TRAVELHotNews.com Magazine

TRAVELHOTNEWS.COM SURVEY PRIZE WINNER

Teresa Mogollon of ABC Travel & Tours wins $500 prize for responding in TRAVELHotNews.com survey

Teresa Mogollon with her husband and son

TRAVELHotNews.com is pleased to announce that Teresa Mogollon of ABC Travel & Tours in White Rock, BC has won the randomly selected $500 cash prize for responding to the TRAVELHotNews.com survey. The survey was conducted earlier this year. Some of her thoughts on TRAVELHotNews.com: “I like almost everything in the magazine. It provides the important news I need and I check the Events Calendar regularly. I read TRAVELHotNews every day.” Teresa works as a travel consultant at ABC Travel & Tours and has been at the company for three years. Her travel career began in her hometown of Mexico City, when she was the sales director of a travel corporation for seven years. Congratulations to Teresa!

TUCAN TRAVEL FAM TO PERU

Canadian agents take to Peru and experience the wonders of Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca & Lares Trek from Oct. 12-24, 2007

The group

While Peru’s Inca Trail may have a more famous name, a group of Canadian travel agents recently discovered the advantages of hiking the Lares Trek with Tucan, an alternative trail which culminates in a guided tour to Machu Picchu. The 12-day trip, which also took in Lima, Lake Titicaca and the city of Cuzco, gave 14 agents the opportunity to experience Peru according to Tucan Travel’s grassroots philosophy. Using an assortment of local and private transport as well as staying in small, locally owned hotels, agents enjoyed an authentic, down-to-earth and interactive experience of the country during their trip in October. [Full text and pictures]

LUCKY SUITCASE CONTEST CONTINUES!

TRAVELHotNews.com and Sunquest give you a chance to win a trip for two to the Holiday Inn Sunspree in Jamaica; contest ends Dec. 13, 2007

If you haven’t yet participated in the Lucky Suitcase Contest, now is the time. The contest will be ending on December 13th. You could win a one-week trip for two at the Holiday Inn Sunspree in Jamaica, courtesy of Sunquest. It’s easy and fun to play!. Choose a suitcase and click to ‘open’ it. The number shown inside the suitcase (ranging from 2 to 300) will represent the number of times your name could be entered in the grand prize draw. If you answer the skill-testing question correctly, your name will be entered in the draw anywhere from 2 to 300 times. If you answer the question incorrectly, your name will be entered in the draw one (1) time only. You can only enter the contest once; multiple attempts to enter the contest will be removed. For more details, read the rules online. Click to play the Lucky Suitcase Contest today!

SUNWING, TEMPTATIONS OFFER SEARS CONTEST

Agents have a chance to win Sears gift cards when booking , Sunwing's newest addition, Temptations Resort & Spa in Cancun

Travel agents selling the newest addition to Sunwing’s Riviera Maya hotels may find themselves heading to the mall. That’s because for every room booked at the Temptations Resort and Spa by December 9 (for travel completed by April 30 next year), agents will receive a scratch’n’win card which may provide a $25 gift card from Sears. The Temptation Resort and Spa in Cancun is set to open December 21 with an “over 21” ambience, topless-optional beach, ultra-hip music, spa, and body-painting lessons. Located on a white sand beach 20 minutes from downtown, the 384-room resort invites singles and couples to experience a contemporary, uninhibited take on the all-inclusive holiday. [Full text and pictures]

THOMAS COOK CANADA IS NEW GSA FOR MONARCH CRUISES

Monarch Classic Cruises offers small-ship cruising in the Greek Islands and Mediterranean

M/V Ocean Monarch

Thomas Cook Canada has announced their role as new General Sales Agent in Canada for Monarch Classic Cruises. Specializing in affordable, small ship cruising in the Greek Isles and the Mediterranean, Monarch offers guests an ideal mode of travel when visiting the region’s many ports-of-call. “We are Monarch Classic Cruises in Canada,” said Lars Löfgren, President and COO of Thomas Cook Canada. “We are proud to represent Monarch as we believe it offers truly unique and intimate cruise experiences in Mediterranean and Aegean, something that complements and enhances the product we currently offer through both Holiday House Greece & the Mediterranean and Encore CruiseEscapes.” [Full text and pictures]

DAY TRIPS TO U.S. AT 6-YR HIGH

Day trips to U.S. at 6 year high as strong loonie inspires more cross border shopping
Canadian Press

Day trips to the United States hit a six-year high in September, as Canadian shoppers took advantage of the loonie's equal footing with the American dollar to shop across the border. ``The lion's share of the story here is the loonie,'' said BMO senior economist Doug Porter. ``The strongest gains we're seeing are in one-day car trips to the U.S., and that certainly suggests that cross-border shopping is picking up big time.'' The loonie hit parity with the U.S. greenback on Sept. 20 and its average for the month hit 97.5 cents US, while the number of same-day, cross-border trips surpassed the two-million mark for the first time this year. [Full text and pictures]

MEXICANA, AMADEUS TEAM UP

Mexicana and Amadeus to develop long-term technology partnership

Amadeus and Mexicana de Aviación, Mexico’s leading airline, have signed a preliminary agreement that paves the way for a long-term technology partnership between the two companies. Through the agreement and subject to final negotiation, Mexicana will adopt the full Altéa Customer Management Solution to manage reservations, inventory, and departure control, as well as e-commerce technology, to drive sales through the airline’s commercial website, mexicana.com. Adoption of next-generation technology will support Mexicana’s IT modernisation program, and equip the airline with the tools and flexibility to respond effectively to their customers’ needs and expectations.