TRAVELHotNews.com Magazine

JUMEIRAH ENTERS CANADIAN MARKET

The Jumeirah Group holds first ever Canadian press luncheon
Lisa Raffaele

Anne Bleeker, Director of Corporate Communications, Jumeirah Group; Dawn Weissman, Vice President, M. Silver Associates Inc.

Yesterday afternoon, at Toronto’s Canoe Restaurant & Bar, the Dubai-based Jumeirah Group held their first ever press lunch for the local media. The luncheon was their way of introducing themselves to the Canadian market and a way to build stronger ties with current relationships, according to Anne Bleeker, Director of Corporate Communications, Jumeirah Group. Read on for the full story. [Full text and pictures]

BOOMERANG COVER CONTEST – LAST DAYS

Contest closes on Sunday; vote and you could win a trip for 2 to Sydney, Australia!

Sydney Opera House

Today is the second-last day to choose your favourite Boomerang Tours brochure cover! TRAVELHotNews.com and Boomerang have teamed up to offer you a chance to win a trip for two to Sydney, Australia. Boomerang Tours is asking Canadian travel agents to choose one of the seven brochure covers for the next edition of the South Pacific brochure. A name will then be picked at random from all the travel agents that have voted for the most popular cover. The winner will earn a trip for two for Sydney, Australia. [Full text and pictures]

STARWOOD NAMES NEW PRESIDENT

30-year veteran Denise Coll is new President, North America Division

Denise Coll, new president, North America division of Starwood

Starwood Hotels & Resorts has promoted Denise Coll to President of its North America Division. In her new role, Coll, who most recently served as Senior Vice President of Operations for the Division, will oversee operations, development, sales and marketing for more than 450 hotels in the U.S., Canada, U.S. Virgin Islands, Bahamas, French Polynesia and British West Indies. She reports to Matt Ouimet, President Hotel Group for Starwood. Coll began her career in hospitality 30 years ago with ITT Sheraton Corporation serving as a reservation manager at the Sheraton Boston Hotel in 1977. In 2004, Coll joined Starwood Hotels & Resorts as Regional Vice President of Operations for New England and was ultimately promoted to Senior Vice President of Operations for the North America Division in 2005.

CANLINK TO PROMOTE NASSAU HOTELS

Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board appoints Canlink as Canadian rep

Nassau, Bahamas

The Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board (NPIPB) has appointed Canlink to be their Canadian representative. Canlink was established by Elaine Carnegie in 1994 to provide local representation to hotels and resorts outside of Canada. Canlink will provide the Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board a critical link in its continued effort to expand into the Canadian group and leisure market. Canlink will be involved in all Canadian sales and marketing efforts of this popular and growing destination for Canadian travellers. The Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board is a marketing consortium of 18 hotels in the Nassau, Cable Beach and Paradise Island resort areas in The Islands of the Bahamas. For additional information on the Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board and to view the list of member hotels & resorts, visit NassauParadiseIsland.com, email elaine@canlinktravel.com or call 905-927-0038.

BRITAIN BOMB PLOTS IN U.S., CANADA FOILED

Plot against Canadian, U.S. airliners threatened `almost unprecedented' toll
Canadian Press

Air Canada planes were targeted

A British prosecutor says suicide bombers hoped to kill hundreds of passengers aboard Canadian and American airliners flying out of London in a plot hatched in 2006. Prosecutor Peter Wright made the allegation as the trial of eight British men charged in the case got underway in London today. Wright says the alleged terrorist plotters planned to strike passenger jets flying out of London at the height of the summer vacation season in 2006. He says the idea was ``to bring about what would have been a civilian death toll on an almost unprecedented scale.'' Wright added that the plot was intended to be a ``violent and deadly statement of intent'' in the name of Islam that would have had repercussions across the world. [Full text and pictures]

U.S. LAND/SEA PASSPORT RULE FOR 2009

Chertoff says U.S. will be ready for passport rule next year
Canadian Press

Senator Patrick Leahy says he's concerned the U.S. government won't be ready next June to make the use of passports mandatory at land and sea border crossings. But Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff insists the department is taking steps to minimize disruptions to travel and trade. Chertoff says every entry point already has machines that can read travel documents like passports, enhanced driver's licences and a new passport card for Americans. And there will be other devices at most border points by next spring that can read documents from a distance to speed up the process. Read on for more details. [Full text and pictures]

ALITALIA TALKS BREAK DOWN

Alitalia holds emergency board meeting after Air France quits talks; workers protest
Canadian Press

Loss-ridden Alitalia edged closer to bankruptcy protection on Thursday after Air France-KLM abruptly broke off talks to buy the struggling national airline and Alitalia's chairman of seven months resigned in frustration. The Alitalia board convened an emergency meeting at its headquarters, where about 300 Alitalia workers gathered outside chanting ``We want Air France'' and demanding the return of chairman Maurizio Prato. The government, meanwhile, said it would try to determine whether there was still a chance to coax Air France-KLM and unions back to the bargaining table. Barring that, analysts said bankruptcy protection appeared the most likely outcome. [Full text and pictures]

EMIRATES TAKES DELIVERY OF A380

New A380 arrives to Emirates; will be used on flights later this year

The Emirates' brand new A380 has arrived! At the photo on the left, the A380 with logo and branding in a Hamburg hangar. The plane will be ready to fly the skies on long-haul Emirates routes later this year. Emirates is the world's largest A380 customer with 58 of the double-decker aircraft on order. For the Toronto-Dubai route, launched late last year, Emirates offers 3 flights a week from Pearson International Airport.