only Florida and California (and tied with Nevada/Las Vegas), 5.8% of Canadians polled said they plan to travel to the islands this winter. Key factors, says the board’s Jennifer Hendry, include increased lift. Norwegian Cruise Line says ‘Aloha’ to Hawaii GREG COATES Agents with clients looking for a new way to explore the islands of Hawaii can now turn to Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), and take advantage of a special promotional offer. NCL’s Freestyle Choice Hawaii allows guests who book a new cruise through April 29, 2016 added value offers of up to US$980. Guests who book a new seven-day interisland Hawaii cruise for sailings through April 29, 2017 aboard Pride of America in any stateroom category will have the freedom to select one of four offers to enhance their cruising experience including a free one-night Escape the cold this winter at Honua Kai Resort & Spa Warm up this season with our Say No to Snow Package. Including a rental car, a sunset cruise and savings of up to $350. KAANAPALI’S NEWEST LUXURY CONDOMINIUM RESORT 888-626-0427 WWW.HONUAKAI.COM pre-cruise hotel stay, a free Specialty Dining Package, free prepaid gratuities for the first and second guest in the stateroom, or free $50 per port shore excursion credits in up to four ports. Those booking a suite will receive all four offers, turning their cruise into a nearly all-inclusive experience. The port-packed itinerary gives guests the opportunity to explore the islands of Hawaii on seven-day interisland cruises, year-round from Honolulu. Offering nearly 100 hours of port time, Pride of America visits Hawaii’s four main islands, including an overnight in Kahului, Maui; an overnight in Nãwiliwili, Kauai; stops in Hilo, Hawaii and Kona, Hawaii; as well as an afternoon cruise by the Nãpali Coast. (www.ncl.com) 10 • CANADIAN TRAVEL PRESS • DECEMBER 21, 2015 1221PG10.indd 10 12/17/2015 2:02:00 PM Hawaiian introducing new premium cabins GREG COATES In a move designed to upgrade the customer experience, Hawaiian Airlines will introduce new luxury design elements in its A330 premium cabins, including the addition of 180-degree lie-flat seats. “We have designed an experience that will usher in a new era in premium service to Hawaii, one that resulted from a thorough review of guest feedback and intensive research to develop a best-in-class product for our long-haul aircraft,” commented Mark Dunkerley, president and CEO of Hawaiian Airlines. “Together with our partners at Optimares and PaulWylde, we have created a truly bespoke design that delivers world-class comfort and style, while staying true to our island roots. Whether travelling for business, with family or on a romantic retreat, the new premium cabin evokes an engaging bold, contemporary sense of Hawaii, complemented by the warm aloha spirit of our cabin crew. We’re creating an environment of tranquility and comfort in the air.” The 180-degree seats will use an innovative seat platform to fold into 76-inch beds, maximizing living space for travellers, while providing options for both Comfort will be the order of the day next year as Hawaiian Airlines privacy and a shared flight experi- rolls out new luxury premium cabins aboard its A330 aircraft. ence. They will also feature an advanced inflight entertainment experience ration ideally suited for couples and families powered by the next generation of large-fortravelling to Hawaii. mat tablets and equipped with a telescoping The first newly outfitted aircraft is expected tablet arm that adjusts to optimize viewing to enter Hawaiian’s long-haul network in the angle and comfort. second quarter of 2016. The airline will begin Hawaiian worked with West Coast-based installing lie-flat seats in the remaining 22 A330 brand and design consultancy PaulWylde to aircraft in September of 2016 through 2017. translate the airline’s signature design lanAs part of the cabin redesign, the airline guage, rooted in the natural colours and also announced it will add 28 additional forms of the island landscape, into the cabin Extra Comfort seats on each A330 aircraft experience. The design will incorporate flowin response to growing demand for its ing curves evocative of the winds and ocean, premium economy service. The Extra Comwhile marrying organic textures, pops of fort option features 36 inches of seat pitch, bright saturated colour, and luxury materials priority boarding at the gate, complimentary like leather from Poltrona Frau. on-demand in-seat entertainment and a The seats will be installed in a 2-2-2 configu- personal power outlet. THE FOUNTAINS AT CHAMPIONSGATE Enjoy family-friendly three- and four-bedroom luxury townhomes featuring designer kitchens, a resort-style pool and jet spa, and just a short drive away from all the major attractions. 866·774·2924 | fountainsatchampionsgate.com DECEMBER 21, 2015 • CANADIAN TRAVEL PRESS • 11 1221PG11.indd 11 12/17/2015 4:01:37 PM Goway showcases Mexico’s less-visited sides IAN STALKER Goway’s Latin America program has moved northward. The latest addition to the program is Mexico, with Goway’s Don Forster telling a Toronto audience that Goway’s program to the northernmost Latin America country differs markedly from what most other tour operators offer in the world’s largest Spanish-speaking country. “We’re talking about the other side of Mexico,” he said of a program that goes “beyond the beaches.” Goway added Mexico to its Latin America lineup in September, and Forster said the bulk of it focuses on an area ranging from Mexico City to the country’s frontier with Central America. Goway is showcasing the likes of pre-Columbian archeological sites, natural attractions, Mexican cuisine and colonial cities. Among archeological sites singled out by Forster are the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza, which Forster labelled the “Machu Picchu of Mexico.” But he added, there are many other Maya sites – such as “very picturesque” Palenque and Uxmal – that are also interesting and don’t draw the large crowds that Chichen Itza does. Indeed, Mexico’s Yucatan has “ruins, ruins and more ruins,” said Forster, who added that those exploring the region with Goway can stay in “classical haciendas” that now serve as hotels. On hand for Goway’s Toronto event were Goway’s Don Forster and Ben Stasiuk, Susana Moreno of the Mexico Tourism Board, and Goway’s Sam Cattar and Aubrey Schmidt. Forster praised other aspects of Goway’s Mexico program, such as “stunningly beautiful” colonial cities; the city of Tequila, where visitors can be familiarized with the production of the alcohol of the same name; and northwestern Mexico’s Copper Canyon, which he said is deeper than the Grand Canyon of the southwestern United States. “It’s big, it’s beautiful, it’s stunning.” The Copper Canyon offers “one of the top rail journeys in the world,” he continued. Mexico City serves as a base for much of Goway’s program, and Forster pronounced its Museum of Anthropology as “one of the best museums in the world.” A visit to the Mexican capital can also provide savings on dental work, he continued, saying he knows of someone who paid $6,000 for dentistry there that would have cost $20,000 here. Forster said “security is not an issue” in the parts of Mexico Goway offers. He added that those wishing to explore interior Mexico and end their trip with a couple of days in a beach resort can do so. “We’re not focusing on the beaches, but we’re not ignoring the beaches.” Canadian artists illustrate Ecuador campaign TED DAVIS Four lucky Canadian artists who travelled to Ecuador in the fall to help illustrate a new tourism campaign, are now exhibiting the works that were produced as a result of the trip. A total of 18 multi-discipline contemporary artists, photographers and travel bloggers from four countries flew into Quito in September for a seven-day expedition to experience one of Ecuador’s four worlds: the Andes, Amazon, Pacific Coast and the Galapagos Islands. Their work is part of a $10-million tourism campaign launched by the Ministry of Tourism Ecuador, called “Feel Again” at www.feelagainproject.com. The Feel Again Project tells the world about the wonders of Ecuador through the eyes of international artists from diverse disciplines. The goal is to position Ecuador as a tourist destination in key markets, by stimulating interest in the destination amongst non-traditional segments. The target audience has been people between the ages of 30 and 45 from the US, UK, Germany and Canada. The art works were completed at the end of October, and were used in several ad and billboard campaigns in Canada until late November. The art works can still be seen on the Feel Again web site and will be featured in a documentary to be released in the spring. Travelling to Ecuador were Canadian artists Benoit Paille, Jeff Bartlett, Jesse Louttit and Richard Leong. They took inspiration from the culture and beauty of Ecuador to produce paintings, photographs and videos based on their experiences. The Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador aims to make tourism a key instrument in the long-term social and economic development of the country. Its goal is to convert Ecuador into a regional tourism powerhouse, showcasing it as a unique destination in terms of its natural and cultural heritage. 12 • CANADIAN TRAVEL PRESS • DECEMBER 21, 2015 1221PG12.indd 12 12/17/2015 3:51:15 PM 115 Destinations 22 Countries You call it South America. We call it Home. Canadian travelers can now enjoy TAM Airlines' award-winning service from TORONTO* to NEW YORK with continuing service to SÃO PAULO and RIO DE JANEIRO. Passengers can also connect in NEW YORK to LAN Airlines flights to LIMA or SANTIAGO. These are some of the wonderful benefits of flying with LAN and TAM Airlines: • • • • • Free baggage allowance** Full-flat seats in Premium Business Class Complimentary food and beverages Individual on-board entertainment Access to the largest network within South America, and much more! **Different baggage allowance may apply based on the route and/or ticket class We are LAN we are TAM and together… We are South America. 2015 © LATAM AIRLINES GROUP S.A.- All rights reserved. 1221PG13.indd 13 * Flights also available from more cities in Canada with our partner carriers via LATAM’s gateways in New York, Miami, Los Angeles and Orlando, with continuing service to South America. 12/17/2015 1:10:48 PM “The paradox of the digital economy is that we need to be more human in our interactions. Customers want us to be nearer to them and with a more personalized approach.” — Alison Broussy, Vice President of Business Intelligence, Accor Distribution and Marketing Please send your answer to: “Where in the World?” at [email protected] Surprisingly ranked the fourth-largest attraction in this town full of attractions, there are in fact several markets that are collectively grouped together as one, centred around a canal and lock complex. From souvenirs to clothes, crafts, antiques and food, one could easily explore for the entire day. Originally a Sunday market, the complex now goes in some shape or form all week. When done, it’s quick walk to one a mammoth urban park for a little down time. Where in the world is it? Gear To Go A guide to some of the amazing devices that make travel a little bit easier, or more fun Health o meter nuyu Activity Monitor This device helps users get active by coaching health and wellness goals with motivational tips and has an OLED display to check stats on the go It is one of the only sub-$50 monitors with a display that conveniently shows the user’s progress in real-time on OLED screen, so they know how many more steps needed to take to reach the goal. As well, it helps one understand the data by working with nuyu Coaching Plans, 12-week goal-oriented wellness programs that work with the mobile app, so users don’t have to go it alone. It tracks steps, calories burned, distance, light, deep and restless sleep, and wirelessly sends data to the free nuyu app, so users can keep track of how active they’ve been. It is water resistant up to 30 meters, and the replaceable battery lasts for up to four months, with no charging needed. The Exercise Mode records time, steps, distance and calories burned from specific activity, while an app integrates with Apple HealthKit, available on Google Play and the iTunes Store. Users can wear it on their wrist, in their pocket, or clipped under their clothing; Interchangeable wristband is available in black, plum, kiwi, watermelon, light blue, and navy. It is available at: www.healthometernuyu. 14 • CANADIAN TRAVEL PRESS • DECEMBER 21, 2015 1221PG14.indd 14 12/17/2015 2:02:55 PM Lake Louise hotels, as well as guest services at the Sheraton Athlone Hotel. He has a bachelor of business in Tourism & Hospitality Management from the Athlone Institute of Technology in Ireland. He is based in the Ottawa area and can be reached at 613-8941076 or [email protected]. APPOINTMENTS Air Canada Leisure Group Air Canada has appointed Craig Landry, currently vice-president, marketing at Air Canada, president of the Air Canada Leisure Group. In his new position, Landry will be responsible for the integrated leisure group, which consists of Air Canada Vacations and the leisure airline Air Canada rouge. Landry was appointed vice-president, marketing at Air Canada in August 2010 and was responsible for eCommerce, Product Design, Brand Management, AdvertisLandry ing, Marketing Communications, Digital Marketing, Social Media, Sponsorships, Loyalty, Partner Marketing, CRM, Marketing Analytics, and New Product Development. Prior to this, he was senior vice-president, Commercial for Aeroplan Canada. He began his airline career at Air Canada in 1994 where he held a variety of positions primarily in Pricing, Yield Management and Network Planning. Casa de Campo Resort & Villas Tyler Lovenuk has been appointed to the newly created position of director of sales, Canada, for Casa de Campo Resort & Villas. In his new role, Lovenuk will be responsible for liaising with the travel trade including tour operators, Lovenuk consumer promotions and events promoting the resort. Lovenuk brings with him experience as Fairmont Gold Supervisor at both the Fairmont Palliser and Fairmont Chateau Transat Transat Tours Canada has appointed Fiona Schonewille to the position of Business Development Representative for Vancouver and Vancouver Island. Fiona joins Transat, with an Schonewille impressive retail sales background within the travel industry. She can be reached at [email protected] or 1-888-690-4261, ext. 3604 CORRECTIONS Just You brochure In the Just You insert of the Nov. 23 edition of Canadian Travel Press, a wrong phone number was given. The correct number to request a Just You brochure, or for reservations, is 1-844-726-6956. Korean Air and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) took time during their recent holiday season gala near Toronto to honour long-time Korean Air employee Danny Tse, who has retired after 38 years with the airline (28 of those in Canada). Tse (c) is pictured with the KTO’s Doojo Kim and Jaemun Mun Hwang, Korean Air. Happy trails: include: Humanitarian: Scott Allison, vice-president, Owner & Franchise Relations & Operations, Marriott Hotels of Canada; Human Resources: Carolyn J. Clark, senior VP, Human Resources Americas, FRHI Hotels & Resorts; Green Key Energy & Environment: Pemberton Valley Lodge; Green Key Meetings: The International Centre. The Hall of Fame Awards of Excellence will be presented at the Hotel Association of Canada’s conference on Feb. 29 and March 1, 2016 at the Hilton Toronto Hotel. Carnival picture A front page picture of the Nov. 30 issue of Canadian Travel Press incorrectly said the picture was taken on the Carnival Vista, when it was in fact taken on the Carnival Sunshine. WINNERS HAC Hall of Fame The Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) has unveiled its 2015 Hall of Fame Awards of Excellence winners. The Hall of Fame Awards Program was developed by the HAC to recognize those of its members (individuals, companies or properties) that have demonstrated significant accomplishments, exemplary leadership and tireless commitment to Canada’s lodging industry. Winners are recognized in four categories. The winners of the 2015 Awards of Excellence in each category DECEMBER 21, 2015 • CANADIAN TRAVEL PRESS • 15 1221PG15.indd 15 12/17/2015 4:01:58 PM HAVE IT BOTH WAYS 50% OFF PLUS 5TH NIGHT FREE Now you can relax with 50% off and your 5TH night free at the brand new Hyatt Ziva Cancun. Ideally situated in Cancun’s most desirable location, this is the only resort surrounded on all three sides by the sparkling Caribbean Sea. The true resort experience. All accommodations feature private balconies - Floating, spacious swim-up suites Microbrewery with home-made artisan beer and on-site brew master Dine with your toes in the sand at Habaneros — a ceviche lovers paradise GRAND OPENING Call your Preferred Tour Operator or 800.720.0051 | cancun.ziva.hyatt.com CANCUN • LOS CABOS • MONTEGO BAY • PUERTO VALLARTA #HYATTALLIN Book five consecutive nights at Hyatt Ziva Cancun and receive the fifth night free. Applies to new bookings only. Booking window now through January 31, 2016 for travel window now through December 16, 2016. Blackout dates may apply. Offer not valid for groups or conventions and may not be combined with other promotional offers. Minimum 5-night length of stay required. 50% discount is based on the Hyatt Daily Rate applicable for the stay period. Discount is reflected in rate at time of booking. Offer does not include tax or service charges. Hyatt Ziva Cancun reserves the right to alter or withdraw this program at any time without notice. Additional restrictions may apply. The Hyatt Zilara™ and Hyatt Ziva™ trademarks and related marks are trademarks of Hyatt International Corporation. ©2015 Hyatt International Corporation. All rights reserved. PLA04841215 1221PG16.indd 16 ALL INCLUSIVE RESORTS 12/17/2015 12:57:39 PM