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| THN.COM SPEAKS WITH TRANSAT TOURS' PRESIDENT |
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Nelson Gentiletti, President of Transat Tours says, "somewhere, something has got to give"
Lisa Raffaele
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| Nelson Gentiletti, President, Transat Tours | | At the end of September, TRAVELHotNews had the opportunity to speak with Nelson Gentiletti, President, Transat Tours regarding the state of the economy and its effects on the travel industry. In Gentiletti's opinion there are several things in the industry today that people have to be concerned with. The price of fuel is high, the economy is slow and these issues are impacting everything. But, despite the economy's turbulent times he noted that we are slightly luckier in Canada and "although people's lives are affected everyday, we haven't been hit as hard as the U.S." Gentiletti acknowledges that the company has been following that whole economic situation very closely, "because you see all these airlines going belly-up, and you see customers stranded. When you hear about the horror stories with Zoom and people stranded with their kids who couldn't get back home, it's just terrible."
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| THE HILLS ARE STILL ALIVE. |
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Austrian National Tourist Office and travel partners showcase Austria's charms, expect another record year for Canadian visits
Charmaine Pang
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| Stefan Herzl, Panorama Tours; Michael Gigl, Director North America, ANTO; Heiner Kolbe, Salzburg Tourism; Elke Bachner, Vienna Tourist Board; Gabriele Lenger, Market Manager Canada, ANTO; Don McWilliams, Country Manager, Austrian Airlines | | The hills are still alive with the sound of music, according to the Austrian National Tourist Office (ANTO). Market Manager Canada, Gabriele Lenger and Michael Gigl, Director North America, conducted a breakfast presentation for travel agents and other industry partners this morning about what's new this year in the destination. Lenger told TRAVELHotNews.com that 88,000 Canadians visited Austria in 2007, an increase over the previous year, with a 2.6 day average stay, the highest percentage of all Austria's overseas markets. In fact, Canadian visits to Austria have risen year over year for the last five years. This year to date, Lenger said that the statistics were healthy. Despite the economic concerns that people are experiencing in the U.S., she noted that Canadians are still travelling in spite of this, so the Tourist Office expects another increase for 2008.
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| FCM OPENS IN OTTAWA |
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FCm Travel Solutions opens for the first time in Ottawa; 25th office in North America
On October 2nd, Flight Centre's corporate travel division, FCm Travel Solutions opened its first office in Ottawa, Canada, its 25th office in North America. The new FCm office is located at in the Manulife Building, Suite 220 - 220 Laurier Avenue. Hours of operation are Monday to Friday 9:00am-5:30pm. The newest of the corporate offices is managed by Donna Akkawi, formerly of the company's retail division. Akkawi brings many years of dedicated travel experience to FCM Ottawa. FCm specializes in providing cost-effective business travel solutions for its clients. Each client is assigned a dedicated Account Manager as well as access to assistance 24 hours a day, seven days per week. For more information visit fcmtravel.us or call 613-321-0255 (toll free 1-866-254-6917).
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| INTREPID SAYS 'HO, HO, HO!' |
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Intrepid Travel offers early presents: 'A Trip A Day' agent contest in November - 30 trips available
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| 30 different prizes will be given away in November | | Adventure travel specialist Intrepid Travel is offering travel agents the chance to enjoy an early festive season with the launch of a competition in which it is giving away a trip a day throughout November. The competition begins on November 1, 2008 and closes on November 30, 2009. Travel agents yearning for "real life experiences" can register to enter the competition by logging onto Intrepid's agent website and describing why they want to go on one of the 16 itineraries being awarded. In all, 30 trips will be given away with a wide array of experiences to choose from. You could be walking the Great Wall of China, snorkeling in the Galapagos Islands, meeting monks in Laos and more. Click for more details on how to enter.
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| ALLEGRO PAPAYAGO REOPENS |
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Occidental Allegro Papagayo reopens after maintenance, renovations
After being closed for the summer months for maintenance and renovations, all 300 rooms at the Allegro Papagayo resort have re-opened. Perched high on a hill top on Costa Rica's Northern Pacific coast, the all-inclusive Allegro Papagayo overlooks the picturesque shores of Bahia Culebra. Popular with couples and families alike, the resort offers unrivaled snorkeling, diving, and kayaking as well as easy access to cultural and natural attractions surrounding the resort. The resort also specializes in weddings and has long been a favourite choice for Canadians. All-inclusive Allegro Papagayo packages are available through Air Canada Vacations and Signature Vacations.
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| CLUB MED OPENS SUMMER 2009 SALES |
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| Club Med is offering Direct Jet Service flights as of May 2009 to the following destinations: Turkoise (Turks & Caicos), Cancun Yucatan (Mexico), Punta Cana (Dominican Republic) and Columbus Isle (Bahamas). Other resorts, such as, Ixtapa Pacific (Mexico), Bora Bora (French Polynesia), Caravelle (Guadeloupe), Buccaneer's Creek (Martinique), Opio en Provence (France). Travelling to 70 other Club Med Resorts can be organized via regular schedule flights.
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| CARIBBEAN ENHANCES SERVICE |
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Caribbean Airlines adds one more aircraft; enhances Toronto-Trinidad service and additional Caribbean schedules
Caribbean Airlines will add an additional Boeing 737-800 aircraft to its operating fleet effective November 15, 2008 allowing the airline to increase flight frequency, meet market demands and deliver more flying options for the upcoming peak travel periods. "Adding an eighth Boeing 737-800 aircraft into our fleet further demonstrates Caribbean Airlines' positive growth during a time when other carriers are pulling back service," said Caribbean Airlines CEO Philip Saunders. Now, there will be two daily non-stop flights between Trinidad and Toronto, Canada. Keep reading for additional information.
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