TRAVELHotNews.com Magazine

MISSOURI JAZZES IT UP

Missouri hosts gala appreciation dinner for Canadian travel industry
Lisa Raffaele

Lenni Neimeyer, Director of Leisure Group Sales, Branson Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention & Visitors Bureau; Joanne Scalamogna, Access Marketing; Kelli Freeman, Tour & Travel Marketing Coordinator, Kansas City; R.B. "Bob" Smith, III, Interim Director, Missouri Division of Tourism; Renee M. Eichelberger, National Group Tour Sales Manager, St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission; Susan Weimar, CTIS, Director of Sales, Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater; Donna Cordle-Gray, Missouri Division of Tourism

Yesterday evening, the state of Missouri hosted a gala dinner for local tour operators, agents and media at Toronto’s Sutton Hotel. The appreciation evening featured entertainment by Las Vegas hall of fame entertainer Bob Anderson, and an opportunity to speak with representatives from St. Louis, Branson, Kansas City and Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater. The Missouri gala started in 2000 and despite a standstill in the past few years, the annual event is now to be a continual occurrence in Toronto, according to Donna Cordle-Gray, Missouri Division of Tourism. "Canada is a huge market for us," Cordle-Gray told TRAVELHotNews. "Missouri treats Canada like an international market. Too many destinations treat Canada like a domestic market." [Full text and pictures]

SARDEGNA – A SECRET NO MORE

Press conference introduces the many charms of Sardegna to Canadians
Charmaine Pang

Riccardo Strano, Director of the IGTB in North America, Luisa Anna Depau, Minister of Tourism and Commerce for Sardegna; Gianni Bardini, the Italian Consul-General in Toronto; Enzo Colombo, Director of the Italian Government Tourist Board (IGTB) Canada

Yesterday evening, the Italian Government Tourist Board in Toronto held a press conference and reception for tour operators, travel agents and the media. Approximately 50 guests were present at the press conference, which aimed to showcase a little-known (to Canadians, at least) region of Italy, the fascinating island of Sardegna. Present at the meeting were Enzo Colombo, Director of the Italian Government Tourist Board (IGTB) Canada, Riccardo Strano, Director of the IGTB in North America, Gianni Bardini, the Italian Consul-General in Toronto, and the featured speaker of the evening, Luisa Anna Depau, the Minister of Tourism and Commerce for Sardegna. [Full text and pictures]

NEW RIU BROCHURE FROM SUNQUEST

Dedicated 2008/2009 brochure is now available; EBBs of up to $800
Hot off the presses, Sunquest has released the 2008/09 edition of its dedicated RIU brochure, which features RIU’s full line-up of resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico, the majority of which are available exclusively from Sunquest. A few changes to the line-up this year include the addition of the brand new Riu Palace Pacifico, which will open in Riviera Nayarit in the Fall, the addition of the brand new Riu Montego Bay, which will open in late Summer, and the transformation of the Riu Tropical Bay into the Riu Palace Tropical Bay, which will be unveiled in December. Book early and save your clients up to $800 per couple when booked and paid by Oct. 31, 2008, for travel between Dec. 24, 2008 and Apr. 30, 2009. Read on for complete details. [Full text and pictures]

TRANSAT OFFERS LONDON FOR $99

Transat Holidays is offering their lowest price of the season to London Gatwick. The $99 roundtrip airfare is valid for bookings made from April 18 -22 for departures from Toronto on May 02 (TS884), 09 (TS884), 10 (TS760) and 11 TS760 & TS722) and returning on May 07 (TS223 & TS203), 09 (TS423), 10 (TS523), 12 (TS723), 15 (TS397) and 16 (TS423 & TS883). Departure taxes are additional and seats must be booked in W class. For more information or reservations contact Transat Holidays’ Reservation Department in Toronto.

NCL RAISES FUEL SUPPLEMENT

New supplement is $9 per person per day for 1st and 2nd guests in a room

In response to the continued rise in oil prices, NCL Corporation announced today an increase to its current fuel supplement. The new fuel supplement will be $9 per person per day for the first and second guests in a stateroom and $4 per person per day for any additional guests in the same stateroom, based on the guidelines below. Individual reservations: The increased fuel supplement applies only to new individual reservations made on or after May 1, 2008.
Group reservations: The increased fuel supplement applies to any group reservation booked on or after May 1, 2008. The increased fuel supplement will also apply to group space held prior to May 1, 2008 without specific names and full confirming deposit by April 30, 2008. [Full text and pictures]

EU COUNTRIES AND U.S. IN SECURITY TALKS

EU countries expected to open talks with U.S. on its travel security measures
Canadian Press

EU justice and interior ministers are expected today to approve opening talks with the United States on updating trans-Atlantic travel security rules. The ministers are worried that demands by Washington to beef up U.S. security could amount to new restrictions on European citizens. They are expected to ask the European Commission to negotiate on their behalf about U.S. moves to include all EU member states in the American visa waiver system. Washington has imposed new security demands as a condition for EU states that do not already belong to the visa waiver system but want to join it. The U.S. also is demanding that all 27 EU countries agree to a new electronic travel authorization system. In addition, EU officials said U.S. authorities want to gain access to the database of the bloc's borderless travel zone - posing new data protection and privacy concerns. [Full text and pictures]

WORLD TRAVEL AGENT ASSOCIATION ALLIANCE CREATED

WTAAA includes member associations from Canada, U.S., Australia, South Africa, Europe, New Zealand and India
The World Travel Agents Associations Alliance (WTAAA) has a membership comprising the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA); The Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA); the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA); the Association of South African Travel Agents (ASATA); the European Travel Agents and Tour Operators Associations (ECTAA); the Travel Agents Association of New Zealand (TAANZ): and the Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI). WTAAA member associations represent almost 70 per cent of global airline BSP billings. WTAAA held a formal General Assembly in Lyon, France this week and voted unanimously to incorporate WTAAA as a not for profit organisation. Incorporation will take place in Belgium under Belgian law; the process will be complete by June 30, 2008.
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