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| ACTA’S REALIGNMENT |
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ACTA realigns organization to provide additional business value for members in tough times, says David McCaig
Charmaine Pang
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| Donavon Gaudette and David McCaig, ACTA | | Last Thursday, TRAVELHotNews.com sat down with David McCaig, Chief Operating Officer of ACTA and Donavon Gaudette, new Senior Communications Manager at ACTA. McCaig outlined several of the changes ACTA has made since December of last year. As of Christmas, the administration office in Ottawa has been closed and relocated to the Mississauga office, with changes approved at ACTA’s January 2009 board meeting. “The reason for that is because we want to be as efficient as we possibly can as an organization. We’re very concerned [about] using ACTA member money efficiently,” explained McCaig.
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| SPRING HAS SPRUNG WITH AC VACATIONS |
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Air Canada Vacations announces spring sale of up to 40% off select air and hotel packages, as well as sales training modules for agents
Air Canada Vacations is offering up to 40 per cent off select air and hotel packages with its spring sale. Bookings must be made by February 18, 2009. Agents can send their clients to Grenada to stay at The Flamboyant Hotels & Villas from $999 when travelling March 1 or 8, 2009 for one week, or send their clients to stay at the Occidental Grand Playa Turquesa in Holguin for one week from $999 when travelling March 7 or between March 19 and 28. If your client is interested in Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa Beach is available for one week, from $1,199, for March 7 departures. To find out more about any of these packages available from Toronto, visit aircanadavacations.com/agents or call 1 877 752-7710.
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| CRUISE LINES ADJUST TO ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN |
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Cruise lines are slashing prices and adjusting itineraries closer to home to accommodate today’s nervous traveller
With today’s recession on everyone’s minds, cruise lines are not only slashing prices, but they are also trying to adjust to travellers’ economic nervousness by redesigning their itineraries with shorter trips, closer to home, to offer more attainable options, says The New York Times. In 2009, North American ports are expected to be busier, with fewer ships setting out on multi-week voyages, but at the same time, agents should note that cruisers who want luxury and adventure will not be as easily affected by the recession and will have an easier time finding what they are looking for.
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| SUNWING EXTENDS NO FUEL PROMO |
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Sunwing announces the extension of no fuel surcharge promotion for groups
Sunwing has announced that it has extendedtheir incentive to help close group sales: it will waive the fuel surcharge on all new group bookings now taken up to February 27. A savings of as much as $200 per couple, can apply to all gateways, on seven- and 14-night vacation packages to Mexico, the Caribbean, Costa Rica, Las Vegas and Florida. The offer applies to all groups departing between May 20 and October 31, 2009. Sunwing’s group policy states that as few as 10 people travelling together are eligible for group rates and a host of other benefits. Agents should also note that Sunwing’s Elite Plus inflight service is also another option for groups.
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| OTTAWA RECALLS SENSITIVE DATABASE |
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The Federal Government announces recall of sensitive database in border project; data to remain in Canada
Canadian Press
The federal government is repatriating a database of personal information about Canadian citizens after warnings the U.S.
government might misuse it. The database with details about several hundred British Columbians was turned over to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency last year as part of a controversial project to issue “enhanced driver's licenses” instead of passports for land-border crossings. The pilot project is the first step in a Canada-wide program that could have seen the personal information of hundreds of thousands of Canadians handed over wholesale to American officials.
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| GLAXOSMITH WITHDRAWS DR DAMAGING ADS |
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| The Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism recently announced that it undertook specific steps to counteract an increase in broadcast and print advertisements for GlaxoSmithKline pharmaceutical vaccine products. These advertisements, appearing in television and radio broadcasts, specifically implicated the Dominican Republic as a destination with an increased risk of contraction of hepatitis A and B, as well as malaria. This was part of an overall marketing effort to promote the sale of vaccines that prevent tropical illnesses that have not affected any international visitors to the Dominican Republic in recent times. GlaxoSmithKline has agreed to withdraw said advertisements as of Wednesday, February 11, 2009.
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| QUIVIRA LOS CABOS SEE $1.5B INVESTMENT |
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Quivira Los Cabos announces phase 2 update; first Ritz-Carlton and Jack Nicklaus community ahead of schedule
Quivira Los Cabos has announced that construction on the $1.5 billion investment development project will move forward as planned. The first phase of the luxury residential resort community's infrastructure was recently completed and crews are now working on phase two. Phase two includes construction on one of two planned Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Courses within the development, which broke ground in late 2008 and is on track for the first 18 holes to be completed in early 2010. Crews are also working on the foundation, roads and infrastructure of the Nicklaus-branded community, a joint venture between Quivira and Jack Nicklaus announced in October 2008.
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| TEMPERATURE SCANNERS DON'T ACHIEVE GOAL |
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Airport temperature scanners unlikely to achieve desired goal, French public health officials suggest
Canadian Press
Using temperature scanners in airports to try to identify and block entry of sick travellers during a disease outbreak is unlikely to achieve the desired goal, a report by French public health officials suggests. Their analysis, based on a review of studies on temperature screening efforts like those instituted during the 2003 SARS outbreak, says the programs may be of limited use in the early days of a flu pandemic, when governments might be tempted to order screening of incoming travellers to try to delay introduction of the illness within their borders.
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