CANADA’S TRAVEL TRADE PUBLICATION 16-deck, 168,666-ton ...travelweek.dgtlpub.com/3_5/issues/2014-11-27/pdf/... · 11/27/2014 · CONTACT US FOR A FREE DEMO! Travel Management and

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THISWEEK4 RIU AGENT PROGRAMRiu is planning to launch an e-learning

program for Canadian travel agents

4 REVAMPED ACV & MEAir Canada Vacations is launching a

revamped ACV & Me loyalty program

8 CLUB MED MOVEClub Med is dedicating the next four

weeks to its travel agent partners

35 FEATURE THISCIE Tours International offers a selection of

coach tours to the UK and Ireland

16-deck, 168,666-ton, 4,180-passenger Quantum of the Seas makes its debut

tum of the Seas which debuted at its home port here earlier this month.

Unprecedented levels of technol-ogy amp up the vacation experience onboard Quantum of the Seas which allows for the utmost in simplicity, effi-ciency and customization. Guests can be online and connected 24/7 should they choose to be, thanks to superfast wire-less speeds that match broadband con-nections onshore, while RFID luggage tags provide the option of tracking lug-gage in real time through smartphones, and a downloadable app, Royal iQ, em-powers guests to manage every detail of their vacation during the cruise.

Not to mention robots! Technology also enables a number of surprise-and-delight elements on Quantum of the Seas, including a brand new venue, Bionic Bar powered by Makr Shakr that is set to make waves with robots at centre stage.

Royal Caribbean added to its portfo-lio of exclusive, groundbreaking onboard experiences that have never before been imagined at sea with a skydiving experi-ence called RipCord by iFLY, as well as the engineering marvel North Star, a glass observation capsule that gently ris-es more than 300 feet in the air to treat guests to dramatic 360-degree views.

By Ariane Cloutier

BAYONNE, NJ — Quantum of the Seas, the newest cruise ship from Royal Ca-ribbean International, is promising to not only change cruising but the way today’s traveller vacations.

The Quantum of the Seas brings un-precedented first-at-sea features and

amenities. Superfast wireless connectiv-ity, the world’s first robotic bartenders, a skydiving simulator, bumper cars, fu-turistic entertainment and partnerships with celebrated chefs Jamie Oliver, Mi-chael Schwartz and Devin Alexander, are just a small sample of what the modern age of cruising looks like onboard Quan-

Quantum of the Seas

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

November 27, 2014Volume 42 Issue 44

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topnews More ‘firsts’ including bumper cars,

a circus school with flying trapeze and roller skating can be found inside SeaPlex, the largest indoor active space at sea.

Cruise ship dining has also been modernized onboard Quantum of the Seas with Dynamic Dining, where guests have total control of their own culinary journey and can choose from a landscape of 18 distinc-tive restaurants.

Technology headlines Quantum’s entertainment with a lineup of first of their kind productions and perfor-

instruments, while the all-new Music Hall sets the stage for live music featur-ing bands, musicians, DJs, theme night parties and more.

Sophisticated in design and big on size – an average of 9% larger than those of Oasis class ships – the 2,090 staterooms onboard Quantum of the Seas are Royal Caribbean’s largest and most advanced yet. Guests can choose from a wide selection of categories, in-cluding Family-Connected staterooms that are designed for multi-genera-tional families or groups of friends, new balcony and interior Studio state-

including a fully-equipped Adventure Science Lab, as well as the very first wave pool at sea, which debuts as part of the DreamWorks Animation Mada-gascar-themed H2O Zone.

Quantum-class ships span 16 guest decks; encompass 168,666 gross regis-tered tons; carry 4,180 guests at double occupancy; and feature 2,090 state-rooms. For more information, visit RoyalCaribbean.com/QuantumoftheSeas.

mances, and is most prevalent in the ship’s transformational new venue Two70. Here the most highly advanced digital displays, Vistarama and Robo-screens, intertwine with live perform-ers, music and special effects to deliver spectacular, multidimensional shows and events that have never before been seen on land, let alone at sea. The Royal Theater is home to Broadway’s smash hit musical MAMMA MIA! as well as an all-new headline show, Sonic Odyssey, which was inspired by musi-cian and innovator William Close and his variety of one-of-a-kind majestic

rooms that were created for single travellers, as well as Virtual Balcony staterooms, which are interior accom-modations with large digital screens displaying real time views that ensure every room has a view.

The ship’s retail offerings, which can be found within the Royal Espla-nade and The Via, boast a collection of celebrated brands including Cartier, Kiehl’s, BVLGARI and Hublot.

And there’s fun for the whole family, thanks to a number of new enhance-ments to Royal Caribbean’s award-win-ning Adventure Ocean youth program,

THE QUANTUM OF THE SEAS brings superfast wireless connectivity, the world’s first robotic bartenders, a skydiving simulator, bumper cars, futuristic entertainment and partnerships with celebrated chefs.

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topnews

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Riu Specialist Program on track for Canadian launch at the end of NovemberTORONTO — So many Canadians are checking in to Riu Hotels & Resorts properties, “sometimes we don’t trust our eyes when we see the numbers,” says Oliver Kluth, Riu’s SVP Sales & Busi-ness Development.

Business from the Canadian market has been “fantastic”, and the numbers that Sunwing and Signature Vacations produce for Riu are “amazing”, he said. “It has been a very good fit.”

Riu properties are known for their sun and sand but there’s another draw for clients, said Kluth: consistency in product delivery. “Guests can trust our brand and our product standards. That’s what people really like about us,” he said. Riu’s food and beverage offer-ings are particularly popular, he added.

The company continues to expand with new properties this year and two resorts opening in 2016.

This year saw the addition of Riu Playa Blanca in Panama, with Sunwing offering direct flights right into Playa Blanca airport, for a quick 10-minute transfer to the resort.

Also this year, Riu opened Riu Palace Antillas in Aruba, an adults-only prop-erty for the 18+ crowd. And the reno-vated Riu Palace St. Martin has two new restaurants.

Looking ahead to 2016, Riu plans to open a 700-room resort at Punta Nizuc in Mexico, and a 950-room property in Punta Cana.

And in the interim, Riu is getting ready to open its first hotel in Mauritius

in February 2015, and debut the reno-vated Riu Plaza Miami Beach and the new Riu Plaza New York Times Square, both in 2015.

Kluth also wants agents to know that Los Cabos “is back” after Hurricane Odile. Riu has two resorts in the area: the Riu Palace Cabo San Lucas and the Riu Sante Fe. “The airport is open and the roads are clean and the hotels are up and running again. People in Los Ca-bos depend 100% on tourism. Our mes-sage to agents is, Cabo is back. Think again of Los Cabos.”

Riu plans to launch its e-learning pro-gram for Canadian travel agents at the end of this month. The program launched in the U.S. in March “and if we can go by the experience in the U.S., the Canadian launch will go very well,” said Kluth.

The Riu Specialist Program includes some 20 modules with information about Riu and its properties. Agents who complete the program can qualify for incentives including free stays.

“What we’re hearing from agents who have taken the course is that they learned a lot and it helped them make the sale.”

The Riu Specialist Program will be integrated into the existing Riu Partner Club, he added.

Air Canada Vacations launches revamped ACV & Me loyalty programTORONTO — Air Canada Vacations has unveiled a new ACV & Me loyalty program giving agents more flexibility, full automation and expanded options for rewards.

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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) and were available at the time of printing. Seats at the above prices are limited and subject to change without prior notice. Applicable to new bookings only. Not combinable with any other off ers. Transportation taxes & related fees shown must be pre-paid. In-fl ight services vary by fl ight time and destination. Flights are with Sunwing Airlines and Travel Service. For full terms and conditions, please refer to the Sunwing Vacations 2014/15 brochure. 27 Fasken Drive Toronto Ontario M9W 1K6 Ont Reg #2476582 | 11272014

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With the redesigned ACV & Me program, travel agents now have the chance to earn and redeem ACV & Me points towards three types of re-wards:

A prepaid VISA Card with a reload option – the most flexible option; can be used towards any purchase, from holiday gifts to that much-desired de-signer bag. 6,000 ACV & Me points are required to redeem a $50 VISA; 5,800

ACV & Me points required to reload each consecutive $50;

Travel certificates – can be used towards any future booking of an Air Canada Vacations package to any of hundreds of destinations worldwide. 5,000 ACV & Me points are required to redeem a $50 travel certificate;

Aeroplan Miles – the ideal op-tion for Aeroplan members who pre-fer to bank their miles for use towards

future travel, merchandise, gift cards and more. 5,500 ACV & Me points are required to redeem 2,500 Aeroplan Miles.

“We had a good thing going with our previous incentives for our travel agent partners, but we wanted to make our ACV & Me loyalty program even more rewarding for them,” said Eamonn Ferrin, President and COO of Air Canada Vacations. “What travel agent partners now get with the new rewards program is an offer that truly complements the high standard of product and level of service they can always count on from Air Canada Vacations. This enhanced ACV & Me program is our way of showing them just how much we value and appreci-ate their ongoing support.”

Starting now, travel agents can earn ACV & Me points in one of four ways:

Book Air & Hotel packages of seven days or more to any destination and earn 600 points for every package booking;

Book Air & Hotel packages of three to six days to any destination and earn 400 points for every package booking;

Book an Air & Cruise package and earn 600 points for every cruise book-ing of seven days or more;

Book a group and earn 300 points for every passenger booked in a group.

As an added bonus, Air Canada Vaca-tions is doubling all ACV & Me points earned on Air & Hotel, Air & Cruise and group bookings from now until Dec. 14, 2014 for departures as of Dec. 1, 2014, giving travel agents the chance to re-deem even more.

ACV & Me points are awarded on Air & Hotel packages to all destinations including Europe, Asia, South America, North America and the Caribbean and Mexico.

For complete terms and conditions including how to earn and redeem points under the ACV & Me program, as well as general rules and restrictions, visit aircanadavacations.com/agents or call 1-877-752-7710.


topnews

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Club Med dedicates next four weeks to travel agentsMONTREAL — For the next four weeks, the Club Med Canada team will be thanking its travel partners. As the holi-day season approaches, Club Med wants to express its gratitude for the travel agents’ commitment, on a daily basis.

“Club Med Canada’s success relies on our partnership and close relationship with our precious travel agents. They are like the Club Med Canada team, a true ambassador. This year Club Med in Canada has had a banner year – our best since 2008 – and we want to take an op-portunity to say to our travel partners thank you for all that you do. The success of our brand in Canada could not have happened without the support and com-mitment of our travel partners and the exceptional travel advisors who represent them and their clients,” says Jacinda Low-ry, National Sales Director.

“To show its appreciation, Club Med is planning for the next four weeks sur-prises, contests, exclusive content and more, just for travel agents. Stay tuned.”

To find out more, visit clubmedagents.ca and facebook.com/agents.clubmed.

Canadian travel overseas up, to U.S. down in SeptemberOTTAWA — The falling Canadian dol-lar seems to have hit travel to the U.S. but Canadians are still travelling over-seas in impressive numbers, according to Statistics Canada.

Canadian residents made 5.3 million trips abroad in September, down 0.3% from August.

Of these trips, 4.4 million were made to the United States, a 0.5% decline. This was largely attributable to fewer overnight trips.

While travel by Canadian residents to the United States declined, travel to

overseas countries increased 1.1% to 895,000 trips.

Travel to Canada by U.S. residents in-creased in September compared with the previous month, mainly as a result of more overnight trips.

United States residents took 1.7 mil-lion trips to Canada, up 2.6% compared with August.

Overnight trips from the United States rose 3.4% to 1.0 million in Sep-tember, with increases in all transporta-tion modes.

Same-day car travel by U.S. residents rose 0.9% to 599,000 trips.

At the same time, residents of overseas countries made 448,000 trips to Canada in September, down 1.8% from August.

In September, six of the top 12 over-seas markets recorded decreases in travel to Canada. The largest percent-age decline was in travel by residents of Brazil (-20.9%). The largest percentage increase was in travel by residents of Hong Kong (+8.3%).


topnews

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Encore Cruises offers savings on river cruises with CroisiEuropeTORONTO — Encore Cruises has a new partnership with river cruise pioneer, CroisiEurope, and is celebrating the news with an exclusive $200 in savings on select spring 2015 departures.

Valid on all new bookings made by Nov. 30, 2014, when customers book one of three CroisiEurope spring 2015 cruises, they will save US$100 per per-son, or up to $200 per stateroom.

These three cruises are: ‘The Treasures of the Celebrated

Rhine River’ itinerary, an eight-night Am-sterdam to Basel (or reverse) sailing, with departures on April 1, 17 and 25, 2015;

‘Cruise on the Ijsselmeer: Holland’s Largest Lake’ itinerary, a five-night Am-sterdam to Amsterdam sailing, with de-partures on April 3, 8 and 13, 2015; and

‘The Romantic Rhine Valley & Hol-land’ itinerary, a five-night Strasbourg to Amsterdam sailing, with departures on March 28, 29, 30 and April 3, 2015.

CroisiEurope has a fleet of 44 ships and offers cruise itineraries that range in length from three to 13 days, exploring the waterways of Europe and Asia.

Clients can explore the riverside cit-ies of France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Hol-land, the Czech Republic, Germany and Belgium on CroisiEurope’s classic fleet; travel by the line’s modern 12-cabin ca-nal cruisers and discover the very heart of the French regions of Alsace, Bur-gundy, Champagne, Provence and Paris; or board on one of their two ocean ves-sels and discover the coastal areas of

the Greek Islands, Cyprus, Montenegro,

Croatia, Spain and Gibraltar; and all this

while enjoying the amenities and ser-

vices onboard, including French cuisine,

unlimited beverages and free WiFi.

For more information, including

full terms and conditions, visit encore

cruises.com. To make a booking, call

1-800-661-6361.

Contiki and MTV’s The Buried Life showcase ‘The Most #EpicBucketList Contest (Ever)’TORONTO — Contiki showcased its

ongoing partnership with Los Angeles-

based MTV Stars, The Buried Life, and

its latest campaign ‘The Most #epic-

bucketlist Contest (Ever).’

David Lingwood and Duncan Penn

from The Buried Life team were on

hand last week to promote the Con-tiki campaign at Casa Loma in Toronto. The duo spoke about stories from their travels including crashing the MTV awards, streaking during a soccer game and performing a spontaneous rap vid-eo in Napoleon’s sister’s house during a recent Contiki tour they took.

“Partnering with Contiki to launch ‘The Most #epicbucketlist Contest (Ever)’ has been like arriving at the end of a rainbow. Why? Because it’s spar-kling, rare and about to be very cov-eted. So thanks to Contiki and their magical leprechaun for partnering with us,” says Penn.

Millennials can go to the contest website (epicbucketlist2014.com) and select five out of the 20 EPIC Bucket List items that are featured. They can choose from list items such as Swim with Sharks in the Galapagos, Sail the Greek Islands on a Private Yacht and Snowball Fight on a Glacier in New Zealand.


topnews

A CroisiEurope ship sails past Bordeaux

The prizes will be divided by each gateway across Canada – St. John’s (YYT), Moncton (YQM), Halifax (YHZ), Quebec City (YQB), Rouyn-Noranda (YUY), Montreal (YUL), Ottawa (YOW), Toronto (YYZ), Hamilton (YHM), London (YXU), Thunder Bay (YQT), Winnipeg (YWG), Saskatoon (YXE), Regina (YQR), Edmonton (YEG), Calgary (YYC), Vancouver (YVR), Kelowna (YLW), Victoria (YYJ). The top selling agent in each gateway will win a $1,000 VISA® Prepaid Card. The winner’s home agency will receive $1,000. Applicable for individual bookings made between December 1 – 31, 2014 on all Transat product lines through Transat Holidays, Transat Discoveries, TMR and Nolitours. Group bookings are not applicable. Bookings may not be pooled with in an agency. The Confetti program will be administered in accordance with provincial and federal tax laws.

ALWAYS BE AWESOME!

Transat is celebrating your success!Every month we will set a sales challenge

For December we are upping the ante…$38,000 worth of prizes will be given away!

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Your Agency’s Reward $1,000 in Cash!

19 agency prizes in total

There’s more…in addition to winning $1,000 the winner’s home agency will be entered into an annual draw for a

$25,000 grand prize.

WITH CONFETTI,EMBRACE YOUR AWESOMENESS!

Participants can increase their chanc-es of winning by sharing their lists through social media, choosing their travel partner, uploading videos & pho-tos, referring friends and achieving spe-cial challenges.

The Buried Life and Contiki will select the grand prize winner and make the announcement Dec. 1, 2014.

Ecuador – four worlds in one country or Travels in Latitude ZeroTORONTO — Travellers to Ecuador can experience “four worlds in one country” by exploring its diverse regions, accord-ing to Ecuador’s Minister of Tourism Sandra Naranjo.

Speaking to a gathering of travel in-dustry professionals at Crush restau-rant in Toronto last week, Naranjo said the advantages of visiting Ecuador are

that its main regions, which include the Galapagos Islands, the Pacific Coast, the Amazon and the Andes, offer in-credible variety and are relatively close to each other.

The audience heard that Ecuador is home to 18% (or 1,600) of the world’s bird species, more than North America and Europe combined; that the coun-try has more orchid species than any other nation (4,500 species); and that Ecuador’s chocolate makers are winning awards around the world (the oldest traces of cacao found in Ecuador date back 5,000 years).

In the capital Quito, which is a UNES-CO World Heritage site and also a final-ist in the New Seven Wonder Cities of the World contest, there are new con-vention centres, and boutique hotels, and a boom in new restaurants.

Among the new attractions is the Tren Crucero (Cruise Train) – a four-day luxury train journey (one or two-day options are also possible) that runs between Quito and Guayaquil. The vintage train dating to 1908 ceased op-eration in 1997 and was restarted two years ago after a $260 million invest-ment that included new stations, rails, engines and carriages. The 456-kilome-tre scenic journey through the Andes,

along the coast and the ‘Devil’s Nose’ switchbacks, stops in indigenous com-munities and markets and cocoa farms and includes overnight stays in exclu-sive hotels and haciendas.

On the Pacific coast, known for its pre-Columbian cultures, cuisine, beaches and chocolate plantations, the government has invested in new infra-structure and safety improvements in Guayaquil and a new pedestrian bridge to Santay Island.

Ecuador, which is a major producer of flowers thanks to a sunny and warm year-round climate, is home to 14 na-tionalities and 18 indigenous groups.

It’s also the country that invented the famous Panama Hat, which is hand made of Toquilla straw and gained popularity among workers building the Panama Canal.

Naranjo explained that Ecuador, which straddles the equator, has “one of the most dynamic economies in Latin America”, and has experienced a sustained growth of international arriv-als, outperforming the region and the world.

The number of Canadian visi-tors alone increased by 14% this year. Ecuador is also a popular retirement destination.


topnews

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Ecuador’s Minister of Tourism Sandra Naranjo was in Toronto last week.

DHTour brings back women-only Wales tour for 2nd yearBURLINGTON, ON — DHTour, U.K & London specialists, is bringing back for a second year a women-only tour of Wales next June.

“The tour is filled with ‘experiences’ rather than just touring and passengers are immersed in the Welsh culture and in touch with the people,” says DH-Tour’s Sherry Fraser.

“Wales is arguably the most ‘un-touched’ part of the British Isles. Its lush well-kept countryside, picturesque vil-lages, fine gardens, medieval castles and quaint cottages are storybook perfect.”

This is a medium-sized tour with no more than 22 passengers and a minimum of packing and unpacking as participants stay nine of the 10 nights in the same very quaint hotel by the seaside in Llandudno.

There is a 5% Early Booking Bonus to those who book and pay in full by Jan. 31, 2015.

Experiences include:School visit: Meet the staff and chil-

dren at a typical Welsh village Primary School. Llanllechid is small village in Snowdonia and the primary school where the language of the school is en-tirely Welsh has around 80 pupils in the age range of five to 10.

Game of Bowls: Join the ladies of a Bowl-ing Club for a game of Bowls. The game is known as ‘Crown Green Bowling’ where participants join the ladies of Penmae-nmawr village for a friendly Wales v Can-ada competition followed by tea and cake.

Cooking School: Morning coffee at the Bodnant Welsh Food Centre fol-lowed by a cooking demonstration and a ‘hands on’ event.

Wine Tasting and Vineyard Tour: The wine tasting part of the journey is in the Nantlle Valley and the family home of Richard and Iola Huws at Pant Du. This was a small sheep farm when they bought it in 2003 until they set about planting several hundred vines and Pant Du Vineyard pro-duced its first bottle of wine in 2010; they also have an extensive orchard from which they produce award wining cider and apple juice. After a tour of vineyard and orchard with Richard, there is dinner and a little wine tasting to round off the evening.

Welsh Language Lesson: Nant Gwrtheyrn is a former fishing and quarry-ing village and is now a Heritage and Lan-guage Centre that specializes in providing residential Welsh courses to adults. After a light lunch there is a tour of the site and a short ‘Welsh for beginners’ lesson with one of the resident tutors.

Male Voice Choir Concert: The Penrhyn Male Voice Choir is based in the old quarrying village of Bethesda.

As one of Wales’ oldest choirs, Pen-rhyn’s repertoire reflects the traditional values of male voice singing. The group will attend a grand concert featuring The Black Dyke Brass Band and the Pen-rhyn Male Voice Choir.

Meet the Ladies of Abergwyngregin and visit their personal gardens: A tour of the beautiful gardens of the village homes given by the ladies of the hous-es. The afternoon is arranged by the village gardening club and includes an authentic Welsh Tea. A donation will be made in the tour participants names to ‘Breast Cancer Wales’, the garden club’s chosen charity.

Visit a Local Farm: This is not a tour-ist attraction, but a real working mixed farm. Learn about the challenges of farming in the Snowdonia Mountains, the construction of dry stone walls, and view dogs working with sheep.

Along with experiencing the Welsh culture and meeting the people of Wales, participants will also enjoy his-torical sites, places of interest, Welsh food and beautiful scenery. Idwal, a bi-lingual local Welsh guide, will bring the culture, history and legends to life.

The itinerary can be found at dhgrouptours.com.

Sandals’ new partnership with Robert Mondavi Wines just the start of enhanced dining experienceBy Francesca Spizzirri

MANHATTAN — Sandals Resorts held a media event in New York City last week to announce the new ways in which the luxury all-inclusive leader will be enhancing the Sandals Resorts vaca-tion experience in 2015.

Media at the event were treated to an assortment of foods from the resort company’s new globally-inspired res-


topnews

Continued on page 24 ... Snowdonia is the most rugged part of Wales.

Coconut Bay Beach Resort unveils latest renovations, perks for agents

Caribbean

If clients book early enough, they can find flights in the $500 range rather than last-minute flights for $1,000 to $1,500, he said.

The resort’s Sterling Agent program is designed to educate travel agents about deals, as well as deliver special services — such as a welcome note and fruit plate from the agent in the client’s room on arrival.

The program also provides market-ing materials that agents can customize and send to their database of clients, such as alerts for discounted airfare coupled with a special promotion.

Saint Lucia has piqued clients’ inter-est, thanks to The Bachelor reality TV show, said Adams, which filmed not one, but two seasons on the pictur-esque Caribbean island.

“The Pitons have a magnetic kind of attraction to them,” said Adams, of the island’s signature volcanic spires. The resort’s most popular excursion

by Vawn Himmelsbach

SAINT LUCIA — Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa has reopened its doors after a US$5 million renovation to Har-mony, the adults-only side of the all-inclusive resort. This follows another US$5 million in renovations over the past couple of years.

And with more flights to Saint Lucia this coming winter, the resort is working with travel agents to turn this bucket-list destination into a reality for clients.

In September the resort completed an extensive renovation to Harmony, with plans to add a new beach club in the coming months. In 2015, it plans to open The Reserve adults-only luxury suites on the property.

This winter will see more flight op-tions for Canadians, with Air Canada, WestJet and Transat continuing to offer flights to Saint Lucia from Toronto and Montreal, and Sunwing entering the market with three flights per week.

“The overall airlift is up almost 30% this winter,” said Mark Adams, presi-dent & CEO of Coconut Bay Beach Re-sort & Spa, speculating it’s because Sun-wing has “jumped into the party.”

“It’s always good for the consumer when you have an expansion of airlift like that because the pricing should be very attractive,” he said. “Saint Lucia is normally expensive to get to from an airlift standpoint. (Now) you’ve got enough lift that it’s creating a dynamic of competition.”

The typical travel pattern in North America is to book inside 90 days — usually inside 60 days or even 30 days. “That doesn’t work for Saint Lucia,” said Adams. There are less expensive airfares to Saint Lucia, but they need to be booked in advance, he said, add-ing that the resort is making an effort to follow airfares and let their travel agent partners know when there’s a good deal on flights.

Coconut Bay Beach Resort, Saint Lucia


Couples who book a junior suite and stay seven nights or longer will receive a free wedding package. And if the wed-ding party books 20 rooms or more, the resort will upgrade the bride and groom to either the presidential or gov-ernor’s suite.

Currently the resort offers Deluxe, Gold, Diamond and Platinum wed-ding packages. For 2015 it’s launching the premium Pearl package. “The Pearl wedding package is going to have even more inclusions,” said Greene.

The resort also offers honeymoon packages, as well as bachelor and hen nights. A bachelor party, for example, could involve an afternoon of ziplining followed by rum and cigars. Women might choose a spa day with cham-pagne.

One advantage Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa has over other resorts, said Greene, is the option of Splash, the family-friendly side of the resort. “If you want your flower girl and ring bearer,

is its catamaran trip, followed by pri-vate island tours, both of which offer photo ops of the Pitons, a World Heri-tage Site.

On its jeep safaris, guests can ex-plore fishing villages, botanical gardens, waterfalls and the sulphur springs at a drive-in volcano. Other excursions include rainforest nature walks, ATV tours, ziplining, horseback riding, whale and dolphin watching, deep sea fishing, snorkelling, scuba diving, kite-surfing, sailing and sunset cruises.

Over the coming months, the resort will continue to revamp its facilities, add-ing a ‘rustic Caribbean’ beach club with cabanas and a restaurant to Harmony, as well as a new pool. And an outdoor deck that wraps around its a la carte res-taurants Silk (modern Asian cuisine) and Calabash (Creole and Caribbean cuisine) will provide outdoor seating, as well as a cigar and rum-tasting bar.

The resort will continue to expand the offerings in its Rum Bar, with what

it says is the largest rum collection in the Caribbean.

A new, yet-to-be-named restaurant is in the works that will provide a pri-vate dining experience over the water, which can be rented out by couples, families or groups of up to a dozen people.

The resort is also adding a shelter to Eternity Beach, a beachside location for weddings and other events, which is set away from the main resort so noise and late nights won’t disturb other guests. This location can also be used for hay-rides for kids, adult beach parties and other functions, according to Kevin Hughes, general manager of Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa.

The resort handles from 160 to 200 weddings a year, with a maximum of three per day, according to Natalia Greene, director of marketing with the resort. Its busiest wedding period is April, May and June, but weddings are booked year-round.

Caribbean

auténtica blissauténtica bliss

Spectacular beaches wrapped around a country rich in history, culture and unspoiled nature. This is auténtica Cuba. Explore it at gocuba.ca


Gateways International offers winter escapes to Costa Rica, BelizeGateways International has several win-ter escapes on tap for travellers, includ-ing its popular itineraries to Costa Rica and Belize that are fully customizable.

‘Fun & Sun Costa Rica’ combines Tor-tuguero National Park (with its nesting turtles) and a Sky Trek/Sky Tram expe-rience with the beaches of Guanacaste.

The trip includes round-trip interna-tional airfare from Toronto; welcome assistance upon arrival; private trans-fers to and from airports; shuttle trans-portation between sites and hotels; a total of eight nights accommodation; Sky Trek and Sky Tram; and some meals. Pricing is from $1,989 for nine days.

‘Fly & Drive Costa Rica’ allows clients to drive their own 4x4 vehicle from the capital city of San José to the Arenal Volcano, through the cloud forests of Monteverde and the beaches of Man-uel Antonio National Park. A shuttle option is also available. Pricing is from $1,895 for nine days.

‘Tropical Adventure Belize’ is a nine-day adventure that includes the best of beaches and jungles. Clients will begin their journey on a private reserve in the foothills of the Maya Mountains, stay-ing in a cabana with a thatched roof. There, they can spot wildlife and visit Mayan ruins; zip line above the rainfor-est canopy and cave tube through gen-tle cave systems before a four-night stay at a premier dive resort off the shores of Ambergris Caye. Pricing is from $2,715 for nine days.gateways-international.com

grandma and grandpa can stay on Har-mony (and) the kids can stay at Splash.”

The resort also offers engagement packages, which could involve a picnic lunch and champagne at a scenic spot in Saint Lucia, and will soon be offering baby moon packages for expecting couples.

The Kai Mer Spa offers eight treat-ment rooms for singles and couples, as well as three private beachfront ca-banas. Practitioners incorporate local, organic ingredients into their treat-ments, from massages to body scrubs. “We don’t want to be a cookie-cutter spa,” said Greene. “We don’t want you to get the same treatment here as you can get at home.”

The resort worked with a local com-pany, Natmed, to produce a line of products for use in its spa, including coconut massage oil, a chocolate scrub and a papaya-pineapple scrub. The spa also has its own aloe garden for fresh-cut aloe body wraps (and guests who got a bit too much sun).

Canadian agents who want to find out more can contact Annika Klint at KAI (thekaigroup.ca).

Santiago de Cuba, Remedios to celebrate 500 years in 2015Cuba is celebrating the 500th birthday of the country’s eight original villas: Baracoa, Bayamo, Trinidad, Camaguey, Sancti Spiritus, Remedios, Santiago de Cuba and Havana. And in 2015, there are two cities celebrating the occasion: Santiago de Cuba and Remedios.

Founded in 1515, Santiago is the sec-ond-largest city in Cuba, located on the

south east coast. It’s known for its hos-pitable people and historical-cultural heritage. Like Havana, it’s vibrant, and reflects urban Cuba.

The setting is idyllic, nestled between the Caribbean waters of the bay and the Sierra Maestra Mountains. It’s cel-ebrated as the “most Caribbean” of the Cuban cities, for its fusion of cultures, coming from a mixture of Spanish, Afri-can, French, Haitians and West Indians.

Some of the city’s historical sites and tourist attractions include the Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre Sanctuary, the Morro fortress, the former residence of Diego Velasquez (the oldest house in the Americas from the 16th century), Parque Cespedes, the Santa Ifigenia cemetery, the Historical Museum and Siboney Farm.

Santiago de Cuba is also home to musicians, rum and the country’s best carnival celebrations.

Remedios is the eighth village found-ed by the Spaniards in Cuba in the first quarter of the 1600s. It’s perched on the north of the Villa Clara province, about four hours from Havana by car and less than an hour to the beach resorts in Cayo Santa Maria.

It offers well-preserved architecture and features street parties known as “parrandas.”

At the centre of its historic district is the José Martí Square, formerly known as Parochial Square and Isabel II Square. The plaza is flanked by trees and cen-turies-old buildings, such as Casa del Alférez Real and Casa de Las Arcadas. Other major buildings surrounding the square are the churches of Nuestra Señora del Buen Viaje and Parroquial Mayor de San Juan Bautista.gocuba.ca

Caribbean

Fiji Airways’ new ad campaign, deals for clients highlight Fijian hospitality

Airlines & Consolidators

ping, dining, adventure and an 18-hole championship golf course.

Close by is Port at Denarau on the water’s edge, which offers quality shop-ping and dining, as well as a wide range of land, sea and air activities suitable for all age groups.

Fares start from $1,435 (Vancouver to Sydney), including two free nights in Fiji.fijiairways.com

British Airways to boost passengers’ wellbeing with 787 DreamlinerBritish Airways has introduced the 787 Dreamliner to its fleet. The aircraft is the most technologically advanced to join the airline’s operations.

By 2016, British Airways will operate 24 of the aircraft. The airline’s parent company IAG has announced plans to

by Vawn Himmelsbach

Fiji Airways, Fiji’s national airline, has launched its new brand campaign designed to showcase Fijian hospital-ity. The positioning, Welcome to our Home, is meant to capture the Fijian experience travellers have on-board Fiji Airways and, by extension, in Fiji.

The campaign has been launched through a series of videos featur-ing three real families who recently travelled to and from Fiji for a much-deserved “home away from home” vacation. They were nominated by friends and family in September. “Following our successful relaunch last year, we have revamped our marketing approach and have now included more of Fiji’s people in the way we market our company and the country overseas,” says Stefan Pichler, managing director and CEO of Fiji Airways.

“As the national carrier, we want to show off what makes Fiji so special and

unique as an experience. This brand position resonates well with the Fijian people because they live this experi-ence every day. This also better aligns us with our aim of becoming a leading boutique airline that exudes a unique and personal touch.”

Fiji Airways is also offering two nights free in Fiji for travel to the South Pacific. Two passengers travelling together in economy class with Fiji Airways from Canada or the U.S. to Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga or Vanuatu can spend two free nights on Denarau Is-land in Fiji with daily breakfast included.

Participating hotels include the Westin, Sheraton Fiji Resort, Radisson Blu and Sofitel. Clients must purchase their ticket by Dec. 31 for travel up until June 2015.

Denarau Island, on the main island of Viti Levu, is the largest integrated resort in the South Pacific. Just 20 minutes from the Nadi airport, it features shop-

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The Dreamliner can fly for almost 10,000 miles without refuelling — fur-ther than the Boeing 777 or 747 aircraft — and uses 20 per cent less fuel than similarly sized aircraft. This means a re-duction in carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions. Lightweight materi-als make up 50 per cent of the primary structure of the 787, including the fuse-lage and wing.

The aircraft’s advanced monitoring systems allow it to report system main-tenance requirements to ground-based computer systems during flight, in-stantly alerting engineers to any adjust-ments necessary to improve efficiency.britishairways.com

Emirates Airline and SPG take loyalty to new heightsEmirates Airline has partnered with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide to provide reciprocal benefits to Emir-ates Skywards and Starwood Preferred Guest members.

The program, ‘Your World Rewards,’ began Nov. 19 and allows elite Skywards and SPG members who register for the program to elevate their benefits when they fly with Emirates or stay with SPG participating hotels. Members will now earn in the air, on the ground and around the world, whether on business or leisure.

Elite Skywards and SPG members will receive the exclusive rewards of each loyalty program. Skywards Gold and Platinum members will have the opportunity to upgrade their hotel ex-perience, receiving access to SPG elite check-in, 4 p.m. late checkout and com-plimentary in-room Internet access.

In turn, SPG Platinum members will enjoy some of the advantages of Sky-wards elite members, such as priority check-in and priority boarding when flying Emirates. They will also receive complimentary e-gate access for flights in and out of Dubai.

Members will earn bonus Starpoints when they fly with Emirates and bonus

convert 18 existing Boeing 787 options into firm orders, to enter service be-tween 2017 and 2023.

The Dreamliner features 214 seats across three cabins. The Club World cabin seats 35 business-class customers. Those travelling in the cabin will notice that they can choose a seat in a new triple seat configuration. A single rather than two middle seats offers increased privacy, with the rear-facing seat featur-ing an additional stowage drawer. All of the Club World seats feature a brighter reading light and new footstools.

There are seats for 25 customers in the airline’s latest World Traveller Plus cabin and 154 seats in the World Travel-ler cabin.

An integrated LED mood lighting system reflects daylight and night-time brightness and helps customers’ bodies adjust to different time zones.

The Dreamliner also offers a smooth-er ride, with built-in sensors counter-ing the effects of turbulence, reducing nausea for those customers who suffer from motion sickness.

With lower cabin air pressure than traditional aircraft, customers will no-tice an increased amount of oxygen and moisture in the cabin air, helping to re-duce the effects of jetlag and dry eyes.

The Boeing 787 has the largest win-dows of any commercial airliner. The in-crease in size allows a greater number of customers to take in the views, not just the person sitting nearest the window. In-stead of pull-down blinds, each window has its own dimmer switch to alter the amount of light coming into the cabin.

The Dreamliner is also fitted with the latest Thales entertainment system and every seat features a widescreen televi-sion. Customers can choose audio and video on demand, including TV boxsets and audio programmes. They can speak to friends elsewhere on the aircraft us-ing an in-seat chat system and even connect their own devices to the enter-tainment system.

Even the aircrafts’ bathrooms are more advanced. After a lavatory is flushed, the seat automatically closes.


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On Fiji Airways, Business Class travelers experience a unique and exclusive service of travel that features:• Eight-degree lie-flat bed

• Integrated privacy dividers & modern styling

• Noise-cancelling headsets

• In-seat power & USB ports

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Lufthansa Group flying to 260 destinations this winter seasonThe airlines in the Lufthansa Group — Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Germanwings, Lufthansa and SWISS — are offering their customers a high-fre-quency route network in the upcoming 2014/2015 winter flight timetable, with 18,900 flights per week.

This winter, the Lufthansa Group airlines will be linking 260 destina-tions in 100 countries on four conti-nents via its hubs in Frankfurt, Mu-nich, Zurich, Vienna and Brussels, but also with many point-to-point connections. Around 20,500 weekly code-share flights with other partner airlines extend the carriers’ respective offerings and enable single-source bookings. The winter flight timeta-bles for the individual Group airlines apply until March 2015.

Skywards Miles when they stay with SPG on top of their usual earnings. Elite SPG members will earn one Starpoint per dollar, in addition to Skywards Miles, for all eligible Emirates-operated flights; and all Emirates Skywards Silver, Gold and Platinum members will earn the equivalent of one Mile per dollar, on top of Starpoints, for all eligible stays at Starwood hotels and resorts worldwide. Conversion rates will be adjusted for lo-cal currencies.

“We are living in a new golden age of travel with more people from more places travelling than ever before,” says Mark Vondrasek, senior vice-president of distribution, loyalty and partnership marketing at Starwood.

“Your World Rewards allows us to cultivate even greater loyalty with travellers from the world’s fastest-growing travel markets. As Emirates increasingly connects East with West and the emerging markets to the de-veloped world, their reach dovetails

with Starwood’s high-end global footprint and our pipeline of new ho-tels, 75% of which will open in emerg-ing markets.”

According to Vondrasek, SPG mem-bership has grown 400% in key emerg-ing markets over the past five years. And as the Middle East continues to emerge as a global gateway and the crossroads of new world travel patterns, it is also increasingly a source of new frequent travellers. The Middle East is SPG’s third fastest-growing market behind China and India, and one of the top 10 travel destinations for SPG members.

Today, Starwood is the largest high-end hotel company in the region and expects to grow its footprint by 70% over the next five years, specifically in Dubai and other Gulf states like Saudi Arabia, where tourism is on the rise. Currently it has 82 operating hotels in the region, with more than 20 hotels ex-pected to open by the end of 2015.emirates.com


30 minutes faster giving them more time to interact with and assist passengers.

Some of the new dishes on the menu include honey-roasted chicken farro salad and seasonal vegetables with pumpkin and sesame seeds; scrambled eggs with chicken sausage, tomato, hash brown and baked beans; and traditional Greek yoghurt with granola. Pulled beef sliders with capsicum and tomato relish, Weis ice cream bars, and fresh fruit are among the self-serve grazing options.

A team of Qantas food and bever-age experts spent 12 months research-ing and developing the new menu and service, speaking with customers, visit-ing local producers and suppliers, and researching food and dining trends. Trials were run on a number of interna-tional flights and customer satisfaction on those flights almost doubled, hitting record highs.

Vancouver seasonal service will be in-troduced on Jan. 13, 2015.qantas.com

Thanks to the use of larger aircraft, the Group’s capacity in available seat-kilometres is increasing by 2.9 per cent compared with the same period last year. At the same time, the number of flights in the period of the timetable is going down by 2.9 per cent. On average, a Lufthansa Group aircraft is taking off somewhere around the world every 32 seconds.

End-to-end fares allow passengers to book multiple journeys with convenient connecting flights; 49% of the nearly 105 million passengers a year now book a transfer connection via a Lufthansa hub. And 19 European airports are served by all five airlines in the Lufthansa Group.lufthansagroup.com

Qantas offers more choice, larger meals in economyQantas has unveiled details of its new inflight dining options for international

economy customers, which will roll out across the network starting Nov. 25. Customers will enjoy a wider choice of meals, 50% larger servings and faster service, according to the company.

The dining experience will set a new standard for the five million economy customers travelling across the airline’s international network each year, says Alan Joyce, CEO of Qantas Group.

“The new menu offers more gener-ous meals and an increase from two to four meal options. We also have new meal categories, including a healthy option, comfort food and a meal in-spired by the route itself, like smoky barbeque beef on our U.S. flights,” he said. “We have extended our Select on Q Eat service to economy passengers, enabling them to pre-order their meal online with access to an exclusive dish as the fourth dish.”

Together with new serving plates, which remove the need for trays, the crew will be able to serve and clear meals up to


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taurants paired with new wines from a

new five-year collaboration with Robert

Mondavi Wines.

Ever the game changer, Sandals Re-

sorts has been on a culinary journey to

push the envelope and elevate the San-

dals’ dining experience for travellers.

With culinary tourism on the rise, San-

dals Resorts is expanding its ‘Discovery

Dining’ program by inviting guests to

take a closer look and savour the impres-sive and innovative array of cuisine avail-able at Sandals from around the world.

“Guests can now embark on a culi-nary journey through our authentic, globally-inspired cuisine that we creat-ed with our culinary team that includes chefs from 32 countries,” said Adam Stewart, CEO, Sandals Resorts Interna-tional. “We recruit talent from all over the world including Europe, the Ameri-cas and the Far East, so that the regional

one WHAT’S NEW FOR TRAFALGAR IN 2015? Paunic: We have many new and exciting things planned for Trafalgar in 2015 including our entirely new Hidden Journeys trip style, which features guided vacations to harder-to-reach destinations in intimate groups of up to 26.

On some Ireland itineraries, clients will also have the opportunity to stay in Authentic Accommodation and we are also reintroducing our Egypt programs starting in January 2015.

two WHAT IS THE TRAFALGAR EVOLUTION? Paunic: The Trafalgar Evolution is a unique combination of travel, human, artistic and social experiences brought together by a team of Trafalgar Insiders, and delivered to Trafalgar guests in an authentic, engaging and spontaneous way.

Travelling on a Trafalgar guided vacation is not about the numbers of days, hours or sights to be added to the bucket list. It is about a moment in time, spent in a memorable setting, connecting with local characters, enjoying the hospitality of Be My Guest hosts and finding companionship and friendship among fellow travellers.

Since the Trafalgar Evolution started with Gavin Tollman as Chief Visionary Officer and Global CEO at the helm, we have pushed the existing boundaries of

topnewscuisines and experiences we are creat-ing are not mere interpretations, but reflective of the true techniques and presentations of the chefs who know them best.”

Guests can dine on Italian, fresh sea-food, French haute cuisine, island spe-cialties, traditional steakhouses, Thai, sushi, Southwestern, Mediterranean Rim, Indian and British pub favourites, and a decadent selection of French patisserie and crêperie.

Wolf Paunic – Trafalgar Tours Canada

fridayfive

There’s a resurgence of interest in guided vacations and

Trafalgar wants all the business you can send their way.

For this edition of Friday 5, Wolf Paunic, Vice-President,

Sales, Trafalgar Tours Canada, talks about the Trafalgar

Evolution, the 2015 Agent’s Guide and why a good trip is

about more than just a bucket list.

Continued from page 14 ...

New Friday 5

interviews are

posted Fridays at

travelweek.ca

Egypt has been reintroduced into

Trafalgar programs for 2015


topnews With Discovery Dining, Sandals has

raised the bar as the Gold Standard in the industry but it doesn’t end there. Part of developing the gourmet dining experience at Sandals is to reinvent the spirits experience as well.

Stewart announced that Robert Mondavi Wines has replaced Beringer Vineyards as its primary partner for wines. “Robert Mondavi worked with our culinary team to produce private-label wines exclusively for Sandals,” said

Stewart. “As the knowledge of food and wine grows, so must our offerings.”

As of March 1, 2015, guests can enjoy an expanded complimentary wine list as well as an enhanced Manager’s Wine List and on resort programming includ-ing wine pairings and wine tastings.

Resorts will now offer a selection of six complimentary house wines, increased from four varietals, including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Approachable and easy to drink, these wines were selected for their ability to pair with the resorts’ global, authentic cuisine. Additionally, wines from California, Washington, Australia, Italy and New Zealand will be available through an enhanced Manager’s Wine List at all signature Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts restaurants

“Like Sandals, Mr. Robert Mondavi always believed wine, food and good company enrich the soul and contrib-

guided vacations and are continually exploring and adding new experiences.

three HOW MANY ITINERARIES (GIVE OR TAKE A FEW) DOES TRAFALGAR OFFER, AND IN WHAT REGIONS OF THE WORLD? Paunic: Trafalgar offers more than 230 trips to worldwide destinations including Europe, North, Central and South America, Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Africa, and we continue to offer new ways of travel each year.

four WHAT DO TRAFALGAR GUESTS FIND MOST ENJOYABLE ON A TRAFALGAR TRIP? Paunic: We offer our guests real choice by offering more destinations and more trip styles than any other guided vacation operator, with real flexibility with the perfect balance of included sightseeing and free time and real ease so our guests can truly enjoy their vacation while travelling like a VIP.

five YOUR 2015 AGENT’S GUIDE TO TRAFALGAR LOOKS GREAT. WHAT ARE THREE THINGS THAT YOU REALLY WANT AGENTS TO TAKE AWAY AFTER READING THE AGENT’S GUIDE? Paunic: First, the understanding of an honest, responsible and profitable

partnership Trafalgar as a brand

offers to our retail travel agents

and distributors. We approach this

relationship from a business perspective

and work together with the agent to

develop a business strategy, marketing

and communication plan and offer

the services of our Marketing and Sales

teams to generate traffic and conversion

to Trafalgar product.

Secondly, Trafalgar’s program can be

offered to practically every Canadian

traveller, regardless of age, gender,

family status or personal interest.

We have very a well developed,

worldwide Family Program, relaxing

and captivating At Leisure vacations,

and over and above Europe trips, which

we are best known for, we offer North

and South America, Asia, Australia and

New Zealand, and in my view, the best

vacations in Hawaii one can desire.

In all of these destinations, we include

Be My Guest dining experiences, Hidden

Treasures, Local Experts – the works of

unique Insider Experiences.

Third, adopt Trafalgar Insider messaging and your business will prosper. Trafalgar’s earning potential/commissions are the top in the distribution channel. Booking a couple on a Trafalgar guided vacation is like booking tens on low-margin holiday product and we will work with our retail partner at every step of the business strategy we jointly develop.

SINCE THE TRAFALGAR Evolution started... we have pushed the existing boundaries of guided vacations and are continually exploring and adding new experiences and unique elements to our product.

Wolf Paunic, Vice-President, Sales,

Trafalgar Tours Canada


topnewsute to a gracious lifestyle,” said Dana Andrus, senior wine educator at Robert Mondavi Winery, who also on hand at the event. “This partnership is all about the belief that we can enhance the con-sumer experience by matching wonder-ful food served in spectacular locations with the enjoyment of great wines.”

When Sandals Barbados opens on Jan. 28, 2015 after a US$65 million renovation project, it will feature the brand’s first-ever

Indian restaurant, Bombay Club. Guests can also dine at the resort’s second signa-ture steakhouse, Butch’s Chophouse. The first one debuted at Sandals LaSource Gre-nada Resort & Spa earlier this year. Sandals LaSource Grenada has become the new group standard for Sandals.

The Southern Table, an authentic jour-ney through iconic Southern cuisine and Tapas on the Riviera, a Mediterranean small-plates restaurant, will debut at San-

dals Grande Riviera in Ocho Rios in Febru-ary 2015. The property is also undergoing a major renovation that will add a beach club as well as The Rabbit Hole which will tap into the popular Speakeasy trend, which Stewart said will feature “authentic 1920s décor with opulent furnishings and incredible service.”

“The Closer You Look in every sector, Sandals elevates the experience with our quest for doing things better. We push five-star international standards,” said Stewart.

As an example, Sandals Royal Carib-bean in Montego Bay is adding 1,200 square foot, over-the-water suites to its existing property that will include in-suite Jacuzzis and infinity pools on their outdoor decks. The project should be completed by winter 2015.

“Sandals represents the future of Caribbean tourism,” said Stewart, “and when something is successful, the com-petition follows suit.” It’s clear that Sandals Resorts International has every intention to continue raising the all-in-clusive experience as they innovatively move forward into 2015 and beyond. For more information visit sandals.com.

Air Canada uses Boeing 787 Dreamliners on more Asia routes from VancouverVANCOUVER — Air Canada will expand the introduction of Boeing 787 Dream-liner aircraft featuring the airline’s new International Business Class and Premium Economy seating to more of its routes to Asia from Vancouver including Beijing in February and Seoul in March 2015.

Air Canada recently converted its Vancouver-Shanghai route to 787 Dreamliner service, with Vancouver-Tokyo/Narita to be converted mid-December. Visit 787.aircanada.com for a virtual tour of the aircraft featuring Air Canada’s new international product standard that offers international trav-ellers industry-leading seating ameni-ties in a choice of three cabins of service.

Ireland, or Costa Rica, or Italy, for example. And groups, especially wedding groups, are another specialty.

Clients will seek out an agent who can best guide them in planning an exotic trip. The farther away it is and the more exotic or complex the itinerary, the more clients will look to an agent who specializes in that region. Southeast Asia,

China, India, Africa, Australia and New Zealand are all areas of specialty. Very few clients are go-ing to book that type of vacation online.

Then there are the areas of special interest such as educational tours, diving, skiing, wine and culinary, expedition travel … the list goes on and on.

Becoming an SME has proven to be the right strategy for many agents and it might be right for you.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

IN THE LAST COLUMN WE TALKED ABOUT THE OPTIONS FOR AGEN-CIES THAT WERE THINKING OF CLOSING UP BECAUSE OF ALL THE COSTS AND ADMINISTRATIVE WORK INVOLVED IN OWNING AND OPERATING AN AGENCY.

We explored the option of accessing agency services from a host agency which would take care of that side of the business, leaving you free to concentrate on selling travel.

A further survival tactic for travel agents is the trend towards specialization. Many agents and agencies have found this to be an excel-lent strategy to add value to the client.

Now that the Internet has become so preva-lent as a tool for consumers to price shop and look for flights, package holidays and hotels, travel agents have had to re-think their value.

One of the first areas of specialization to emerge was the cruise agent, or cruise agen-cy. Agents who specialize in cruise product stand to earn a good living if they build up a clientele of repeat cruisers and take the time to learn about all the cruise lines and ships, so that they can provide knowledgeable ad-vice to their clients that they cannot get from a website.

What we are really talking about here is known as the ‘Subject Matter Expert’, or SME. SMEs might be a stand-alone, home based agent, or they might be one agent in a travel agency who has a vast knowledge of one des-tination or product line.

Some agents are expert at building an FIT itinerary for clients, finding the best prices and components for a customized tour or trip.

Others specialize in a country or region –

SPECIALIZATION ANOTHER SURVIVAL TACTIC FOR AGENTS AND AGENCIESBy Jill Wykes

Agents who specialize in cruise product stand to earn a good living if they build up a clientele of repeat cruisers and take the time to learn about all the cruise lines and ships.


topnews Air Canada’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner

aircraft feature three cabins of service of-fering comfortable ergonomic seating and enhanced definition intuitive touch personal entertainment screens. Air Can-ada’s International Business Class cabin features 20 Executive Pods with 180-de-gree lie-flat seats in a 1-2-1 configuration guaranteeing direct aisle access.

The Premium Economy cabin has 21 seats in a 2-3-2 configuration and, unique for a North American airline, Air Canada’s Premium Economy seating offers more generous personal space, wider seats and greater legroom and recline as well as pre-mium meals, complimentary bar service and priority check-in and baggage delivery at the airport. The Economy cabin has 210 slimline seats in a 3-3-3 configuration pro-viding personal space consistent with Air Canada’s current Economy cabin.

The fuel-efficient Boeing 787 Dream-liners open up opportunities for Air Canada to serve new international des-tinations and convert existing routes to Dreamliner service as the airline replac-es existing Boeing 767 aircraft with the new Boeing 787 fleet. Air Canada’s first new route to be operated with the 787 Dreamliner was Toronto-Tokyo/Hane-da in July, followed by the conversion of the airline’s Toronto-Tel Aviv route to 787 Dreamliner service in August.

Air Canada will take delivery of six Boe-ing 787 aircraft by the end of 2014, with all 37 aircraft scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2019. The carrier’s Dreamliner fleet will consist of a total of 15 787-8 aircraft and 22 of the larger capacity 787-9 aircraft. As Air Canada takes delivery of new wide-body aircraft for its mainline fleet, current Boeing 767 aircraft will be transferred to its leisure carrier subsidiary, Air Canada rouge.

Bestway Tours debuts ‘The Persian Gardens & The Treasures Of Iran’ tourVANCOUVER — Your clients can walk through ancient palaces and lush gar-dens built for Persian kings, and dis-

cover mysterious Iran on Bestway Tours & Safari’s ‘The Persian Gardens & The Treasures of Iran’ tour.

Clients can gain insight into Iran’s incredible history of more than 2,500 years, as they explore palaces, archaeo-logical sites, gardens, mosques and mu-seums.

The fully-escorted tour will be led by garden expert, Jill Cherry. A landscape ar-chitect and garden historian, Cherry has

directed the gardens of the Royal Horti-cultural Society in the UK, and the Van-Dusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver.

“Iran is so awe-inspiring,” said Cher-ry. “The grand scale of the architecture and the detail and artistry of the decora-tive arts are wonderful, and the historic gardens are an intrinsic part of the whole experience. The splendid pavilions, pal-aces and gardens were conceived as one,” added Cherry. “Perhaps it is the juxtaposi-

tion of high culture in a desert land that is so striking. For visitors, the incredible wealth of Persian history unfolds before your eyes, layer by layer.”

Cherry expects that art and history lovers and garden enthusiasts will be at-tracted to this tour.

“It is one of the friendliest countries I have ever visited,” said Cherry. “Even when travelling alone in Iran, I often have received smiles and impromptu

conversation from locals, and people are usually quite kind. As a foreigner in Iran, I have always felt safe and never been hassled.”

The tour will start on May 2, 2015 in Tehran, the nation’s capital and largest city, and conclude on May 16 in Tehran.

The tour will feature all domestic ground and air transportation in Iran, 27 meals (13 breakfasts/14 dinners), in-cluding a welcome dinner of traditional

Persian food, known for its delicious lamb, chicken and fish dishes, often served with rice and fresh nan bread. Also included will be 14 nights’ hotel accommodations, all sightseeing and transfers including admission fees to museums and sites on the itinerary, and local English guides and driver. The tour will be limited to 20 participants.

The package costs $4,395 per person (based on double occupancy/sharing room), with an extra $550 fee for one person in a single room. The program excludes international airfares, Iran visa, travel insurance and tips and gratuities.

For more information, visit bestway.com/ tours/pvt/persian_gardens/ or call 1-800-663-0844.

Canadian visits to Japan set records for seven months in a rowTOKYO — Canadian travellers are visit-ing Japan in record numbers.

In October, a record 17,700 Canadi-ans visited the country, up 26.3% over the same month last year and up 33.3% over October 2010 before the tsunami.

The record October followed records in April, May, June, July, August and Sep-tember.

For the year to date, 148,983 Cana-dians have visited Japan, up 18.9% over last year and up 15.1% on 2010.

Design Hotels pays 15% commission at 140 hotels for Dec. 1-Feb. 28 staysBERLIN — Design Hotels is offering a special travel agent promotion with over 140 member hotels paying 15% commission on their Best Available Rates.

The offer is valid for GDS bookings from Nov. 17, 2014 with arrivals from Dec. 1, 2014 until Feb. 28, 2015. For a full list of participating hotels, visit designhotels.com/commission.


topnews

Featured this week: INTREPID

A wide range of trip themes including food and sailing

Immerse yourself in the incredibly rich culture

Discover hidden gems with invaluable local knowledge

Three trip styles for all budget and comfort levels

Small group adventure (average of 12 travellers)

www.envoynetworks.ca

ATTENTION TRAVEL AGENTS:

ORDER THIS BROCHURE

HERE

Order your travel brochure today!

Click & Print1 866 915 1511 INTREPIDTRAVEL.COM

The promotion also includes numer-ous benefits for clients, ranging from complimentary breakfast and WiFi to a shuttle service and discounted spa treatments. The added values vary from hotel to hotel.

Canadian tour operators add more direct flights, resorts in St. MaartenPHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten — Canadian travellers have more flights and resorts to choose from this winter season on the island of St. Maarten.

Following are new offerings from var-ious Canada-based suppliers:

Sunwing has added a new weekly flight from Ottawa. The new flight is in addition to Sunwing’s two weekly flights depart-ing from both Montreal and Toronto on Thursdays and Sundays. Sunwing’s fall/winter 2014/15 program now includes the new Sonesta Ocean Point Resort, which is a five-star, all-inclusive and adults-only re-sort which opens on Nov. 27, 2014.

WestJet Vacations is the first tour op-erator in Canada to offer Simpson Bay Resort & Marina, an all-suite property with 342 rooms/83 villas, six pools and seven on-site bars/restaurants. WestJet has added the Westin St. Maarten and Sonesta Ocean Point Resort to its St. Maarten program. WestJet has three weekly flights from Toronto, and one weekly flight from Montreal.

Air Canada Vacations has added a sec-ond weekly flight from Toronto. The AC rouge flights depart on Saturdays and Tuesdays. Air Canada has also added the new Sonesta Ocean Point Resort and Oyster Bay Beach Resort to its fall/winter 2014/15 program. Oyster Bay Beach Re-sort is an all-suite resort located in Oyster Pond, on the north end of Dawn Beach.

Transat Holidays has added a weekly flight from Toronto, departing on Sat-urdays. The Transat Holidays’ fall/win-ter 2014/15 program now includes the Westin St. Maarten and Sonesta Ocean Point Resort.

“We are very excited about the addi-tional flights and resort programs avail-able to Canadians this season. St. Maarten is a diverse destination with many dif-ferent types of accommodation styles including boutique hotels, villas, suites, yachts and all-inclusive resorts. This sea-son’s tour operator programs reflect more of that diversity,” said Catherine Pentiricci, representative for the St. Maarten Tourist Office in Canada.

“Tourists coming from Canada to St. Maarten are an important part of our tourism product,” said Marla Chemont, Interim Director of Marketing for the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau. “We are pleased that these Canadian tour op-erators are providing additional options making it easier for travellers to enjoy the island and all it has to offer.”

Travel agents looking for more in-formation can contact the St. Maarten


topnews

Featured this week: JM VACATIONS

LongStay packages in Algarve & Costa del Sol

Pousadas of Portugal

Portugal & Spain Excursions

Portugal & Spain Fly-Drive Packages

Paradores of Spain

Spain & Morocco Motor coach Tours

1 800 268 8974 WWW.JMVACATIONS.CA

www.envoynetworks.ca

ATTENTION TRAVEL AGENTS:

ORDER THIS BROCHURE

HERE

Order your travel brochure today!

Click & Print

Tourist Bureau Canada office by e-mail: [email protected].

For more information on St. Maarten, the official site of the St. Maarten Tour-ist Bureau, is available in both English and French at VacationStMaarten.com.

Windstar to sail year-round in Tahiti from May 26, 2015 on Wind SpiritSEATTLE — Windstar Cruises is plan-ning to sail year-round in the South Pacific, allowing guests to explore the Society and Tuamotu Islands of Tahiti.

Continuous voyages begin May 26, 2015 aboard the renovated, 148-pas-senger Wind Spirit sailing yacht.

Itineraries will include the seven-day ‘Dreams of Tahiti’ voyage, which was launched in May of 2014 after Windstar’s 10-year hiatus from the region, as well as a new extended 10- or 11-day journey

including stops in the Tuamotu Islands. The Tuamotus are widely known as a diver’s and snorkeler’s paradise.

“When we returned to Tahiti this year, we knew it would be a popular choice for our guests,” says Hans Birk-holz, Windstar Cruises’ chief execu-tive officer. “Now with the addition of our Star Breeze and Star Legend power yachts, which debut in May of 2015, we’re able to extend our sailings in Ta-hiti year-round to accommodate the demand from our customers.”

In addition to the new itinerary, Wind-star also is expanding its shore excursion offerings to include bespoke adventures such as private snorkeling at a Tahitian black pearl farm in Raiatea. Guests can find and keep their own pearls while learning about the art of pearl production, followed by a champagne sunset cruise along the coral reef where blacktip sharks are known to make an appearance.

The ‘Dreams of Tahiti’ voyage begins in Papeete aboard the Wind Spirit and

sails to Moorea, Tahaa, Raiatea, Hua-hine and Bora Bora.

The ‘Tahiti and the Tuamotu Islands’ itinerary offers a 10- or 11-day voyage, which will occur four times in 2015 and seven in 2016, includes the above itinerary plus stops in Takapoto and Rangiroa in the Tuamotus, as well as two days at sea on the South Pacific. The 11-day voyage features a visit in Fakarava, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve for the preservation of rare species.

With six sails, the French-built Wind Spirit sailing yacht is ideal for cruising in the French Polynesian islands under the power of warm breezes and billowing sails. Just before setting sail in Tahiti in May of 2015, the yacht’s 73 staterooms will undergo a renovation. The new state-rooms will include a transformed seating area for relaxing on a sofa, as well as new, chic dressers and a more open layout. The upgrades quickly follow up Windstar’s $18 million fleet-wide renovation project from 2012, which enhanced staterooms and corridors.


topnews

WHAT’S NEW AT THE LEARNING CENTRE? www.travelweeklearningcentre.ca

OUTRIGGER EXPERT AGENT Outrigger Expert Agent is a rewards and educational program created for retail travel agents who sell hotels, resorts and vacation rentals in Hawaii and across the Asia-Pacific region.

VIA RAIL CANADA SPECIALIST PROGRAM The VIA Rail Canada Specialist Program leaves agents with a comprehensive knowledge of VIA Rail’s services and networks.

GFOB UNIVERSITY - GLOBUS FAMILY OF BRANDS At the GFOB University, travel agents can familiarize themselves with the Globus family of brands, increase product knowledge and improve their bottom-line.

OCEAN BY H10 SPECIALIST PROGRAM Explore H10 Hotels and its Ocean brand resorts in the Caribbean, discover the ambiance of each hotel and what they offer to clients.

For a better look at Windstar’s adven-tures in Tahiti, click here to view the new video: http://tinyurl.com/WindstarTahiti.

‘Buy one, get one half off’ cruise + air bookings with Encore, RCITORONTO — Effective immediately, and running for the next two weeks, Encore Cruises, together with Royal Ca-ribbean International, is featuring a ‘buy one, get one half off ’ promotion, on all cruise + air bookings.

Running from Nov. 24 to Dec. 7, the promotion applies to all 2015 Florida sailings of seven nights or longer.

Here are some sample prices:Out of Montreal: passenger 1 pays

$1,639, and passenger 2 pays $1,044, taxes in (Feb. 15/15, Freedom of the Seas, inside stateroom cat. Q)

Out of Halifax: passenger 1 pays $1,653, and passenger 2 pays $1,028, taxes in (Feb. 21/15 departure, Vision of the Seas, inside stateroom cat. Q)

Out of Toronto: passenger 1 pays $1,691, and passenger 2 pays $1,051, taxes in (Sept. 6/15 departure, Independence of the Seas, inside stateroom cat. M)

Out of Vancouver: passenger 1 pays $1,709, and passenger 2 pays $1,337, tax-es in (Sept. 6/15 departure, Freedom of the Seas, inside stateroom cat. Z)

Out of Quebec City: passenger 1 pays $1,783, and passenger 2 pays $1,123, taxes in (Aug. 30/15, Independence of the Seas, inside stateroom cat. M).

Valid out of all Canadian gateways, prices above include taxes and already re-flect the half-off discount on cruise + air for the second passenger. Offer includes roundtrip flights to Fort Lauderdale, Port Canaveral or Tampa, a seven-night Eastern or Western Caribbean cruise, roundtrip transfers from the airport to cruise port, and prepaid gratuities.

What’s more, with every applicable booking, customers will receive up to US$300 in onboard credits to use during their cruise. Get $100 in onboard credits

when an inside or oceanview stateroom is booked, $200 on balcony stateroom bookings and $300 on suites.

Bonus is per stateroom.For more information and to book,

call 1-800-661-6361 and use promo code: BOGOHO.

notes

Travel to Germany up 5.3%From January to August 2014, 51.6 million overnight stays by visitors from abroad were recorded in Germany. According to preliminary numbers, Germany’s Federal Statistical Office registered 2.6 million addi-tional overnight stays in accommodations with 10 or more beds, an increase of 5.3% compared to last year. According to Ger-man National Tourist Board (GNTB) CEO Petra Hedorfer, “we are looking forward to the fourth quarter with confidence. Ap-proximately 22% of the annual number of international overnight stays occurs dur-ing that period, the traditionally popular Christmas markets serving as the engine for solid autumn business.” “Here in Canada, we are indeed seeing increased demand in travel to Germany for the Christmas mar-kets,” says Antje Splettstoesser, Director Marketing and Sales for the German Na-tional Tourist Office in Canada.

people

Vicki Theophilou named BDM for GTA Wholesale in CanadaGTA, one of the world’s largest travel wholesalers, has appointed Vicki Theoph-ilou as Business Development Manager to build relationships with the wholesale trav-el trade in Canada. She will position GTA as the leading supplier to wholesale clients and tour operators throughout Canada. She joins GTA from TMR Holidays where,

as commercial director, she launched the brand to the Ontario marketplace forging relationships with national chains, consor-tiums, agents and tourist boards. Previous management roles at Total Vacations, Glo-belite Travel Marketing and Solways Holi-days have helped her develop destination knowledge across Asia, the Caribbean, Cen-tral and South America, Mexico and the U.S. During more than 24 years at national leisure tour operator Air Canada Vacations, she led the central Canada sales team to generate more than 60% of total company sales. Theophilou said she will “help edu-cate Canada’s travel industry about GTA’s value and the rich variety of accommoda-tion, services, attractions and experiences we offer in destinations worldwide”.

Cunard names Richard Meadows President for North AmericaCunard has named Richard Meadows President of Cunard Line – North Ameri-ca, assuming operating responsibility for the iconic Cunard brand throughout the North American continent from Dec. 1 2014. He will report to David Noyes, CEO of Cunard Line. Meadows will retain his role as President of Seabourn, leading all business and global operations for the cruise line. “With Rick having worked at so many brands within the Carnival Cor-poration portfolio, we are eager to lever-age his knowledge, experience and skills to advance the Cunard brand in North Amer-ica,” said Noyes from the Line’s headquar-ters in Southampton. “His background in leading Seabourn is particularly valuable, as he understands well the nuances of delivering superior service and enriching onboard experiences – the things that di-rectly appeal to Cunard passengers.” Mead-ows has held key positions at a number of Carnival Corporation & plc brands over his 29-year career with the group and has held the position of President of Seabourn since 2011. During that time, he also has served as Executive Vice President of Marketing, Sales and Guest Programmes for Holland America Line, where he had global rev-enue responsibility. With his appointment


topnews/extras

marketplace


as President of Cunard – North America,

Meadows will gradually step away from

Holland America Line to give his complete

focus to his new role.

Two charged under Travel ActGerardo Calderon and Gladys Calderon,

carrying on business as Smartchoice Travel

& Tours, have each been charged with

one count of furnishing false information

contrary to section 31(1)(a) of the On-

tario Travel Industry Act, 2002. In addition,

Gerardo Calderon and Gladys Calderon

have been charged with 13 and 11 counts

respectively, of failing to deposit and hold

customer funds in a trust account, contrary

to section 27(3) of Ontario Regulation

26/05 made under the Act. Smartchoice

Travel & Tours was a registered travel agent

that operated in Toronto and elsewhere in

Ontario. Its registration under the Act was

voluntarily terminated on June 13, 2014. The next court appearance is scheduled for Dec. 18, 2014 at 9 a.m. at the Ontario Court of Justice, Provincial Offences Court, located at 70 Centre Avenue, Toronto.

Dirk Baerts named Canadian board member for ACTEDirk Baerts, Managing Director, Egen-cia Canada, will begin a three-year term as Canada Region Board Member for the Association of Corporate Travel Execu-tives (ACTE) on April 1, 2015. According to ACTE Executive Director Greeley Koch, Baerts’ unique career of multi-national management in the technology industry will bring an additional level of insight to the ACTE Board. “As an international as-sociation, ACTE’s Board of Directors deal with corporate cultural diversity as well as major travel issues on a routine basis,” said

Koch. “Dirk Baerts’ background in tech-nology management spans Asia, Europe, and North America. His recent years with Egencia give him an equally unique per-spective on business travel. I look forward to working with him in the future.” Based in Mississauga, ON, Baerts is responsible for the company’s travel management ser-vices in Canada and heads up its Meetings & Incentive operations for the entire North American region. Before his Canada-based appointment in 2011, Baerts was country manager for Egencia Belgium for two years. Prior to joining Egencia in 2008, he worked in the technology industry for more than 15 years, holding several management positions at leading companies in Europe, Asia and Japan. Baerts participated in a panel discussion on the New Distribution Capability at the ACTE Canada Corporate Travel Conference last week at the Delta Edmonton South Hotel and Conference Centre.

LOOKING TO PLACE A MARKETPLACE AD?Contact us at [email protected] or 416-365-1500HRG North America. A Hogg Robinson Group company.

Opportunities are only limited by your ambition.

We have openings in Montreal for Junior Travel Consultants(French bilingual a plus).

Detailed descriptions of the positions as well as application details

for those qualified can be found at:

www.hrgworldwide.com/en-noam/Jobs/Vacancies/Pages/default.aspx

Together, HRG People continue to deliver a service that truly sets our business apart.

Add your vision to our team.

topnews/extras

»

» »

» » » »

Our Ideal Candidate is:

Desired Skills:

GROUP TRAVELCOORDINATOR

[email protected] EMAIL YOUR RESUME TO:

Marlin Travel Niagara Be part of a leading national travel organization

FULL-TIME SALES CONSULTANT

Experienced or recent college graduateSales and marketing an asset

Salary plus profit sharing!

Email resumes to [email protected]

Established IATA Travel Agency

For SaleToronto (North York)

Ontario

Owner Retiring

Inquiries please email [email protected]

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Apply and learn more about becoming an Independent Travel Agent at

flightcentreassociates.com or call 1 866 474 3140

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marketplace


Rich history, breathtaking beauty and must-see attractions in the UK and Ireland with CIE Tours

featurethis

With unique culinary experiences and spectacular scenery,

CIE’s tours provide unforgettable vacations for all. Itineraries

include the Scottish Dream, the Scottish & Irish Supreme, and

the British & Irish Voyager.

Clients can discover Scotland on the eight or nine-day

Scottish Dream, which includes a visit to Edinburgh Castle

and a Loch Lomond scenic cruise. They can tour the enchant-

ing grounds of the Royal Family’s Balmoral Castle, with access

to the castle gardens and elegant ballroom.

There’s also a chance to take a trip to Inveraray Castle,

featured in Downtown Abbey and the seat of the Duke of

Argyll, chief of Clan Campbell since the 17th century, and

drive across the Tay Bridge to St Andrews, better known as

the ‘Home of Golf ’, to view the famous Royal and Ancient

Clubhouse, as well as the Old Course.

Clients can also opt to travel through Ireland and Scotland,

with visits to magnificent castles on the 13-day Scottish &

Irish Supreme, including Glamis Castle, the legendary set-

ting of Macbeth and Blarney Castle, where visitors can kiss

the ‘Stone of Eloquence’. There’s also time to travel along the

Cliffs of Moher and take a jaunting car ride through Killarney

National Park to the lovely 19th century Muckross House.

Or clients can venture through Britain and Ireland on the

14-day British & Irish Voyager, featuring Scottish evenings, The

Beatles Story and Dingle Peninsula. At Clonmacnoise, visitors

will see a monastic settlement founded in 545 AD by St. Ciaran,

with magnificent ruins and architecture. And they’ll enjoy a

night’s stay at the stunning Fitzpatrick Castle, near Dublin, and

a special farewell dinner before the journey home.

CIE Tours International delivers unforgettable travel experi-ences, ensuring that there are no optional extras with the $550+ Advantage, a no-fee benefit guaranteeing that travel-lers are never charged for special features considered optional extras with other tour companies.

Clients can travel across emerald fields, dramatic coastal inlets and bustling cities, and visit famous landmarks and castles with their own tour guide who will bring the best of each destination to life.

“The destinations we visit are home to boundless castles, from ancient ruined castles steeped in myth, to elegant ones still inhabited. We offer a selection of over 50 fully inclu-sive coach tours to Ireland, Scotland, England, and Wales, ranging from five to 24 days, providing plenty of options!” says Melissa Sourbis, Marketing Assistant, CIE Tours Inter-national.

On a CIE Tours trip, clients can immerse themselves in cul-ture by learning local traditions and visiting iconic locations.

WE OFFER a selection of over 50 fully inclusive coach tours to Ireland, Scotland, England, and Wales, ranging from five to 24 days, providing plenty of options!

For more information visit cietours.com.

Contact your travel agent, call 800.243.8687 or visit www.cietours.com

Photos: Top – Killarney National Park, Co. Kerry;Bottom – Glamis Castle, Angus, Scotland

E X P E R I E N C ESCOTTISH DREAMEscorted TourVisit Scotland’s highlights, including Loch Lomond Cruise, Inveraray Castle, Isle of Skye, Glamis Castle,St. Andrews, Edinburgh Castle and more!Three departures per week, March to October 8 or 9 days, Now $1647 – $2410D I S C O V E RICONS OF BRITAINEscorted TourAn in-depth tour of Britain with Edinburgh Castle & city tour, scenic rail trips, Cardiff Castle Banquet, London landmarks, Windsor Castle and more.Departs Fridays, April to October16 days, Now $3766 – $4139I N D U L G ESCOTTISH & IRISH SUPREMEEscorted TourEnjoy luxurious hotels and gourmet dining, Glamis, Crathes and Edinburgh Castles, Cliffs of Moher, Ring of Kerry, Dublin sightseeing and Book of Kells.Departs Thursdays, May to October13 days, Now $5125 – $5778

* SAVE $100 per person on the land portion of any2015 escorted coach tour of 9 days or longer whenyou book by December 31, 2014. Use code 123114TWC100.

SAVE $75 per person on the land portion of any 2015 escorted coach tour of 8 days or less. Use code 123114TWC75.

Prices are in US dollars and subject to exchange rate at time of booking.

All CIE Tours travel programs are protected by the company’s $550+ Advantage, a no-feebenefi t guaranteeing that travelers are never charged for special features considered optional extras with other tour companies.

Documents

CANADA’S TRAVEL TRADE PUBLICATION 16-deck, 168,666-ton ...travelweek.dgtlpub.com/3_5/issues/2014-11-27/pdf/... · 11/27/2014 · CONTACT US FOR A FREE DEMO! Travel Management and