In the second part of an exclusive two-part interview with Sandals Resorts International’s CEO, Gebhard Rainer outlines what the future holds as the all-inclusive resort company celebrates its 40th anniversary and readies for the next chapter.
He talked with Canadian Travel Press’ Ann Ruppenstein about the secret of Sandals’ success, explaining that it comes down to a simple but guiding philosophy from founder Gordon "Butch" Stewart.
“The secret to success of the brand of Sandals is very simple — in the words of our late chairman — and that is: as long as you exceed...
Baxter Media invites all travel professionals to attend a webinar with the Palladium Hotel Group on October 21 at 2 p.m. (EST).
Located on the shores of the most esteemed beaches in the Mexican Caribbean and Riviera Maya coast, Grand Palladium Hotels & Resorts and TRS Hotels are the perfect option for families, couples and groups of friends seeking sophisticated elegance in an all-inclusive setting.
They offer their guests pristine beaches, personalized service and world-class amenities for the most memorable tropical escape.
Register and attend the full duration of the...
Following the announcement by the Cuban Ministry of Tourism of the gradual reopening of Cuba's borders Nov. 15, and in response to the stepped-up vaccination process underway in Cuba, the Iberostar Group has an ambitious schedule of re-openings for the coming months to bring its hotels in Cuba back to normal, depending on the reactivation of demand and airlift.
On Nov. 1, Grupo Iberostar plans to reopen Iberostar Grand Packard – its top luxury property on the island -- along with the Iberostar Selection Bella Vista Varadero, Iberostar Selection Ensenachos, Coral Level at Iberostar...
With all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America, the AMR Collection is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, with an anniversary sale that offers up to 50% off.
Along with the 20th Anniversary Sale, additional special offers – for bookings made between now and Nov. 22 – include:
$20 spa treatment (for those staying at Secrets, Breathless or Zoëtry)
$20 kid stays (for those making memories at select Dreams, Now or Sunscape properties)
Free night on a future stay (for those celebrating a 20th birthday or 20th anniversary during this...
One of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association’s (CHTA) top executives is pointing out that travel warnings, based on COVID-19 positivity levels, can be misleading.
Noting that while travel advisories have been placed on several Caribbean destinations due to the increase in COVID-19 cases -- attributed to the highly contagious Delta variant—the tourism executive says that travel to the region is safe because of effective health safety measures and a continued commitment to protect employees and visitors.
Vanessa Ledesma, acting CEO and director general of the Caribbean...
With over 145 million members across its current and separate rewards
programs, Expedia Group already has one of the largest loyalty platforms in the world.
Now, the company is unveiling plans to unify and expand the offering to include all brands and products so Expedia Group customers can soon enjoy the most complete travel rewards offering in the industry.
The program will consist of unique member pricing discounts and the ability to earn and redeem rewards across all Expedia Group brands, such as Expedia, Vrbo, Hotels.com, Travelocity, and Orbitz. The new program will...
Vrbo -- an Expedia Group company – is expanding its Fast Start – which is designed to help new properties capture vacation rental demand -- to Canada, France and the UK.
The program increases the visibility of new properties in the first 90 days and displays a review score based on reviews from other travel sites. It launched earlier this year in the United States and today marks its global rollout.
Properties eligible for Fast Start are listings with a 4.5+ review rating and have earned more than $3,000 in the last year, or the host is a Superhost. New properties across all...
Canadian travel agents can go back to school with Club Med which has launched its interactive e-learning tool, Club Med University -- a platform that it created to train, engage and reward travel advisors for becoming Club Med Specialists.
With the travel industry beginning to recover, Club Med notes that Canadians are eager to explore the world again and Club Med University equips travel agents with the necessary tools to become experts on the brand and in turn help Canadians plan their long-awaited dream getaways.
Advisors attending Club Med University are provided with extensive...
Sandals Resorts International (SRI) is introducing Sandals Vacation Assurance, the industry’s most comprehensive vacation protection program featuring an industry-first guarantee of a free replacement vacation including airfare for guests impacted by COVID-19 related travel interruptions.
According to SRI Executive Chairman Adam Stewart, the new Sandals Vacation Assurance Program is designed to take the worry out of travel, giving guests certainty that their investment in an all-inclusive luxury vacation is safeguarded from interruptions outside of their control.
Said Stewart:...
Despite the challenges of the past 18 months, the Caribbean tourism and hospitality industry recorded many significant successes, and data points to an encouraging outlook ahead.
Acting CEO & director general of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) Vanessa Ledesma provided insights on the performance and outlook for the region’s tourism industry during the recent Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS).
The pandemic’s impact on the travel and tourism industry globally has been severe, resulting in the loss of millions of jobs worldwide.
The...