TRAVELHotNews.com Magazine

GLOBUS FLOATS INTO EUROPE

The Globus family of brands hosts lunch to introduce Avalon Waterways
Lisa Raffaele

The Globus family

Yesterday afternoon Stephanie Bishop, the new Managing Director of the Globus family of brands, hosted a luncheon to introduce Avalon Waterways at Toronto�s Delta Chelsea hotel. The Globus family will be in London today, and then travel to Ottawa, Halifax, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. Although Avalon is not a new product to the industry or to Globus, it has now been placed in the forefront as its own brand within the Globus family of brands. Bishop, who is a recent addition to Globus family, comes to the company with many years of big ship experience as former vice president of EncoreCruiseEscapes, part of the Thomas Cook portfolio. [Full text and pictures]

BIG FIVE TOURS OPENS CANADIAN OFFICE

Florida-based tour operator expands international presence, opens Canadian office in Toronto

Jacqueline Bishop-Martin, Managing Director of Big 5

Big Five Tours & Expeditions has announced the opening of its Canadian office in Toronto, Ontario, under the name Big Five Tours & Expeditions Limited. Big Five Tours & Expeditions is a premium soft adventure tour operator celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2008. It offers luxury guided travel to Africa, Asia & the South Pacific, Orient, South & Central America, Arctic and the Antarctica. With corporate headquarters in Stuart, FL, Big Five has had a sales representative in Canada for several years, but the company saw a need for a deeper reach into the Canadian travel market. The Canadian office will see Jacqueline Bishop-Martin serving as Managing Director and Dashiell Vazquez Vina as Director of Sales. [Full text and pictures]

SIGNATURE VACATIONS, VERSION 2.0

Tour operator relaunches enhanced version of �Just 4 You� agent website

Signature Vacations has just launched an enhanced version of their �Just 4 You� dedicated agent website, acknowledging the support of the travel agent community. The website now can be accessed with an agency-specific password through the �Travel Professionals� link on the SignatureVacations.com homepage or through a direct URL, agents.signaturevacations.com. The updated site is filled with the tools and resources needed to make closing a sale easy. Keep reading to learn more about all the new features and tools available to agents. [Full text and pictures]

NOLITOURS� NEW HOTEL IN PANAMA

The beach at the Playa Blanca

All-inclusive Playa Blanca Hotel & Resort Cameleon added to Panama program this winter
Nolitours has added the all-inclusive Playa Blanca Hotel & Resort Cameleon Select to their Panama program this winter. This resort adds to Nolitours� line-up in Panama including the exclusive 4-star Royal Decameron Beach Resort, Golf, Spa & Casino, the 4-star Radisson Decapolis Panama City and 4-star Gamboa Rainforest. The Playa Blanca Hotel & Resort Cameleon Select has a lively atmosphere, attentive service and many dining options. Located on one of the best beaches in Panama, the resort provides vacation choices for families, friends and couples. Package prices start at $1189 per person plus taxes of $101 (no fuel charge promo, offer may be withdrawn at any time) for a one-week holiday departing Monday November 3 � December 15, 2008. [Full text and pictures]

RIDE THE WAVE WITH FUN SUN

Agents can receive a $10 Sears Gift Card for every Carnival cabin booked
Fun Sun Vacations� Ride the Wave promotion is still going strong. With this promotion, travel agents will receive one $10 Sears Gift Card for every Carnival Cruise Lines cabin they book with Fun Sun. This offer is valid for bookings made up to July 31, 2008, for travel anytime in 2008 or 2009.

LAST CHANCE TO WRITE CITC EXAM!

Credit-based certification expires Dec. 31, 2008; sign up to take the exam now!

On December 31, 2008, CITC will retire the credit-based certification process for travel counsellors to earn their CTC designation. In January of 2007 a new process was established with more emphasis placed on demonstration of the skills in the workplace. National Certification Manager, Coralie Belman says, �Travel counsellors who have been sitting on the fence trying to decide if they want to complete certification using credits are running out of time to opt for this process. For most people I counsel � it is the fear of failure that is holding them back.� All travel counsellors wishing to complete certification using the credit based process have until the end of December 2008 to complete the requirements. The Advanced Exam will be offered on Saturday, October 25, 2008. [Full text and pictures]

TROPICAL STORMS & HURRICANES FORM

Tropical storm Fausto forms off Mexican coast, hurricane Elida strengthens
Canadian Press

Tropical storm Fausto formed off the Mexican resort city of Acapulco on Wednesday, while Elida strengthened to a Category 2 hurricane far away from Baja California's coast. Neither storm was expected to threaten land. Forecasters predict Fausto will strengthen over the next 24 hours and then begin to lose steam as it heads toward cooler waters. Meanwhile, hurricane Elida reached its peak intensity with winds of 168 km/h. Located 1,055 kilometres southwest of the tip of Baja California, the Category 2 hurricane was moving farther out to sea. In the Atlantic, tropical storm Bertha was headed out over open ocean and away from the U.S. mainland, after battering Bermuda. [Full text and pictures]

MORE CANADIANS ABROAD

Canadians taking more trips abroad: StatsCan
Canadian Press

New figures show Canadians took more trips abroad in May than they did a year earlier. Statistics Canada says Canadian residents took 4.5 million trips outside the country this past May, up 12.6 per cent from May 2007. Of these, 3.8 million were trips to the United States, a 12.9 per cent rise from the same period last year. Canadians took 2.1 million same-day car trips south of the border - up 11.2 per cent from May 2007 - while overnight travel to the States rose 15.5 per cent from a year ago. Travel to overseas countries in May was up 10.9 per cent from the previous year as Canadians took 664,000 trips and continued a trend that has been rising steadily over the last few years. Visitors made 2.3 million trips to Canada in May, down 7.2 per cent from the year before.