TRAVELHotNews.com Magazine

SUNWING’S WINTER LINEUP

New gateways, new destinations for winter 2008/2009; reservations now open

More options for the 2008/2009 season

More options to the sun and even more departure points from Canada: Sunwing Vacations is looking ahead to a high-flying winter 2008-09 season. Sunwing will be flying to 30 destinations in Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and the U.S. With the addition of six new gateways, the company will be flying from 25 cities across the country. Sunwing has added even more mid-sized centres to its list of gateways. Fly from Kelowna, BC (with flights to Cancun and the Riviera Maya); Windsor (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and Varadero, Cuba); Hamilton (Punta Cana, Dominican Republic and Varadero); Kitchener (Cancun and the Riviera Maya as well as Jamaica); Sault Ste. Marie (Varadero) and Val d’Or, Quebec (Varadero). Read on for more details. [Full text and pictures]

VAUGHAN MILLS: NEW TOURISM COORDINATOR

Lesley Boughen is the new Tourism Coordinator for Vaughn Mills

Lesley Boughen, previously of VisitBritain, joins as new Tourism Coordinator
Vaughan Mills has officially announced the appointment of Lesley Boughen, as the new Tourism Coordinator, effective May 5, 2008. The primary function of this position is to generate tourism traffic to Vaughan Mills, the first enclosed shopping centre built in Canada in more than 17 years. Located just north of downtown Toronto at Hwy 400 and Rutherford Road, this 250 store mecca combines fashion, outlets, dining and entertainment. Boughen looks forward to working with the travel trade in this new role. She can be contacted by phone at 905 879 2117 or at tourism@ivanhoecambridge.com.

FLY FREE WITH SCENIC TOURS

Fly free when booking/paying for a Europe cruise before Sept. 30, 2008

The Danube river in Budapest, Hungary

Scenic Tours is making European River Cruising even more tempting for Canadians: they are offering free air tickets to Europe – a value of up to $1,600 per couple - when you book and pay for selected 2009 departures by September 30 this year. The offer applies to bookings on the 15 day “Jewels of Europe” cruise, which takes passengers at a leisurely pace along the Main and Danube Rivers from Amsterdam to Budapest. Enroute, passengers will enjoy stops in Cologne, Germany as well as Vienna and Bratislava in Slovakia. The “Fly Free” offer applies to sailings March 9 and 23 and November 2, 2009 and is available on selected flights with selected carriers. Passengers will be responsible for air taxes and any applicable fuel surcharges. Read on for more details. [Full text and pictures]

FUN SUN BAHAMAS CASH BACK OFFER

Fun Sun Vacations offers a $200 cash back rebate when booking Nassau Paradise Island by May 31, 2008.

Fun Sun will allow your clients to soak in the Caribbean sun, enjoy the cool breeze and receive a cash rebate. For a limited time, when you book an air-inclusive stay of three (3) nights or more at a participating Nassau Paradise Island hotel through Fun Sun Vacations, and travel May 11 - November 17, 2008 you will receive a $200 Cash Rebate. Participating hotels include: British Colonial Hilton Nassau, Comfort Suites Paradise Island, Nassau Palm Hotel, Paradise Island Harbour Resort All-Inclusive, Sheraton Cable Beach Resort and Wyndham Nassau Resort. Vacation must be booked between May 10 - 31, 2008. Minimum 3 or more consecutive nights. Limit one cash back rebate per room, with a maximum of 3 rooms per booking. Valid only on new air-inclusive packages. Not valid for group bookings. Restrictions apply. Rebate is payable in US dollars. The cash back form can be downloaded at funsunagent.com.

BOOK WITH SIGNATURE AND BANK UP

Book the beach and put $100 back in your bank when choosing Cuba

Book the beach and put a $100 back in your bank! For a limited time Signature Vacations is offering a savings of $100 couple/week at the Occidental Grand Playa Turquesa in Holguin, Cuba for departures between July 1st and August 31st, 2008. Filled with all the essentials of an island paradise enjoy facilities that include; beachfront location, tropical gardens, multi-level pool with waterfalls, swim-up bar, ŕ la carte dining, day & evening activities and more. $100 savings applies to new bookings only made between May 12 and 31/08 for departures July 1 to August 31/08 and is not combinable with any other promotions except for the Early Booking Bonus. Offer applies to the Occidental Grand Playa Turquesa, Holguin, Cuba only with a minimum 7 night stay and does not apply to child or group rates. For detailed information, go to signaturevacations.com.

AC ADDS MORE FUEL SURCHARGES

Air Canada quietly adds fuel surcharges to Canadian flights
Canadian Press

Air Canada has quietly imposed domestic fuel charges for the first time in four years that could cost Canadians flying across the country an extra $120 for a round-trip ticket. The price increases, imposed Friday, would add $120 a round-trip for flights of more than 1,001 miles, or 1,601.6 kilometres, each way. Smaller surcharges would be slapped on tickets for shorter trips. For example, people flying from Halifax, Montreal and Toronto to Calgary, Edmonton, Regina or Vancouver would pay the highest surcharges as the country's largest airline tries to recoup soaring costs for jet fuel. Air Canada applied the surcharge to transborder flights to the United States on Thursday, matching similar moves by the big American carriers. It added the surcharge to domestic trips Friday. Read on for more. [Full text and pictures]

WESTJET ADDS FUEL SURCHARGE

Calgary-based WestJet introduces fuel surcharge on all flights
Canadian Press

WestJet is following the lead of Air Canada and several American air carriers by adding fuel surcharges on all flights, starting today. The Calgary based airline says the surcharges will boost ticket prices for shorthaul flights by $20, $30 dollars for medium range flights, and $45 for long-haul flights. WestJet Executive Vice-President, Bob Cummings says the ``unrelenting and unprecedented increases in the cost of fuel over the last year'' forced the airline to make the difficult decision. Fuel surcharges introduced by Air Canada last week boosted its ticket prices by $40 for return flights of less than 480 kilometres and $80 for return flights between 480 and 1,600 kilometres. Porter Airlines said last week that it too was considering adding fuel surcharges.

WHAT’S NEW IN PUERTO RICO

An increased focus on Porta del Sol region; another 5,000 rooms to come; $1.3B invested

Terestella Gonzalez-Denton, Executive Director, Puerto Rico Tourism Company, and Ponce Mayor Francisco Zaya sign agreement pledging support of the Porta Caribe tourism industry

The Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC) and the Government of Puerto Rico have announced several new developments in their tourism infrastructure, including a $1.3B investment (started four years ago). Another 5,000 rooms will be added by the end of 2008 and will create 3,800 new jobs in the region. The designation of the East Coast/Central Region as a tourist region. The East-Central Region is home to some of Puerto Rico’s leading hotels, including El Conquistador, Palmas del Mar, Río Mar and the new Trump International Golf Course at Coco Beach. JetBlue Airways has also created travel packages to the region; Spirit Airlines has a contest promoting its routes from Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale to San Juan, Ponce and Aguadilla. Read on for more. [Full text and pictures]