CANADA’S TRAVEL TRADE PUBLICATION CLIA’s cruise3sixty …travelweek.dgtlpub.com/3_5/issues/2013-05-16/pdf/travelweek_2013 … · cruise3sixty conference and trade show is reaching

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C A N A D A ’ S T R A V E L T R A D E P U B L I C A T I O N

May 16, 2013 Volume 41 Issue 19

VANCOUVER — Cruise Lines Inter-national Association’s ninth annual cruise3sixty conference and trade show is reaching near sell-out status, with nearly 1,300 national and international travel selling professionals registered to

attend the event set for June 19-23 at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

Cruise3sixty is the largest cruise fo-cused travel agent conference in North America, and is attracting participants from nearly all 50 states and Canadian

provinces as well as international repre-sentation, including a contingent of 40 from Australia.

Approximately 46% of the agent au-dience will be Canadian while the to-tal number of delegates at cruise3sixty 2013 is expected to surpass 2,000.

A comprehensive series of education-al sessions and seminars will be offered alongside three days of general sessions led by industry leaders and a two-day trade show featuring more than 300 ex-hibitors and all 26 CLIA North America cruise lines.

Agents also will have the opportunity to tour 10 cruise ships and attend a ded-icated CLIA Specialty Cruise Collection Showcase on Thursday, June 20 that will provide an in-depth look at an increas-ingly popular and growing segment of the cruise industry.

CLIA members and non-members can register now at cruise3sixty.com. Upon reaching sell-out status, cruis-e3sixty registrations will be managed by waitlist pending cancellations.

The general session programming at cruise3sixty kicks off Friday, June 21 with a keynote presentation from CLIA president and CEO Christine Duffy. American Express Travel Executives, Tony Gonchar, VP American Express Travel Network, and Mark Cooper, VP

CLIA’s cruise3sixty show in Vancouver close to a sell out, 1,300 agents to attend

THISWEEK4 AMADEUS, AA PACTAmerican Airlines and Amadeus have signed a full-content agreement

6 3.6M VISIT FLORIDASome 3.6 million Canadians visited Florida last year, up 7.3%

24 LUFTHANSA’S 40THLufthansa celebrated the 40th anniversary of its Toronto service

31 CRUISING UPDATECruise and Maritime Voyages has a number of group incentives

The Dead Sea

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and Associate Publisher of Departures Magazine, will present insights on trends in cruise, leisure travel and the luxury market.

An interactive discussion will follow featuring Vicki Freed, SVP Sales and Trade Support & Service, Royal Carib-bean International, Dondra Ritzen-thaler, SVP Sales and Trade Support & Service, Celebrity Cruises, Andy Stuart, EVP Global Sales and Passenger Servic-es, Norwegian Cruise Line, Jan Swartz, EVP, Sales, Marketing & Customer Ser-vice, Princess Cruises/Cunard Line and Vicki Tomasino, Regional Vice Presi-dent Community and Trade Relations at Carnival Cruise Lines.

Joining these cruise line executives

are travel agency leaders, Michelle Fee, CEO, CruisePlanners, Nicole Mazza, Chief Marketing Officer, TravelSavers, and Karin Viera, CTC, Vice-President Sales, Vacation.com.

Saturday’s general session will fea-ture a keynote address from renowned speaker and author Nolan Burris, presenting attendees with client and business-building advice titled ‘From Agent to Advisor to Indispensable’. Burris will later facilitate a discussion between cruise line leaders and advi-sors including Randall Soy, EVP of Marketing & Sales for Regent Seven

Seas Cruises, Mark Kammerer, SVP of Marketing & North American Sales for Holland America Line, Ken Mus-kat, SVP of Sales & Marketing for MSC Cruises, and Scott Knutson, VP Sales & Marketing, North America of Costa Cruises.

On Sunday, June 23, cruise3sixty will feature motivation and educa-tion in a format with speakers in-cluding ‘Golden Nuggets of Sales and Service’ from Nancy Friedman, The Telephone Doctor, who will share 21 customer service and sales techniques to achieve excellence. Kathleen Pas-sanisi, a noted speaker and ‘therapeu-tic humorist’ will also present on us-ing laughter and life balance to boost

employee productivity.Featured evening events will in-

clude the Thursday, June 20, Welcome Reception at the Vancouver Aquarium located in the heart of Stanley Park, sponsored by Pacific Rim Cruise As-sociation and American Express.

The annual Hall of Fame Dinner & Awards gala on Friday, June 21, will honour cruise industry individuals whose efforts and accomplishments represent a significant contribution to the development and growth of cruise vacations and feature cruise line en-tertainment.

Celebrity Cruises, in partnership with 54 Below — Broadway’s Night-club, will feature a performance by stage and screen star and recording artist, Megan Hilty. Sponsored by Royal Caribbean International, an in-novative vocal collaboration, MOSA-IC, combines elements of funk, pop, rock, jazz, R&B, and opera to create a musical experience produced entirely by the human voice. The evening clos-es with a GlowH20 nightclub-style after party, sponsored by Norwegian Cruise Line.

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APPROXIMATELY 46% OF the agent audience will be Canadian while the total number of delegates at cruise3sixty 2013 is expected to surpass 2,000.

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4 Travelweek May 16, 2013

Amadeus, American Airlines sign new long-term distribution agreementMIAMI — Amadeus and American Airlines have signed a new long-term global distribution agreement.

The new agreement enables Amadeus subscribers to continue to access and book the full range of American-mar-keted flights and lays the groundwork for Amadeus to offer American’s full suite of additional products and services.

Under the new agreement, an end-to-end XML connectivity will be de-veloped between Amadeus technol-ogy and American’s interface. Once complete, this enhanced XML con-nectivity will facilitate expanded an-cillary product distribution, real-time personalized offers and improved merchandising, including the ability to book American’s Main Cabin Extra premium seating product.

Main Cabin Extra makes travel more comfortable by providing four to six inches of additional legroom and Group 1 boarding.

“We’re pleased to renew and ex-pand our long term partnership with American Airlines,” said Scott Alvis, Chief Marketing Officer, Amadeus North America. “American and Ama-deus share a culture of innovation and our teams work well together. We are committed to partnering with our airline customers to bring outstand-ing technology and expertise to help them achieve their plans.”

“Amadeus has shown an ability to adapt its technology to our business needs and we appreciate this spirit of partnership,” said Derek DeCross, Vice President of Global Sales for Ameri-can Airlines. “Amadeus agents world-

wide will benefit from an advanced solution that transparently displays the full range of American’s products and instantly delivers highly relevant, tailored offers to customers.”

Beaches Turks & Caicos to close for six weeks for refurbishmentMONTEGO BAY — Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages and Spa will temporarily close beginning Sept. 1 to undertake a wide-ranging enhance-ment program. The resort will reopen on Oct. 19, 2013.

According to Gordon ‘Butch’ Stew-art, Chairman for Sandals Resorts International, parent company of Beaches Resorts, the decision to close Beaches Turks & Caicos was based on the level of guest interruption during the improvement work which will in-clude construction of a new ‘Sky Slide’ waterpark feature and back-of-house operational developments that will directly impact service standards.

“We regret the inconvenience that closing will bring, but our concern must be with the safety and comfort of our guests first,” said Stewart. “With the opening this month of the US$95 million Key West Luxury Village, Beaches Turks & Caicos continues to raise the bar on family vacations and we fully expect that our work this fall will keep this beloved property a fa-vourite worldwide.”

All bookings for the affected time period are protected. Guests may re-locate to any available resort of their choice within the Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts portfolio. If guests wish to rebook at another Sandals resort or Beaches resort on or before

EditorPatrick Dineen, Ext. 132, [email protected]

Managing EditorKathryn Folliott, Ext. 128, [email protected]

Associate EditorCindy Sosroutomo, Ext. 130, [email protected]

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Toronto departures. All prices are gross per person, based on double occupancy for 7 nights on all inclusive vacations (unless otherwise specifi ed). Seats at the above prices are limited, capacity controlled and were available at the time of printing. All transportation fees and taxes are extra and must be pre-paid. Applicable local taxes payable in destination are extra (Cuba 25CUC). Flights are with Sunwing Airlines. For full terms and conditions, please refer to the Sunwing Vacations 2012/13 brochure. 27 Fasken Drive, Toronto, ON, M9W 1K6. Ont Reg# 2476582 | 05162013

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May 20, Sandals Resorts International will cover any airline change fees and additional ticket costs as well as any rate difference at the new resort.

If guests rebook at another Sandals resort or Beaches resort after May 20, Sandals Resorts International will cover airline change fees only and guests will receive a credit for the original value of their Beaches Turks & Caicos vacation applicable towards their new booking. If guests wish to rebook their vacation at Beaches Turks & Caicos, the original rate booked will be protected for when-ever they choose to travel.

All guests wishing to rebook or re-locate may use their resort credit for travel now through Dec. 20, 2014. Blackout dates and restrictions apply.

Visit Florida celebrates not just 500 years, but also a great year for tourismTORONTO — As Florida celebrates the 500th anniversary of its discovery

by Juan Ponce de Leon, it’s also feeling a bit jubilant about strong visitor fig-ures, particularly from Canada.

In 2012 some 3.6 million Canadian travellers headed to the Sunshine State — 2 million by air, and 1.6 million by car — and that’s an increase of 7.3%

over 2011.Canada is Florida’s number one in-

ternational market, and together with travellers from the rest of the world, helped push the state’s visitor count to almost 90 million in 2012, a 2.3% in-crease. With 89.3 million visitors, the


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More than a dozen representatives from hotels and attractions across Florida took part in the ‘Viva Florida 500’ event in Toronto last week. Canadian visitor figures were up 7.3% in 2012 over 2011.

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Prices shown are per person in Canadian dollars, based on double occupancy and were valid at the time this communication was disseminated. Pricesare valid for new bookings only. Availability and pricing are subject to change at any time without notice and are not guaranteed to be available for anyperiod of time. Car rentals and transfers may be purchased as an option in U.S. destinations. Excursions and any other features not described as partof the all inclusive package cost extra. All descriptions and depictions of hotels and hotel properties were accurate at the time this communication wasdisseminated. For full product information and terms and conditions, please visit FunSun.ca. Fun Sun Vacations is a wholly-owned division of ThomasCook Canada Inc. 75 Eglinton Ave. E., Toronto, ON M4P 3A4, Ont. Reg: 50012702. B.C. Reg: 3597. 31010

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year was a record-breaker for Florida, exceeding the previous high of 87.3 million in 2011.

Representatives from a dozen CVBs and attractions took part in a media event for Visit Florida last week. Here are some of the highlights:

to the big theme parks as well as a rep-utation as a great destination for thrill rides. Its accommodation options in-clude vacation rental homes “that are very popular with Canadians,” says rep Lauren Salisbury (experience kissimmee.com).

one of the best travel ‘sports’: shopping. Outlet mall Sawgrass Mills is a huge draw, and shuttle bus service from ma-jor Ft. Lauderdale hotels makes it quick and easy to get to (sunny.org).

vice is, we have you covered,” says

-tions pop up frequently throughout the year (miamiandbeaches.com).

-ernized Inn on Fifth in Naples has a Summer Snowbird Special just for Ca-nadians, offering seven nights for the price of five (innonfifth.com).

known for upscale resorts, but with many value properties the area is family-friendly too, says rep Doug Ruchefsky (paradisecoast.com).

brand new attraction, Antarctica: Em-pire of the Penguins, offering never-before-seen up-close encounters with penguins, says rep Joanne Scalamog-na. “It will be the coldest attraction in Florida,” she says — and no doubt the coolest too (seaworld.com).

-tion at Universal Orlando and the new

-ing with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts to build a new Four Seasons property on the Disney site, offering Four Sea-

sons luxury with Disney perks, “and a rooftop steakhouse with beautiful views of the fireworks,” says Denise Spiegel with Visit Orlando (visitorlando.ca).

New Zealand PM announces tourism funding & new offerings at TRENZ 2013By Cindy Sosroutomo

which recently took place in Auckland from April 21-24, came directly from the country’s prime minister himself.

-land’s Minister of Tourism, an-nounced at the start of the event that government will be spending an ad-

promotion over the next four years, the bulk of which will be dedicated towards new, emerging markets.

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“With the additional funding, our big focus is to branch out into new markets while increasing penetration of existing ones,” he said. “We also need to make sure we’re not overly depen-dent on just one market. We’re spend-ing more to attract new tourists, which is why we need to make sure we have the infrastructure to support them.”

Key went on to announce new con-vention centres being built in Auck-land, Queenstown and Christchurch, which is still recovering from a devas-tating earthquake in 2011 that levelled roughly half of the city’s hotel beds. But similar to how Christchurch is surg-ing ahead with great optimism, so too are Key’s administration and Tourism New Zealand with promotional and development efforts around the world.

In addition to the $44.5 million that will go towards new markets like In-dia and Latin America, $24.5 million will focus on strengthening tradi-tional ones (UK, Australia, west coast U.S. and Europe), $34 million will be spent on conventions and conferenc-es, while $20 million will focus on en-hancing and expanding the country’s luxury offerings.

“Arrivals have been flat in the last three years but we’re seeing a shift in the market,” said Kevin Bowler, Chief Ex-ecutive of Tourism New Zealand. “This new funding will be directed to achiev-ing a lift in value outcomes and interna-tional connectivity. We’ll also see an in-creased focus on special interest travel, like golf, cycling and guided walking.”

And how does Canada fit into the new four-year plan? Although not a major factor like Australia and the U.S., Canada still offers plenty of potential for growth. Year-end arrivals from Canada were slightly down for the year with 47,072 (-4.2%), but recently re-leased March arrivals showed a 10.5% increase. Things are on the up and up but as Gregg Anderson, General Manager-Western Long Haul Markets for Tourism New Zealand, told Travel-week, there are still a few challenges.

“Canada has been a resilient market for us, with the first quarter of 2013 showing a growth of 5.6%. We’ve in-creased our funding to Canada and because of this, we’ve seen a late burst

in visitor arrivals, some of which came from the important cruising segment,” he said. “But it’s about maintaining consistency and targeting Canadian youth. The issue is variety — New Zea-land’s South Island is very similar to British Columbia. But we have to get the message across that New Zealand is still very different, with volcanoes, geo-thermal activity and other natural wonders you don’t get anywhere else.”

Helping to spread this message is ‘The

Hobbit’, the first of three films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1937 novel of the same name. Filmed entirely in New Zealand and serving as a prequel to the earlier film trilogy ‘The Lord of the Rings’, ‘The Hobbit’ has played a massive role in tourism, essentially bringing Tolkien’s fantasy land, Middle Earth, to life. Ac-cording to Catherine Bates of Tourism New Zealand, during the film’s world premiere, which took place last Novem-ber in New Zealand, the country gained

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an equivalent of $25 million in interna-tional media coverage.

Additionally, newzealand.com saw a major boost in visitors between March 2012-2013 with 12.1 million visits (an increase of 19%), while Expedia reported an 84% increase in flight bookings in December 2012, the same month ‘The Hobbit’ was released.

As a result, Tourism New Zealand’s award-winning marketing campaign, ‘100% Middle Earth, 100% New Zea-land’, has gained international ac-claim. After the release of ‘The Lord of the Rings’, a Tourism New Zealand survey showed that 87% of respon-dents were aware the films were shot in New Zealand. Fans and travellers are now able to use GPS tracking de-vices to visit exact locations featured in the movies, including the Hobbi-ton movie set, Piopio, Twizel, Strath Taieri and Mount Cook, the country’s highest mountain that doubled as the films’ iconic Mount Doom.

But it wasn’t all just Middle Earth talk at TRENZ — this year’s event fea-

tured 52 new tourism products as well as 16 tour operators who exhibited for the first time. A total of 290 interna-tional travel buyers from 27 markets and 252 New Zealand exhibitors all gathered under one roof to generate new business and highlight the im-portance of tourism to New Zealand.

Travelweek learned of the following new offerings:

a new gateway, providing passengers with access to 65 European destina-tions. It also debuted a new lounge in Singapore, and will be unveiling an upgraded lounge at LAX later this year.

-ing capacity on its Auckland-Vancou-ver route from three return services per week to six over the peak Decem-ber-January period. The airline will also welcome three new Dreamliners to the fleet in 2014, and recently intro-duced the new ‘Explorer Pass’ to Cana-dian and U.S. travellers, which allows them to purchase between three and 10 flights using zone fares.

in the Bay of Islands and Northland, recently introduced new helicopter landings at ‘The Hole in the Rock’, an island that has been largely untouched and uninhabited for the past 150 years.

exciting package, ‘Stay Hilton. Go Out’, that targets the LGBT market. Package includes two welcome drink vouchers, complimentary high-speed Internet, late checkout and one-year subscrip-tion to OUT magazine.

group in New Zealand, recently de-buted a new spa at Sofitel Auckland. Also on the horizon is new build, five-star Sofitel Wellington, opening late 2014, which will be the city’s first five-star hotel in 22 years.

which had been shut down following 2011’s earthquake, was recently re-opened by Key himself. Also, four ma-jor hotels will be reopening this year, including a Novotel and Heritage.

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Continued on page 24 ...

may16.indd 10 13-05-13 12:12 PM

SPOTLIGHT EGYPT & MIDDLE EAST

by Stef CasertaGateways International is offering a cultural and religious experience in one action-packed 11-day tour.

Beginning at US$5,399 per person and based on double occupancy, trav-ellers will experience religious, cul-tural and archeological attractions on a completely private tour.

Clients can enjoy a day at leisure to explore some of Tel Aviv’s attractions including the ancient port city of Jaffa and the artists’ quarter.

Travellers will later drive north to Caesarea, continue to Zikharon Ya’akov, Jacob’s memorial in the Car-mel Mountain range and stop for wine tasting at the Tishbi Estate Winery. Va-cationers will also visit Acre, the his-toric walled port-city before arriving in Rosh Pina for the night.

The tour will resume with a drive to Safed, known as the birthplace of Kab-balah and a Jeep tour through Golan Heights, home to beautiful waterfalls and nature reserves. Travellers will

visit the archeological site of Banias before driving into Tiberias, a city on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, to visit Rambam’s grave. Beit She’an, the larg-est archeological park in Israel, the sixth-century synagogue, Beit Alpha and Gan HaSholosha National Park are also part of the journey before driving through Jordan Valley into Jerusalem.

Sightseers will walk the Jewish Quarter visiting Roman Cardo, the Herodian Quarter and continue to the Western Wall where they can explore the tunnels of the first and second temples (subject to availability) and the Davidson Center. Visitors will see the Tower of David Museum and the ancient ruins.

Guests taking the tour will travel to Mea Shearim, the ultra-orthodox area in Jerusalem and learn about their unique lifestyle, as well as learning about the Israeli parliament at Knesset before heading to the Israel Museum to visit the Shrine of the Book, home to the Dead Sea Scrolls. From there,

visitors will proceed to Mount Hertzel cemetery, Yad Vashem, the memorial to the Holocaust and Ammunition Hill followed by an evening light and sound show.

The following day, travellers will drive through the Judean Desert to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth, reaching almost 1,300 feet below sea level and stop at Qumran, the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Travellers are encouraged to bathe in the mineral-rich mud and swim in the Dead Sea for a unique experience.

The experience wraps up with a tour of the city tour of Tel Aviv including a trip to the Museum of Civilization and the Palmach Museum.

This tour includes a total of 10 nights accommodation in four- and five-star hotels (three nights in Tel Aviv, two nights in Galilee and five nights in Jerusalem), 10 days of pri-vate touring and entrance fees, pri-vate transfers from the airport to the hotel and the hotel to the airport,

Discover Israeli history & culture at their finest with Gateways International

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Spotlight_May16_Egypt&MiddleEast.indd 11 2013-05-13 10:15 AM

SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT NAME



daily Israeli breakfast and two din-ners and all tax and service charges. The tour code is EU2713.

For reservations call 1-800-268-0900 or visit gateways-international.com.

Discover Middle Eastern secrets with Trafalgar ToursTrafalgar is offering several packages that will allow travellers to explore the secrets of the Middle East.

In the 15-day ‘Best of Turkey’ pack-age, travellers will learn about the country’s lively and colourful culture while being treated to a lunch in a gorgeous century old Ottoman style house. Trafalgar’s ‘Be My Guest’ inclu-sions allow for authentic dining ex-periences that are both prepared and hosted by a local family.

A popular way to see Egypt is Tra-falgar’s ‘Best of Egypt’ 10-day tour that allows travellers to view Egypt’s attrac-tions while cruising along the River Nile. Beginning in Luxor, vacationers will discover the Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Amun before con-tinuing to Aswan where they will visit the Botanical Gardens and the Sultan Hassan Mosque in Cairo. Memphis is the last stop on the itinerary where travellers can admire the statue of Ramses II and Alabaster Sphinx.

Trafalgar also offers the ‘Wonders of Ancient Egypt’ 13-day package, which allows travellers to experience King Tut’s tomb in Cairo, visit the Great Pyramids in Giza and explore Luxor, Memphis, Aswan and Sakkara. Trav-ellers will also be able to view ancient monuments and artwork on the banks of the River Nile.

“Only Trafalgar provides the unique Insider experiences that allow clients the opportunity to delve deeper into this beautiful region’s history and cul-ture,” said Doug Patterson, President of Trafalgar Canada. “Without a doubt, the Middle East will capture any trav-eller’s heart and imagination with its endless array of wonders, creating some of our favourite destinations.”

To help make a dream vacation to Europe, Britain or the Eastern Medi-

terranean a little more affordable, Tra-falgar is offering $100 off flights for vacations booked with Trafalgar, In-sight Vacations or Contiki Holidays by May 31. Full payment for airfare must be paid in full by May 31. Once full payment is received, flights are non-changeable and non-refundable. Offer is valid only on travel through to Oct. 31 and cannot be combined with any other limited time promotions. The promotion code is APT100AIR8.

Petra, Wadi Rum, Mt. Nebo highlight ATOURZ’s Treasures of Jordan Mystery and dramatic landscapes are just some of the things Jordan has to offer vacationers and ATOURZ is of-fering the perfect eight-day tour that includes all the major attractions from the bustling capital city to Petra, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

‘Treasures of Jordan’ is priced at $1,009 per person, based on double occupancy with departures through Dec. 31.

Travellers will begin their journey in the capital city of Amman where they will visit the Ajloun Saladin Castle that overlooks the Jordan Valley and the preserved Roman city of Jerash.

The tour then continues to Madaba, home to the oldest known mosaic map of the Holy Land. From there, visitors will be escorted to Mt. Nebo and the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth. Vacationers will feel weightless as they float amidst the waters that are legendary for its healing properties and highest salt concentration around the globe.

Visitors will spend a full day in Pe-tra, which is well known for its rose-coloured cliffs and for its rock archi-tecture. The tour will launch forward on horseback before travellers will walk through Siq to uncover the se-crets of the Nabatean city, followed by a two-hour 4WD tour of the Mars-like landscapes of Wadi Rum.

Vacationers will conclude their ad-venture with a final day back in Am-man where they will visit the ancient


citadel and Roman Amphitheatre. “Jordan is unlike any other country

in the Middle East, filled with unbe-lievable natural wonders and friendly, hospitable people,” said Elena Prount-zopoulos, Head of Tour Operations at ATOURZ. “This tour is the perfect choice for first-time visitors to the region, as well as those returning in search of new adventures.”

The ‘Treasures of Jordan’ package in-cludes seven nights accommodation, seven breakfasts, return airport trans-fers, entrance fees to sites, a horseback ride in Petra, a two-hour jeep tour at Wadi Rum and a guide during all ex-cursions.

To make reservations call (416) 485-6375 or 1-877-728-6870, or e-mail [email protected].

EgyptAir to operate new flightsBeginning June 3, EgyptAir will oper-ate four nonstop flights a week from Toronto to Cairo on its new Boeing 777.

The new flights will depart every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sat-urday and have immediate connec-tions to destinations in the Middle East and Gulf area.

EgyptAir already operates three daily flights to Amman, Beirut and Kuwait, four daily flights to Riyadh, two daily flights to Dubai, Doha, Dam-mam and Madinah, seven daily flights to Jeddah, a single daily flight to Abu Dhabi and five flights over the course of a week to Sharjah.

May is ‘Sell Africa Month’ at Goway, with opportunities for agents to win Goway has launched a new incentive program: for every couple booked through Goway to travel Africa or the Middle East, agents can earn up to $100 per couple.

Currently, agents earn $10 per per-son for airline tickets issued by Goway Air but new during ‘Sell Africa Month’ agents can earn $50 to $100 on land

bookings. All incentives are loaded to the agent’s Goway Incentive card.

South African Tourism is also invit-ing agents who have travelled to South Africa to send in their ‘Big Five’ South African experiences as part of their new campaign ‘What’s Your Big Five?’ originally launched on NBC’s Celeb-rity Apprentice on April 21.

Agents’ experiences will be fea-tured in future newsletters and con-tributing travel agents will be eligible

to win an iPad Mini, South African wines, recipe books and Goway Re-wards. Agents wishing to participate can send their ‘Big Five’ experiences to [email protected].

Goway together with Fairmont, Vin-tage Africa, The Ark and KLM are ea-ger to announce that the Ultimate fam 2013 trip is to Kenya and seven lucky agents will follow the Royal Concorde itinerary, which will allow them to visit places like The Ark, Mount Kenya


4 June 3

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Safari club and Mara Safari club.To qualify, agents must have made

one booking to any Goway destination (valid for bookings made from Jan. 1, 2013.) Plus, for every additional book-ing, agents will earn another entry and if agents combine land arrangements with an international air ticket on KLM, agents will earn another two en-tries. For more details or to enter, visit gowayagent.com.

When booking clients, Goway wants agents to be aware of the following:

are hot: save up to $800 on select-ed departures

40% off on select departures. Package includes seven nights ac-commodation, all transportation

-tional Guide, all meals with the except of two lunches, fantasia and folklore evening and porter-age at the hotels and airports

inclusive itineraries

itineraries are unique and value-packed

Mauritius, Seychelles, Mozam-bique and Zanzibar

ways to combine countries-

tion cruising experiences are a fabulous way to enhance itinerar-ies, says Goway.

Kompas Express to develop agent loyalty program with renewed interest in Dubai tourism

-ments are setting a date to announce a return to the original visa regime

-freshed interest in travelling to Dubai.

for travel agents to book a client’s va-cation to Dubai. The company is still

-

and will continue to do so. Kompas offers special conditions

available to cruise passengers and transit passengers, as well as personal-

in Dubai are also available through -

ductions for multiple stays. The company is also in the midst

of developing a travel agent loyalty program, which will reward agents

announcement to this effect will be made prior to September.

For more information visit Dubai Stop.com or MyTripToDubai.com. For reservations and information call (416) 534-8891 or 1-800-387-6731.

Transat Discoveries offers 11-day tour of Egypt

and the Red Sea’ 11-day tour, travellers can cruise through history and culture with a three night, five-star cruising

leisure time at the five-star Marriott in Hurghada, located on the Red Sea. Hurghada has sensational dive and snorkel sites among other water sports.

-nai Peninsula can also be arranged with Transat Discoveries.

This tour operates with anywhere between two and 25 passengers and starts at $2699 plus $585 tax. This

France from Toronto. The package in-cludes international and local air, sight-seeing with a local guide, transfers and all meals while on tour and breakfast and dinner while at the seaside resort.

with every passenger booked. For more information agents can

call 1-855-300-3866 or e-mail transat [email protected].

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Dan Jerusalem Hotel opens new King David WingThe ‘King David Wing’ of the Dan Je-rusalem Hotel recently opened with revamped and lavishly decorated, modern guestrooms.

Most rooms in King David Wing feature balconies where clients can admire the view of the Old City.

Guests are welcomed to the new wing with exclusive privileges, a personal re-ception desk to ease the check-in and check-out procedure, free use of the King David Lounge, concierge services and free shuttles to the city centre.

The lounge can accommodate up to 80 guests and has a view of the Old City from the sixth floor. The colour scheme along with the natural and ar-tificial lighting combination provides an ideal harmonious feel of ‘Jerusalem of Gold’ that fits perfectly with the comfortable atmosphere of the lounge.

Dan Hotels has been awarded first place by Israel’s leading market research company, MarkeTest, in the following categories: guest willingness to return, value for money and room satisfaction.

Insight offers ‘Turkish Delights’ and the ‘Best of Morocco’With summer on the way, Insight is thrilled to announce the arrival of its ‘Summer Air Offer’ with savings of $200 per couple on flights to Europe, Britain and Eastern Mediterranean for travel by Oct. 31, 2013 when land and air is booked with Insight between May 1 and 31, 2013.

On its popular nine-day ‘Turkish Delights’ tour, travellers will experi-ence the historical hotspots of Ephe-

sus, Troy, the cascading ‘Cotton Castle’, and the ancient Hellenistic city of Pergamon featuring some of Turkey’s most impressive ruins. Travellers will also be able to relax on a cruise along the Bosphorus, past magnificent pal-aces and fortresses.

Other highlights include a stay at Barceló Eresin Topkapi in Istanbul’s old city centre where guests can take advantage of a spectacular Turkish bath, two saunas and a steam room.

Insight also offers the 10-day ‘Best of Morocco’ tour, which highlights the country’s Islamic, Arabic and African influences. Travellers will experience local customs during an exotic Mo-roccan dinner that comes complete with a belly dancing show, as well as visit beautiful mosaic-tiled mosques, royal palaces and lively bazaars. From the buzzing cities of Marrakesh and Fes to the seclusion of the high Atlas Mountains and the sun-baked Sahara Desert, this program covers all the top attractions.

For more detailed information, visit insightvacations.com

Fairmont The Palm, Dubai makes its debut at Palm JumerirahFrom the heart of the iconic Palm Jumerirah, the world’s largest man-made island shaped in the form of a palm tree, blooms the newest addition of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts’ portfo-lio in the Middle East: Fairmont The Palm Dubai.

The property is owned by interna-tional residential and resort developer IFA Hotels & Resorts (IFA HR) and de-signed by award-winning design firm DSA Architects International with

Arabic influences incorporating the natural elements of sun, sea and sand, given the colour palate of beige, ecru, tan and light hues and natural building materials of granite and marble.

The property features 381 guest-rooms and suites, including two presi-dential suites. Many of the rooms and suites offer views of the sea and extended balcony spaces and can be connected for added exclusivity, with an additional exterior door and foyer area. All are equipped with a techno-logically advanced interactive televi-sion system and superior amenities.

The Palm also has 3,000 square me-tres of meeting space, a ballroom that


*Toronto departures via Air Transat in Y class. Price shown is per person, based on double occupancy including the Cash Discount of $60 and Bonus Discount of $200. Price does not include taxes and fees and is subject to availability at the time of ma-king new individual bookings. Price includes: roundtrip international airfare, domestic flights, transfers, accommodation, sightseeing and select meals as noted in the tour itinerary. For complete description and terms and conditions, refer to the Transat Discoveries 2012-2013 brochure or visit transatdiscoveries.com. Transat Discoveries is a division of Transat Tours Canada Inc., and is registered as a travel wholesaler (ON #50009486) with offices located at 191 The West Mall, Suite 800, Etobicoke, ON, M9C 5K8.

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can accommodate 400 guests, outdoor leisure facilities with four swimming pools, a private beach club, Children’s Activity Centre, a variety of dining fa-cilities with sea, garden or pool views, a Fairmont Gold product and a Wil-low Stream Spa.

The resort also houses the newest addition to the brand’s private resi-dence club offering, Fairmont Heri-tage Place, The Palm, Dubai, featuring 10 one- and two-bedroom residences.

Guests also have a choice of seven restaurants and lounges with every-thing from Brazilian to Chinese cuisine.

Fairmont The Palm is located near key leisure areas and business dis-

tricts, major city landmarks and two ‘world firsts’: Burj Khalifa, the tallest free standing building and The Dubai Mall, the world’s largest retail develop-ment. Flow Kitchen is an international restaurant serving family style cook-ing from the Middle East, India, the Mediterranean and Asia.

Fairmont’s branded signature spa concept - Willow Stream Spa - is based on the philosophy of drawing on the energy and essence of its chosen des-tination. Covering over 1,600 square metres with 13 treatment rooms, this spa experience will showcase a wide range of treatments and wellness methodologies.

For more information call 1-800-441-1414 or visit fairmont.com.

What’s new in Dubai? A massive entertainment park with Universal Studios, for startersNew developments and tourism trends are springing up from Dubai this season with a 9.3% increase in tourism from the U.S. alone. For the first time in history, Dubai surpassed the 500,000 U.S. hotel visitor mark with a total of 506,019 travellers.

At the end of November last year, Dubai’s newest hotel JW Marriott Marquis hosted the first phase of opening their doors to the public. The five-star hotel first began welcoming guests with a total of 804 guest rooms and three out of its nine restaurants.

The Marquis, just shorter than the Empire State Building in New York City, has already been recognized as the world’s tallest hotel and is pre-sented as Dubai’s latest top venue for meetings and incentives.

By January 2014, the Marquis hopes to have all nine restaurants, five bars and lounges open. The official grand opening is set for February 2014.

In addition, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, has recently unveiled plans for the new Moham-med Bin Rashid City Project, which is set to include a massive park that will have the capacity to welcome 35 mil-lion people.

In collaboration with Universal Stu-dios, the project will host the largest family centre for leisure and enter-tainment in the area as well as 100 new hotels. Dubai is also receiving a lot of buzz for the inclusion of the world’s largest shopping mall, which would be able to accommodate 80 million shop-pers a year.

The additions will be built between Emirates, Al Khail and Sheikh Zayed Roads, with development of the city set to begin immediately.

Another expansion Dubai is making is the 27,000 square metre addition to Port Rashid. This will allow the com-plex to accommodate five cruise ships simultaneously. Port Rashid will be comparable to Miami, Florida’s port.

This addition will be a major busi-ness opportunity for the city because it will help grow the economy while inviting cruise lines to visit the des-tination and increasing tourism. The Port Rashid complex opened in Au-gust 2010 with the ability to play host to four ships simultaneously.

Finally, the new Zagat Dubai City Guide, which is available for purchase on Zagat’s website, https://store.zagat.com/products/dubai-city-guide sur-veys 5,751 individuals on their prefer-ence of 484 restaurants, 71 nightspots, 527 shops and 37 sights and attractions.


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SPOTLIGHT HOTELS & RESORTS

by Stef CasertaAMResorts’ annual fall travel promo-tion returns this season with rewards for both agents and travellers alike.

To be eligible for the offered re-wards, agents must book clients into one of the 32 resorts with a minimum of a three-night stay June 1–July 31 for travel Aug. 24–Dec. 22.

Agents will receive US$25 bonus cash for every valid booking and an extra $25 bonus commission for specific properties while clients will be treated to a complimentary room every third night. In addition to that, two children per family stay free and travellers will receive $200 in resort coupons.

Furthermore, the company has also announced major changes.

AMResorts increased commissions and rewards by more than 360% in 2012. This year, the company says, cash will remain the primary focus for promotions and booking incentives across the company’s brands: Zoëtry

Wellness & Spa Resorts, and Secrets, Dreams, Now, Sunscape and Breath-less Resorts & Spas.

Coming to the Dominican Republic in November 2013 is AMResorts’ new Breathless Resorts & Spas brand, offer-ing guests a seductive spin on adults-only Secrets Resorts & Spas.

AMResorts is also scheduled to open another Secrets Puerto Los Ca-bos Resorts & Spa on Mexico’s Pacific Coast in December.

Finally, AMResorts has added new resources to support the travel agent community in region. Jan LaPointe was appointed Senior Director of Sales and Marketing in Canada where she will put effort into building a re-gional sales support time.

Meliá hotels are known for being family-friendlyKeeping your client’s budget in mind is important when selecting a ho-tel for their vacation and Melia Ho-

tels has 14 family-friendly resorts throughout Cuba.

Families can enjoy amenities such as a baby- and mini-club and game rooms for teens at the Paradisus Varadero Resort & Spa in Royal Ser-vice. Also featured at this hotel are six à la carte restaurants and an exclusive, gourmet à la carte restaurant where travellers can enjoy Cuban and Span-ish cuisine.

For larger families, connection junior suites are also available in Royal Service or Family Suites within the Varadero resort and the Yhi Spa offers packages designed for moms and daughters to relax and spend time together while re-ceiving watsu treatments.

The Meliá Varadero offers a more re-laxed environment and has just opened a new mini club and games room.

The Sol Palmeras also offers a mini club and games room with the addi-tional bonus of a children’s-only pool and one or two-bedroom bungalows.

Opening in August 2013 comes

New incentives and properties plus a Canadian rep for AMResorts

View of the pool at Zoëtry Paraiso de la Bonita

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the newest addition, Meliá Marina Varadero, offering a resort holiday like nothing Cuba has seen before, says the company. The Meliá Ma-rina will offer accommodations in a hotel as well as in apartments. With studios, one and two bedroom apartments, the guestrooms will be accommodating to large families. This new location will include a se-lection of à la carte restaurants and an international buffet just steps from the beach.

Multi-generation families are wel-come at the Melia Las Dunas in Cayo Santa Maria. This resort features an adults-only section as well as a fam-ily section with a children-only pool, a baby, a mini and a teenage club.

Melia Las Dunas, which is sur-rounded by colourful gardens and the beach, has the Yhi Spa, a modern gym, a climbing wall and four tennis courts.

For families travelling with small children, the Melia Cayo Guillermo is home to a mini-club with supervised activities and the Sol Cayo Coco fea-

tures a large collection of activities for all ages. Clients can enjoy day privileg-es between the two hotels and experi-ence two islands in one trip.

Farther down the coast is Sol Rio de Luna y Mares resort located in Hol-guin that faces the beautiful beach of Playa Esmeralda and is located close to Cuba’s Holguin Aquarium.

Signature Vacations offers great deals to CubaCuba’s five-star all-inclusive Riu Varadero resort is the perfect location for travellers of all ages and interests, says Signature Vacations. Its prime location on white sand beaches al-lows travellers to explore everything Varadero has to offer.

The resort is welcoming with elegant and spacious guestrooms, available in a variety of categories and come equipped with Riu’s deluxe amenities. Riu Varadero offers sporting facilities, a wellness centre and restaurants.

For travelling families, the resort offers amenities such as a kid’s pool, a mini disco and RiuLand Kid’s Club. The club includes a children’s play area with supervised games and activities.

Adult travellers can find a peaceful and sophisticated refuge in the adult-only section of the resort which fea-tures 150 junior suites and suites with a private reception, complimentary 24-hour room service, butler service, a house club, cigar room and exclusive access to the international restaurant.

The town of Varadero is located only 10 minutes away and offers cul-tural heritage and lively cabarets and dance clubs liven up the Cuban nights.

Clients can take advantage of low rates with Signature Vacations, with packages currently priced from $695 plus $290 tax per person in a Superior Room for departures from Toronto on June 4, 11 and 18, and from $965 plus $286 tax per person in a Superior Room for Vancouver departures on June 4 and 11. For travellers departing from Mon-treal on June 6 and 13, packages start at


Meliá Cuba Extensive stretches of white-sand beaches kissed by the exotic turquoise-blue ocean, ideal for playing all day long. Areas designed for the enjoyment of kids under the care of our highly qualifi ed staff. Informal ambience. An oasis of swimming pools and varied recreation activities for all ages. Free stay or generous discounts for children. Imagination and magic so that kids can have a good time …and their parents too.

Children are always welcomed

Paradisus Varadero I Meliá Península Varadero I Meliá Marina Varadero I Sol Palmeras I Sol Sirenas Coral CAYOS Meliá Cayo Santa

María I Meliá Las Dunas I Meliá Cayo Guillermo I Sol Cayo Santa María I Sol Cayo Guillermo I Sol Cayo Coco I Sol Pelícano I Tryp Cayo Coco Sol Río de Luna y Mares

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$995 including taxes per person for a Superior Room.

Passengers can travel in style to Varadero with Sunwing’s Champagne Service, with hotel towel service, a choice of hot meals at lunch and din-ner served with a choice of wine and a complementary in-flight entertain-ment including first run movies.

Premium Yucatan shows guests a more diverse MexicoCanadians usually think of sunny beaches, massive resorts and free-flowing margaritas when they think of Mexico, however, many are quickly realizing that the country has much more to offer.

Mexico is a hotspot for cultural gems, with old colonial towns, Mayan ruins, cultural activities and delicious culinary options across the country, including Mexico City, Oaxaca, Puebla and the Yucatán peninsula.

Premium Yucatán is an association of hotel owners, tour operators, DMCs

and historical sites and museums that have come together to offer elegant facilities and services, in order to help visitors experience the best Yucatán culture has to offer.

In the capital city of Medina, Pre-mium Yucatán represents a number of unique properties that have significant historical and architectural value.

Several colonial mansions have been converted into boutique hotels, museums and event venues, while beautiful henequen haciendas, that were once the homes of the plantation owners, are now luxury hotels.

Some of the boutique hotels in the area include: Hotel Boutique Roses and Xocolate (built from two colo-nial houses); the Boutique Hotel Casa Lecanda, with only seven rooms, but plenty of charm; the French-style Boutique Hotel Casa Azul; and Me-rida Mansion on the Park Hotel which just recently opened.

Within the city limits of Merida, you will also find two 18th cen-tury haciendas. Both La Hacienda Xcanatún and La Hacienda Misné

have been restored to offer a diversity of experiences for their guests.

Moving up the Yucatán coast, the Hotel Xixim has five kilometres of secluded beach and is surrounded by lush tropical plants and birds, as well as nearby the Pink Flamingos at Celestún estuary.

Heading towards the heritage sites of the ancient Maya civilization in Yucatán, in the middle of the soft jungle, is the Hotel Lodge Uxmal, a good base to enjoy the Mayan culture and ruins.

Mayaland Hotel & Bungalows is located in the heart of the archaeo-logical site at Chichen Itza, offering a great place to experience the presence of the great Mayan God Kukulkan.

Premium Yucatán represents these hotels and many more, plus a variety of local attractions and museums. They have partnered with two local tour op-erators, Amigo Yucatán and Orbitur, both with decades of experience de-signing and operating itineraries.

For more information see premiumYucatan.com.mx/en/.

Hilton debuts new Toronto spa, marketing campaign and properties by Cindy SosroutomoThere’s been a flurry of activity over at the Hilton camp, which has an-nounced a bevy of new hotel openings and amenities around the world.

Of particular interest to Canadians is the debut of the brand’s spa con-cept, eforea: spa at Hilton, at Hilton Toronto/Markham Suites Conference Centre. As the first location in the country and the fourth eforea spa in North America, the converted 5,000


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square-foot spa truly impresses with an exclusive treatment menu, innova-tive design features and carefully se-lected products that appeal to today’s global traveller.

“As the global expansion of eforea:spa at Hilton continues, we are delighted to bring this dynamic con-cept to Canada,” said Rob Palleschi, global head, Hilton Hotels & Resorts. “eforea is proving to be a strong solu-tion for owners and is well received by our guests with 14 spas currently open and more than 90 in development.”

Located in the greater Toronto area, the eforea location at Hilton Toronto/Markham Suites Conference Centre & Spa features a free-flowing waterfall and 13 treatment rooms, including one dedicated to male spa services. At the core of the eforea concept are three signature spa journeys: the ‘Es-sentials Journey’, comprised of tech-nologically advanced treatments, the ‘Escape Journey’, a set of holistic ex-periences that integrate organic plant

ingredients, and the ‘Men’s Journey’, a collection of re-energizing experienc-es designed specifically for men.

In terms of hotel openings, Hilton has plenty to be excited about. This year alone will see new properties in Darwin Australia; Las Vegas; four in China, Bangkok; Bangalore, India; Saudia Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Portugal, Miami Beach, Dead Sea, Jor-dan; Istanbul; and Kiev.

Asia in particular is drawing a lot of attention this year. In the past two years, China has welcomed three new properties in Dalian, Nanjing and Guangzhou. Additionally, Hilton Worldwide launched the new ‘Flavors of China’ tour package to celebrate the brand’s 25th anniversary in the coun-try. Now available at Hilton HHonors hotels across all of Greater China’s major tourist destinations, the pack-age highlights the country’s top at-tractions, including the Forbidden City, the Bund, Victoria Harbour, the Terracotta Warriors, Nanjin relics, the

Jialing valleys and Zhouzhuang ca-nals. To book this tour, travellers must make reservations from now through Dec. 31, 2013 for stays to be completed by Jan. 1, 2014 at participating hotels.

“We’re really strengthening our presence in Asia, especially in China, which is an emerging market for us,” said John Forrest Ales, Senior Director, Global Brand Public Relations for Hil-ton Hotels & Resorts, during a recent one-on-one with Travelweek. “We’re also focusing on Turkey, where a lot of Hamptons and DoubleTree properties are opening, as well as Egypt and In-dia. Also notable is the Latin America region, where we recently opened our first all-inclusive resort in Mexico as well as two Hilton hotels in Brazil.”

Ales is particularly excited about the company’s new ‘Vacationitis’ campaign, which aims to encourage travellers to actually use their vaca-tion days and get away for some R&R. In collaboration with award-winning publication ‘The Onion’, the cam-paign identifies various ‘symptoms’ of vacationitis, including ‘Loner Toner’ and ‘Yellow Post-It Fever’. Af-ter taking an online diagnostic test, overworked travellers will receive a vacation ‘diagnosis’ and treatment suggestions, which include travel of-fers and family fun packages.

“We found that people were ei-ther not using their vacation days or blending business with their vaca-tions,” Ales said. “With ‘Vacationitis’, we’re trying to help people realize the importance and value of two-week vacations and hopefully redefine the concept of leisure travel.”

To take the ‘Vacationitis’ test visit vacationcarecenter.hilton.com. For more information on Hilton Hotels & Resorts, visit hilton.com.


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Home to untouched landscapes including Playa Rincon, one of the Caribbean’s top 10 beaches, this tropical paradise boasts dense coconut groves, authentic towns and spectacular natural wonders. Visitors can venture off the beaten path to El Limon waterfall for a rejuvenating swim, or explore the breathtaking islets and caves of Los Haitises National Park.

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Lufthansa celebrates 40 years of Toronto service; new Vancouver route to launch this week

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... Continued from page 10

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will come from flying bigger aircraft, not necessarily flying more flights,” Spohr added.

Along with new aircraft, Lufthan-sa will roll out a new business class fully-flat seat over the next 18 months. Also over this same period, renewed focus will turn towards

building its secondary brand, Ger-manwings, by bringing its fleet to include 90 aircraft. And even further down the road, Spohr revealed that by 2025, Lufthansa will have 225 new aircraft totalling 25 billion euros, which represents the largest ever or-der in the company’s history.

Over the past 40 years, there have been nearly 14,000 flights from To-ronto to Frankfurt. Last year alone, Lufthansa carried 92,197 passengers between the two twin cities. In 2008, the airline also began service between Toronto and Düsseldorf, adding an-other 28,176 seats annually between Toronto and Germany.

For more information visit lufthansa .com.

Nolitours launches 2013-14 sun promotionsMONTREAL — Nolitours is offer-ing Early Booking promotions for the 2013-2014 season to sun destinations.

If clients book by Sept. 30, they save $200 per couple; have the opportunity to change their travel date up to three hours before departure; pay a $50 de-posit instead of $250 and have the op-portunity to win their trip.

If they book by Oct. 31, they can save $200 per couple; have the oppor-

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tunity to change their travel date up seven days before departure.

Conditions may apply. Visit Get Connected for details.

Seven more winners named for Myrtle Beach Area Specialist ProgramTORONTO — Nearly two months have gone by since Myrtle Beach Area

CVB launched its latest online special-ist program with Travelweek’s Learn-ing Centre (travelweeklearning.ca).

The CVB is celebrating its 75th an-niversary in 2013 and, in an effort to help raise awareness of this date, is giving away 75 prizes throughout the year. The winners of these prizes will be selected from those agents who have completed the Myrtle Beach Area CVB Specialist Program.

With just two months completed,

Myrtle Beach is announcing the sec-ond set of seven prize winners, includ-ing Chelsea Weed from Tripcentral.ca, Joanne Bratton from The Travel Network, Alysha Miller from Holiday Market Travel, Ron Vietgen from CAA Niagara, Susan Johnson from Claring-ton Travel, and Laurie Vanderydt from CAA. The next seven prize winners will be selected at the end of May.

On July 1, Myrtle Beach Area CVB will be selecting one grand prize winner from all agents who have completed the specialist program. This agent will win a 5-day/4-night trip for two with air.

To become eligible to win the grand prize, agents must complete the Myr-tle Beach Area Specialist Program by June 31. Visit travelweeklearning centre.ca for more details.

G Adventures launches a new agent program dubbed ‘Agent of Change’TORONTO — G Adventures is launching a new program aimed at travel agents called ‘Agent of Change’.

“We believe that travel and travel-lers can change the world,” said Cyndi Zesk, the tour operator’s vice president of global marketing. “Travel is the fast-est path to peace and understanding, and the tourism industry can be a force for positive change and global good. And travel agents, perhaps most of all, have a pivotal role in that.”

At the foundation of the company’s new ‘Agent of Change’ movement is the goal to further engage travel agents in G Adventures’ mission to help travel-lers understand that their choices about how they travel can in fact play a large part in ideas like sustainability, wealth distribution and simply making the nice places we visit, nice places to live.

To kick things off, for every G Adven-tures passenger booked in North Amer-ica by a travel agent by May 31, 2013, the company will donate $1 to Planeterra (planeterra.org), the non-profit orga-nization founded by tour operator that helps empower local people to develop their communities. The agent with the highest number of passengers booked

NOTICE - ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

TAKE NOTICE THAT the Annual General Meeting of the members of the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (“TICO”) will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 18, 2013 at the Toronto Congress Centre, 650 Dixon Road, Toronto, Ontario for the purpose of:

(a) receiving the financial statements for the previous financial year, together with the Auditor’s Report;

(b) receiving and considering the Annual Report;

(c) appointing the auditors for the next year and authorizing the Board of Directors to fix the auditor’s remuneration;

(d) announcing the results of the election for the retail position on the TICO Board of Directors; and

(e) transacting such other business as may properly come before the meeting.

Only members in good standing are entitled to participate in and vote at the meeting. Members of the public are invited to attend.

The deadline for providing written notice of any motions to be made at the Annual Meeting has now passed.

Members who will not be attending the meeting are invited to submit written requests for proxies. Copies of the audited financial statements as at and for the fiscal period ended March 31, 2013 will be available at the Annual General Meeting and may be requested in writing prior to the meeting.

DATED at Mississauga this 9th day of May, 2013.On behalf of the Board of DirectorsTracey McKiernan Secretary

2700 Matheson Blvd. East, Suite 402 West Tower, Mississauga, Ontario L4W 4V9Tel: (905) 624-6241 Fax: (905) 624-8631 Toll-free: 1-888-451-TICO

E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.tico.ca

may16.indd 26 13-05-13 12:12 PM


by the end of May will win a free land only seat on a 2013/14 agent fam.

For more information on the Agent of Change movement and how you can get involved, visit gadventures.com/travelagent.

Encore Prestige launches river cruise agent incentiveTORONTO — Effective immediately and valid through the month of May, Encore Prestige is offering agents a $50 spa gift credit when they book their clients on any 2013 river cruise with AmaWaterways and Avalon Waterways.

Valid on all new bookings made between May 6 and 31 for any 2013 river cruise, agents will receive a $50 gift card (one per booking) with Way-Spa.com, an online spa company that works in partnership with thousands of spas across North America.

To take advantage of this promo-tion, ask for promo code: ADTPRO SPA at the time of booking.

Gift cards will be distributed upon completion of the promotion and once the final payment has been received on file. Files that are cancelled and re-booked do not qualify for this offer. The gift cards do not have an expiry date. This offer is not applicable to groups.

Encore Prestige cruise packages offer ‘white glove service’ from start to finish, including reduced business class airfare with all of its product, dedicated service from its ‘concierge agents’, as well as a di-rect reservation line to provide Prestige clients with the quickest possible service.

For more information, call the dedicated Encore Prestige number at 1-800-797-6525 or visit Encore Cruises.com.

NOTES

ACV adds TurkeyAir Canada Vacations is adding Tur-key to its international lineup when Air Canada begins nonstop service to

Istanbul beginning in June. Departures are from Toronto with three flights weekly on Tuesday, Thursday and Fri-day and with accommodation, excur-sions and transfer packages available. Air Canada Vacations will offer several pre-packaged, multi-day itineraries that will include accommodations, excur-sions, transfers, cruise (if applicable) and most meals as per itinerary. Clients can choose from: Wonders of Turkey, nine days; Highlights of Turkey, 12 days; Treasures of Turkey and Greece, Cruise & Land tour, nine days; Jewels of Turkey and Greece, Cruise & Land tour, 13 days; Delights of Turkey and Greece, Cruise & Land tour, 10 days. Visit aircanadavacations.com for more information.

PEOPLEAdventure Center has made a num-ber of changes in its sales department. “Adventure Center continues to rep-resent a strong commitment to the

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travel agent community in Canada. Our goal is to assist travel profession-als in selling more small group tours, active holidays and custom adventure itineraries to their clients,” said Ste-ven Larkin, president and CEO. Ty-ler Zajacz has been promoted to the new role of national industry sales manager for Adventure Center/North America. Most recently the com-pany’s sales development manager, Zajacz also worked at G Adventures for seven years. He can be reached at [email protected]. Reporting to Zajacz, Megan Bailey has joined the company in the new role of Western Canada BDM, based in Calgary. For the past six years, she managed the Adventure Travel Com-pany location in Halifax and brings with her a broad background in pro-moting and marketing the adventure travel sector. Bailey will work with Canadian agents from British Colum-bia to Manitoba and can be reached at [email protected]. Also joining Adventure Center is the new BDM for Eastern Canada (On-tario to Newfoundland and Labrador), Nadine Gravis. A recent graduate of the University of Western Ontario, Gravis was the university’s campus ambassador for Intrepid Travel. She can be reached at nadine.gravis@ adventurecenter.com.

FunSun Vacations has named the fi-nal group of winners in its ‘Did You Know’ agent incentive, which wrapped up last week. They are: Marie-France Tassé from Voyages Jean-Pierre Inc., QC; Lawrence Solomon from Trip-Central.ca, ON; Nadine Francis from Voyages Destination, QC; Connie Day from SellOffVacations.com, AB; Diane Cooke from Orion Travelinx, ON; Nadine Lariviere from RedTag.ca, ON and Karla Hummel from Sears Travel Lethbridge, AB. Throughout the incentive, qualifying agents had to keep on top of the ‘Did You Know’ phrases of the day for the days they booked a FunSun Vacation package in case their name was drawn and they were called. These phrases included: Did you know…

FunSun Vacations packages of-

fer multiple durations including 3, 4, 5, 7, 10 and 14 nights, all available in Sirev, Sabre Vacations, Amadeus and Galileo; FunSun Vacations packages include transfers in the Caribbean and Mexico; When searching for a FunSun Vacations package, the most direct least expensive rate is returned first; Agents earn 575 Loyalty Points per room (287 per single) for every Fun-Sun Vacations package booking that is confirmed. For more information or to book, visit FunSunAgent.com.

EVENTSSteve Gillick CTM, president of Talk-ing Travel, is launching the Global Explorers Network with a founding meeting June 5. Gillick is no stranger to the concept of promoting travel and destination knowledge to the industry. He founded the Global Explorers Club in 1996, and the club’s 45 meetings drew travel agents to learn about desti-nations in a fun, informal atmosphere. The Global Explorers Network meet-ing will take place on Wednesday June 5 at The Japan Foundation, 131 Bloor Street, Toronto between Bay and Uni-versity. The Network is open to travel professionals and guests who have vis-ited 25 countries or who hope to visit 25 countries in future. Gillick will pres-ent his latest adventures in Japan, fea-turing Tokyo, Niigata and Hokkaido.

He has explored Japan on 11 different occasions and frequently contributes articles and blogs about travel in Ja-pan. “We know that in an age where consumers flock to trip advice sites to justify their travel decisions, there is a need for travel advisors to offer a credible alternative to these anony-mous online travel reviews. We give examples of how to talk about desti-nations, how to feature niche markets, as well as talk about people, culture, history, mythology, food, shopping and even some travel humour.” The evening will begin with registration at 6:30 p.m., followed by a short meet-ing and trivia contest (with prizes) on Japan at 7 p.m. The first part of the presentation will begin at 7:10 p.m., then a break featuring a taste of Japanese food and drinks sponsored by Airliners and ATOURZ, and then the second part of the presentation. After a final draw prize is awarded, the evening will end at 9 p.m. Prizes and information will be provided by the City of Tokyo and the Japan Na-tional Tourism Organization. The evening is supported by The Japan Foundation and PATA Eastern Can-ada. Street and lot parking is avail-able close to the venue. Cost is $8 per person cash at the door. All members of the industry as well as non-travel guests are more than welcome. RSVP is essential at globalexplorers@talking travel.ca.


Karla Hummel of Sears Travel Lethbridge, a winner in the ‘Did You Know’ incentive, booked her clients on an 18-night FunSun vacation package from Calgary to Cancun staying at the Great Parnassus Resort and Spa.

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CRUISING UPDATE

Cruise and Maritime Voyages unveils promotions for groupsFORT LAUDERDALE — Cruise and Maritime Voyages (CMV) is unveiling promotions for groups, featuring valu-able savings, extra perks and free places.

For groups of just 12 adults CMV is offering group dis-counts of up to 10% on published and saver fares.

In addition, groups receive a free place if 20 adult pas-sengers are booked and two free places if 40 adult passen-gers are booked. Plus, for groups of 40 or more, CMV will also host a special welcome onboard cocktail party exclu-sively for the group.

With full access to the CMV Group Travel Division, travel agents and group planners enjoy an opportunity to find the right expedition for their group clients. Agents and planners can take advantage of these beneficial sav-ings and extras while delivering the ideal cruise travel pro-gram for their clients.

“In addition to these enticing group promotions, the fact that we provide agents with commission on the entire cruise price further showcases our dedication to travel agents and group planners,” said John Dennis, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for CMV USA. “With Cruise and Maritime Voyages, agents receive commission not only on the actual cruise fare but also on taxes, fees and port charges — unlike many other cruise lines that impose non-commissionable portions to their rates. It’s what we call ‘Agent-Friendly Pricing’ — agents receive commission on the entire price a cli-ent pays for their cruise.”

Cruise and Maritime Voyages offers artfully planned cruise programs plus vast shore excursion options and time at-leisure to explore.

Travel agents can register for free to become a Cruise and Maritime Voyages Partner at CruiseandMaritime.com. Group promotions are not valid with Voyager Fares.

Crystal revises smoking policyLOS ANGELES — Effective with the first cruises in 2014, Crystal Cruises will eliminate smoking in all in-door areas, except for its Connoisseur Club smoking lounge. Outside smoking will be allowed in a limited number of designated spaces.

The revised policy begins with the Jan. 5 v4301 and Jan. 8 v4201 voyages of Crystal Serenity and Crystal Sympho-ny, respectively, and eliminates smoking in all staterooms and suites, the Crystal Cove lobby lounge and Pulse and Luxe nightclubs.

In keeping with lifestyle trends, most areas of Crystal ships have been non-smoking for several years, including restaurants and main entertainment lounges, as well as stateroom and suite verandahs. Crystal eliminated smok-ing in its popular Avenue Saloon and Casino in 2013.

“We have received considerable feedback and we listened. Our policies have evolved as lifestyles have changed,” says Gregg Michel, Crystal Cruises’ president. “The majority of our guests worldwide are non-smok-ing, and travellers are used to more non-smoking envi-ronments today.”


A group of Canadian travel agents were part of the festivities recently in Middleburg, Holland as Avalon’s newest ship, the Avalon Artistry was christened. Taking part in the happy occasion were (from left to right) Manuela Montagna (Avalon operations), Helga and Dana Omstead (Migrations Travel), Stéphanie Bishop (Globus family of brands — Canada), Godmother Marilen Sandejas-Yaptangco, Shawn Beaudoin and Cathy Jabusch (AMA Travel), Karen Salviato (Carlson Wagonlit Travel), Patrick Clarke (Avalon Waterways managing director) and Christina Hlusko (CAA North & East).

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Documents

CANADA’S TRAVEL TRADE PUBLICATION CLIA’s cruise3sixty …travelweek.dgtlpub.com/3_5/issues/2013-05-16/pdf/travelweek_2013 … · cruise3sixty conference and trade show is reaching