Archives March 28, 2008 Travel News

CAYMAN ISLANDS: ADVENTURE & CULTURE

Cayman Islands host promotional events: Toronto Sportsmen’s Show, March Break program at Ontario Science Centre

A March Break program allowed children to learn about Caymanian culture and crafts

The Cayman Islands has been promoting its destination over the last two weeks, first at the Toronto Sportsmen’s Show and then at the Ontario Science Centre, for very different audiences. The Toronto Sportsmen’s Show attracted over 125,000 attendees. During March Break, the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism invited its travel partners to bring their children to a series of workshops presented by Cayman Traditional Arts, a company based in Grand Cayman that promotes the culture of the islands through hands-on arts and crafts activities, games and food demonstrations. Read on for more information. [Full text and pictures]

NEW OPERATOR: VANTAGGIO TOURS

Dallas Group of Companies expands, creates new tour operator in Ontario
The Dallas Group of Companies, comprised of a Canadian motorcoach company that operates a fleet of shuttlebuses, mini coaches and deluxe coaches, has expanded with the creation of Vantaggio Tours, licensed and authorized in Ontario. Vantaggio Tours is registered and approved by TICO (registration #50016493). Alfonso di Cicco has been named as Vice President and will be strategizing and directing the new travel company, which will offer, in partnership with preferred suppliers, a wide range of group travel products. Those include one-day and multi-day programs, weekend getaways, casino resort packages, shopping trips, special interest travel and escorted group tours and cruises. Read on for more information. [Full text and pictures]

TAKE A ‘ROMAN HOLIDAY’ WITH SIGNATURE

Signature flies to Rome this summer with Zoom Airlines; book and earn a chance to win 2 free tickets

Vatican City

Grab your designer sunglasses, whet your appetite for gelato and brush up on your old world history, because Signature Vacations is flying to Rome this summer. Offering flights onboard Zoom Airlines, the tour operator will have departures running from Toronto to Rome on Tuesdays between May 6th and October 28th, 2008 and Saturdays from May 3rd to October 25th, 2008. Signature offers net prices. Book and earn a chance to win 2 free tickets! The Zoom Airlines flight includes 32” seat pitch, hot meals & snacks, complimentary soft drinks, 20kg baggage allowance, 5kg carry-on allowance and many additional on-board services. Lead-in price is based on Economy Class; Premium Economy Class is available for a surcharge. Zoom Airlines’ Rome flights are available to book through Sirev, Galileo, Sabre and Amadeus or by calling the Signature Agency Service Centre at 1-800-268-7063.

INTAIR’S GREAT EUROPEAN CONTEST

You could win a trip for 2 to Paris just by completing a Europe quiz!

Agents, you could win a trip for two to Europe with Intair, just by completing a Europe quiz at intair.com. You’ll be automatically entered to win one of 100 gift cards just for participating in the contest. All the questions on the quiz can be answered by reviewing Intair's new 84-page Europe brochure. Also, every time you make a Europe booking for a car or a hotel or air, you will be automatically entered in the draw for a trip for 2 to Paris including air and hotel. All entries must be received by April 30, 2008 to qualify. Draws will take place the week of May 5th 2008. Check out the Europe brochure and all of Intair’s latest brochures at intair.com.

NÂRAT SOUTH AMERICA PROMOTION

Laguna Verde, Bolivia

NÂRAT will give away $5 to agencies for each FIT request received for South America between Apr. 1-30, 2008
NÂRAT will be offering $5 for every request it receives in April 2008. The promotion is valid for only for South American FIT requests and is eligible only to agencies that actively sell this travel region. Registration terms and conditions apply. To find out more information agents are requested to contact Jimm Pellegrini, Agency Account Manager via email at jpellegrini@narat.org. Agencies approved for the program will receive a unique promotion code that is required to be sent in with each request.

CUBA’S INTERNATIONAL TOURISM FAIR IN MAY

28th annual FITCUBA 2008 in Havana, May 5-9, 2008

El Morro lighthouse

The 28th International Tourism Fair FITCUBA 2008 will be held in Havana from May 5th to 9th, 2008 at Morro-Cabańa Park. The conference will be dedicated to the tourism-culture integration and to the promotion of Cuba’s tourism industry. This is an annual event that gathers professionals from around the world and it includes familiarization trips, workshops, business meetings and PR activities. Cubana Airlines and city hotels will grant special rates for travel industry professionals attending the conference. La Cabańa is the historic venue hosting the event; its full name is the San Carlos de La Cabańa Fortress, and is a prime example of 18th-century military architecture situated on the high bank of the entrance to Havana Bay. Each night it is the scene of one of Cuba’s best-known traditions: the 9 p.m. cannon blast. [Full text and pictures]

GOT BAGGAGE? LHR’S T5 TROUBLES

Baggage handling troubles persist at Heathrow's Terminal 5; 20 pre cent of flights cancelled
Canadian Press

Looks great, doesn't work very well. That's the verdict on Heathrow Airport's new Terminal 5 building, with embarrassed British Airways officials now saying flight cancellations may extend into Saturday. BA is the sole occupant of the mammoth new terminal, which had been praised as a solution to Heathrow's chronic congestion. But it has been hit with severe baggage handling problems since the new terminal opened Thursday morning, leading to long lines of angry, stranded passengers. Airline officials were forced to cancel 68 out of 380 flights in and out of the terminal Thursday and to restrict passengers to hand luggage only. Read on for more. [Full text and pictures]

AA, DELTA CANCEL MORE FLIGHTS

American, Delta cancel more flights as they inspect aircraft
Canadian Press

American Airlines and Delta planes will be grounded as the companies inspect planes

Airlines and Delta Air Lines cancelled hundreds more flights Thursday as they continued inspections of wiring bundles on some of their planes. Although thousands of passengers were inconvenienced over the past two days, analysts played down any notion that the cancellations would hurt the airlines financially. Delta expected to cancel about 275 flights, or about three per cent of its schedule, before returning to normal operations early Friday, said spokeswoman Chris Kelly. American, the largest U.S. airline, cancelled 141 flights by mid-afternoon Thursday, or about six per cent of its estimated 2,300 flights, officials said. The Fort Worth-based airline cancelled 318 flights Wednesday. Read on for more details. [Full text and pictures]