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| VOILA: FRANCE GUIDE 2010 |
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ATOUT France team reveals the new France Guide 2010 for spring; Canadian arrivals increase in 2009
Text and photos by Charmaine Pang
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| Tony Celio, Caroline Putnoki, Didier Leroy, Jérôme Cauchard, Mélanie Paul-Hus | | It may still be winter in Canada but the France Tourism Development Agency, ATOUT France, wants travel agents to turn their thoughts to booking France in the spring. With that in mind, ATOUT France hosted a Toronto media launch for their spring 2010 edition of France Guide magazine at Didier Restaurant.
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| ISRAEL, WHERE ELSE? |
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Israel Government Tourist Office hosts breakfast to unveil new Where Else? campaign
Text and photos by Lisa Raffaele
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| Oded Grofman, Ellen Melman, Jerry Adler | | Putting to rest their last campaign, “You’ll Love it From Your First Shalom”, the Israel Government Tourist Office (IGTO) has announced that their new “Where Else?” advertising campaign is now rolling out across Canada. Hosting a press luncheon at Toronto’s Park Hyatt Hotel yesterday morning, the tourist office gave the media a preview of their new campaign and offered Canadian visitation numbers for the previous year. Despite seeing a 10 per cent decline in Canadian visitors in 2009, Oded Grofman, Consul of Tourism and Director for Canada, IGTO, said that every year other than 2009 has shown growth from the Canadian market. Keep reading for more.
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| BIG FIVE’S NEW 2010/11 BROCHURE |
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Big Five Tours & Expeditions launches 146-page, hardcover-bound brochure to showcase luxury tours in 2010/2011
Big Five Tours & Expeditions has launched its latest brochure. The book offers no prices or departure dates, and is designed as a hardcover 146-page book that will be at home on any coffee table. It features all the destinations Big Five travels to in Africa, Central and South America, Asia, the Orient and the South Pacific. Each country features a sketch outline of one “suggested itinerary” accompanied by “custom options” and brief descriptions of the most noted cities/regions/sites in each country. This makes it easy to customize every journey. The book is lavishly illustrated with photographs.
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| ACTA ASKS FOR DISCLOSURE |
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| David McCaig | | ACTA makes progress in getting wholesalers to disclose fees added to base fares, and to pay commissions on full value of travel products sold
The Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA) has announced that several major travel wholesalers will be disclosing the fees, charges and taxes they add to their base fares. Some wholesalers have also agreed to pay commissions to travel agencies on the full value of travel products sold. ACTA President and COO David McCaig said this “will have a substantial impact on prices quoted for vacation packages and on the compensation earned by agencies for the work they do arranging millions of trips each year.” Keep reading for the full story.
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| HUNTINGTON ASKS YOU TO GO FOR GOLD |
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Huntington launches “Take Home the Gold” air booking promotion; ends Feb. 28
In the spirit of the Winter Games, Huntington is offering agents the chance to earn with their “Take Home the Gold” Promotion. The agency that obtains the highest number of air bookings on or before the closing ceremony has the chance to win a gold, silver or bronze award. The lucky winners will receive 150 VISA Rewards (gold), 100 VISA Rewards (silver) and 75 VISA Rewards (bronze). The promotion begins February 22 and will run until February 28, 2010. To qualify, candidates must be a member of the Agent Scotiabank VISA Rewards Program and all bookings must be completed on or before the closing date to qualify. For more information on the Agent Scotiabank VISA Rewards Program, agents should go to huntingtontravel.net/agentrewards.html or e-mail rewards@huntingtontravel.net. For more information, contact Huntington toll-free at 1-800-563-8939 or email online@huntingtontravel.net.
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| TOURISM IRELAND SAYS ‘FORE’ |
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Tourism Ireland puts an emphasis on golf in 2010; will feature Canadian contests and deals; win a golf trip to Ireland
Tourism Ireland plans to make 2010 the year Canadians golf in Ireland thanks to its new golf offers booklet, which is full of amazing golf deals and includes a contest to win a golfing trip to Ireland. Ireland is one of the top golfing destinations in the world, home to over 400 courses and one-third of the world’s links. “For many, Ireland has always been a dream golf destination, but now, thanks to these fabulous great-value golf offers,” says Judith Cassidy, Manager Canada of Tourism Ireland, “2010 will be the year Canadians turn this dream into a reality.” Tourism Ireland will also be at the 2010 Toronto Star Golf & Travel Show from March 5-7 in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Keep reading for more details.
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| AIR SECURITY TAX RISES |
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| John Baird | | Tories to raise air security tax, spend $1.5 billion on security
Canadian Press
The federal government is set to raise the airport security tax on April 1 - subject to parliamentary approval - to cover the cost of full-body screening and other new security measures. Transport Minister John Baird announced Thursday that the government will put up $1.5 billion over the next five years to tighten security. To cover that, air security fees will rise by $2.50 for a one-way flight in Canada, by $4.37 for transborder flights, and by $8.91 for international routes. The fees currently range from $5 to $16 a ticket, depending on the destination. Baird played down the increase, saying it's not much more than the cost of an in-flight pillow or a headset. Keep reading for more news.
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CONGRESS PASSES BILL TO PROMOTE U.S.
Canadian Press
Millions of foreign tourists are shying away from U.S. destinations, a trend that congress hopes to reverse in a travel promotion act it passed Thursday. The Senate voted 78 to 18 for the legislation, which sets up a non-profit corporation for travel promotion tasked with assuring potential visitors that they will be welcomed, helping them with paperwork and informing them of the many American places of interest outside the usual tourist destinations. It now goes to President Barack Obama for his signature. Costs for the program would be divided equally between the government and private industry, with Washington contributing up to $100 million a year. All that money would come from a $10 fee levied on travellers from the 35 countries, mostly in Europe, participating in a visa waiver program.
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