Destinations
Visit Orlando unveils French Canadian online training platform
Visit Orlando has added a new language, French Canadian, to its online training resource, simplifying the process for travel advisors to gain more knowledge of Orlando in their native language. The Orlando Travel Academy – www.orlandotravelacademy.com -- the destination’s E-learning platform, launched in French Canadian on web and mobile devices, offering travel advisors more accessibility to on-demand high-tech sales planning resources, including interactive in-depth modules, webinars and training videos. Casandra Matej, president & CEO of Visit Orlando, explained that:...
TIAC working hard to help industry rebuild
The Tourism Industry Association of Canada’s (TIAC) president and CEO Beth Potter opened the association’s Tourism Congress in Ottawa last week with a look at TIAC’s commitment to help its industry rebuild, outlining the association’s actions and programs that are designed to help the industry regain lost ground – and continue to flourish. “TIAC exists to bolster our collective competitiveness – it’s in our DNA, it’s the value add,” she told the over 500 delegates attending day one of the Tourism Congress. Listening to members and to the industry at Town Halls...
Community involvement, communications, key to tourism recovery after a natural disaster
With natural disasters becoming more common and more severe, tourism businesses are taking a hard look at what tools they need to be ready for, and recover from, natural disasters. The TIAC Tourism Congress 2023 helped move the discussion forward with a panel that learned the hard way: people whose tourism businesses and regions had survived a natural disaster, reports Press Today’s Debra Ward, who’s in Ottawa attending the event. Moderator Jill Doucette, Founder, Synergy Enterprises, kicked off the session by asking who in the audience had an emergency preparedness plan. ...
India has resumed e-visa services
India has resumed e-visa services for Canadian nationals after a pause of two months. Last month, India had restored visa services in some categories including entry visa, business visa, medical visa and conference visa. David Green, managing director for Canada, G Adventures, said: “G Adventures is delighted to see the news that tourist visas for Canadians travelling to India have been restored. India still has a long way to go to get back to pre-pandemic travel numbers, but had made great strides over the past year, with numbers in 2023 surpassing 2022 by 131%. We are excited to...
ETC, CATO want Canadians to see Europe differently
The European Travel Commission Canada (ETC) and the Canadian Association of Tour Operators (CATO) teamed up for a unique event at The Symes in Toronto’s Junction this week, and hopefully, it’s an event that will become an annual affair. And it was definitely unique considering that you don’t usually see a group promoting destinations team up with an association that is all about industry advocacy, but the ETC and CATO found common ground, using the evening to explore the theme of Plan Different. Travel Different. Be Different. – when selling Europe to Canadians. Sandra...
The European Union Film Festival is back for a new hybrid edition
The European Union Film Festival is again underway in Toronto, showcasing a variety of movies from across the European continent. There are in-person screenings at the city’s Spadina Theatre through Nov. 30, and an accompanying online festival will run from Dec. 1 - Dec. 17, with viewers across Canada able to see those movies on www.euffto.com. On Sun., Nov. 19, Baxter Media caught the North American debut of the Italian film, The Spring of My Life, directed by Zavvo Nicolosi, a whimsical and humorous road trip movie starring popular Sicilian singers Colapesce and Dimartino....
Jamaica Tourist Board Showcases Its Best During Canada Trade Week
The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) brought the spirit of the island to Canadian travel advisors and consumers last week during Canada Trade Week. The cross-country promotional campaign included travel agent engagement events in Calgary, Montréal and Toronto, followed by the first-ever Jamaica Travel Expo consumer event at the Pearson Convention Centre in Toronto. Throughout the week, JTB sales team representatives were joined by dozens of industry partners – including hotels, attractions, airlines and tour operators – to provide Canadian travellers and retailers with the latest...
Visit Orlando Bringing Sunshine to Canada With New Campaign
Visit Orlando recently launched the Winter Doesn’t Exist in Orlando campaign in Canada. Running Nov. 13 through March 24, digital display, social media and search engine marketing are running in Ontario, as well as digital and weather dynamic billboards featuring real time temperature updates from Orlando to entice cold weather market residents to consider travelling to Orlando. The complementing national specialty and Ontario-focused television flight begins on Nov. 20. About the campaign The Winter Doesn’t Exist campaign highlights Orlando as the perfect sunshine escape...