Holiday & Travel

The new chairman of the Board of Directors of the Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) is on a mission to help elevate the profile of the destination in the marketplace.

Randall Dolland has solid experience in the tourism industry, having cut his teeth in areas including hotel operations, the marine sector, culinary and cultural experiences.

PGA Catalunya Golf and Wellness has been recognised as one of Europe’s finest golf and wellness experiences, affirmed by the latest edition of the game’s leading ranking list. In the Golf World Top 100 Resorts of Continental Europe 2022*, PGA Catalunya Golf and Wellness places fourth, continuing its reign as the No. 1 ranked golf resort in Spain, and solidifying its standing as one of Continental Europe’s premier destinations.

The president of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) wants to see a strong focus on environmental sustainability throughout the Caribbean.

Delivering a recorded address to stakeholders gathered for the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association’s (CHTA) Caribbean Travel Forum in San Juan, Puerto Rico this month, Julia Simpson endorsed policy solutions such as government incentives which reward businesses that adhere to environmental standards and are eco-certified.

Loganair is increasing seat capacity by 30% on its Birmingham-to-Aberdeen flights from summer 2023.

The Scottish carrier is doing this by deploying larger aircraft capable of taking more passengers.

Hundreds of Caribbean tourism stakeholders are getting set for yet another meeting in the region, this time of an investment nature. The 11th annual Caribbean Hotel Investment Conference & Operations Summit (CHICOS) is set for Hilton La Romana in the Dominican Republic, November 9–11, 2022.

The Saltire Festival is back for 2022 and there's a great programme of events to choose from – all held in East Lothian – the home of the Saltire flag. Tickets are on sale now.

Based around St Andrew's Day on 30th November, The Saltire Festival is an annual celebration, bringing you the very best of Scottish entertainment from traditional to modern music and from film screenings featuring Scottish stars of stage and screen to celebrations of Scotland's rich cuisine – and much more!

As more Caribbean nationals turn to the region’s tourism industry for careers of their first choice, a 50-year travel industry veteran believes they are on the right path. In a recent interview in the Dominican Republic capital of Santo Domingo, Rick Sasso, Chair of MSC Cruises USA, opined that cruise tourism offers myriad opportunities for young people looking for long and gratifying careers.

The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (BMOTIA) will continue its successful series of Global Sales and Marketing Missions with back-to-back events in North Carolina beginning on Wednesday, 19 Oct. in Charlotte and concluding on Thursday, 20 Oct. in Raleigh. These events, aimed to solidify relationships with tourism partners and boost visitor arrivals in the area, come one month ahead of year-round direct flights from Charlotte and Raleigh to Grand Bahama Island starting in November.

Recent research carried out for the Caravan and Motorhome Club (CAMC) by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) highlights a huge resurgence in interest in the great outdoors and pent-up demand for travel. This has meant the number of Brits considering a touring holiday has grown by 20% in the two years to April 2022 and the number of Brits owning a leisure vehicle is predicted to grow by over 40% by 2030.

The opening press conference to World Travel Market will soon be unveiling its official WTM London Industry Report, which sets out to gage the conversations taking place on the WTM London exhibition floor, the sentiment of the industry and UK holidaymakers, as well as to discover the popular destinations for the following year.

There is an undoubted pent-up demand from people to travel in 2023, so it’s crucial your business is one-step ahead in helping to plan for the future. This event is for Media only.

The Gambia Experience has secured an additional Christmas flight to The Gambia to meet high demand for a festive winter sun getaway. With key dates selling fast, the tour operator has added a Gatwick departure on Thursday December 22nd with 14-night packages returning from Banjul on January 5th (2023).

Hundreds of delegates have converged on Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic this week for what is already being described as a successful 28th annual Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) conference, which kicked off on Tuesday and continued through Friday. Senior cruise executives from FCCA Member Lines have been busy today meeting with tourism representatives from across the region’s public and private sectors, in an effort to improve cruise tourism business and develop opportunities for growth across the region.

Regional transport bosses have agreed to continue funding bus services regarded as socially necessary as part of a review of the region’s network.

Against a backdrop of unprecedented cost pressures on bus operators across the UK as a result of rising fuel costs and reduced passenger numbers following the Covid 19 pandemic, Transport for West Midland’s (TfWM) Transport Delivery Committee has agreed to continue to fund at least 78 of 114 bus service contracts that are regarded as socially necessary.

A leading hotelier in Barbados says things are beginning to look up for tourism in Barbados, and as stronger air capacity returns to the island, there is encouraging news out of the U.S. market. Patricia Affonso-Dass, Group General Manager of Ocean Hotels in Barbados, noted that it’s been a long work in progress trying to diversify markets, “and we’re actually seeing big growth out of the U.S. market.”

New flight routes are opening this month that will provide a broader range of options for travellers hoping to visit Laos, as LaoSafe certification of the country's two airlines, Lao Airlines and Lao Skyway, will ensure that passengers can be confident of boarding a flight with high hygiene standards.

Both of Laos' airlines have now been fully certified under the SafeFlight standard, one of a series of health and hygiene certifications under the LaoSafe programme.

Madrid, for second consecutive year is hosting the 9th edition of CULTOURFAIR, the only international B2B high-end cultural tourism trade show, opened its doors on October 3rd at the Hotel Princesa Plaza, venue of the event.

The inauguration of the event was held on Sunday, October 2nd, with a welcome reception offered by the newly opened and brand new Hotel Thompson Madrid.