There are challenges for sure. But Caribbean tourism officials are grateful for the Canadians who continue to visit year after year. The chair of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, Richard Sealy, and the secretary-general of the CTO, Hugh Riley, are in Toronto this week to meet with major players in the business and to be sure Canadians continue to shower affection – and dollars – on the Caribbean. “Things are very good at the moment,” said Sealy, who also is the tourism minister for Barbados, one of my favourite spots in the Caribbean. “Visitor numbers are good, receipts are good. We Read more
Zika Virus
It started small and has mushroomed into a massive, mid-winter occasion that leaves some folks jubilant and others horribly confused. The “wave season” in the cruise travel business sounds a lot like the Super Bowl, but in this case it’s about saving money on a great vacation. Wave season started as a one-day cruise sale a couple decades ago and is now a weeks-long bonanza featuring hundreds of deals, discounts and extras ranging from free Wi-Fi to on-board spa treatments. “Wave season is sort of the Black Friday or Cyber Monday of the cruise space,” said Jason Sarracini, chief operating Read more
I didn’t get anything directly from the JetBlue folks, but I spotted in the business section this morning that JetBlue will be adding flights from Buffalo-Niagara International and Los Angeles International (LAX) starting June 16. It’s a bit of a drive for some Torontonians, and there’s the U.S. dollar strength to worry about. But I went online this morning and found seats for a flight to LA on June 18, with a return June 26 (on the red-eye) for about $300 U.S. Even with the horrendous exchange rate we’re stuck with right now, that’s about $418 Canadian dollars. On Air Read more
