New travel program at Canadian airports could reduce screening times

May 19, 2023 No Comments

The Minister of Transport, the Honorable Omar Alghabra, announced that the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) will soon be launching a new Verified Traveller program that will offer a faster and more efficient screening experience for eligible travellers at select airports across Canada. 

About the program

This new Verified Traveller program will replace the current Trusted Traveller program.

By June 21, 2023, dedicated Verified Traveller screening lines will be available at select domestic and international checkpoints in the following airports: 

  • Vancouver International Airport
  • Edmonton International Airport
  • Calgary International Airport
  • Winnipeg International Airport
  • Toronto-Pearson International Airport T1 and T3
  • Montreal-Trudeau International Airport

Easing congestion

The new Verified Traveller program will help ease congestion over time, as use of dedicated Verified Traveller lines grows.

The new lines provide eligible travellers with select benefits at security screening checkpoints, such as keeping laptops, large electronics and compliant liquids and gels in their carry-on, and keeping their shoes, belt and light jacket on. Eligible travellers include:

  • Members of NEXUS and Global Entry;
  • Active members of the Canadian Armed Forces and US military, including reservists, with valid ID;
  • Canadian aircrew and airport workers with Restricted Area Identification Cards;
  • International aircrew (in uniform) with valid airline ID; and
  • Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers, Canadian police officers and constables with a badge and proper photo identification issued by their respective organizations.

The Verified Traveller program allows children who are 17 years of age and younger, and adults who are 75 years of age and older, to accompany verified travellers through security, provided they are on the same reservation.

Additional benefits

Several airports will also offer verified travellers with front-of-the-line service and additional benefits at transborder checkpoints (flights to the U.S.).

For more information and a list of airports, visit CATSA’s website.

Discover Utah’s dark skies and starry nights

May 17, 2023 No Comments

Utah — which prides itself on easily enabling tourists to enjoy star power in the truest sense — is now eagerly promoting a temporary disruption of celestial rays.

A state that is home to more internationally accredited dark sky parks and places than anywhere else on the planet — 24 at last count — will offer prime locations to view the Great American Solar Eclipse on Oct. 14. The eclipse will pass over several national parks and monuments in Utah, creating distinctive viewing locations, such as from the famed hoodoos at Bryce Canyon National Park and  through an arch at National Bridges National Monument – the world’s first Dark Sky park.

“It’s a full total eclipse so it should be quite phenomenal,” Rachel Bremer of the Utah Office of Tourism said during a recent Toronto event. “For eclipse enthusiasts, this is a big deal. People from all over the world travel to see this kind of thing.”

Hotel lodging will now be hard to come by in prime viewing locales for the actual eclipse but other accommodation options will be available, with some homeowners in those areas turning their homes into temporary AirBNB dwellings.

A Dark Sky venue

Utah has been enthusiastically promoting itself as a great Dark Sky venue, with Bremer stating that a combination of altitude, dry air and a somewhat smallish population of around 3 million people — resulting in little light pollution — enables visitors to easily spot star-studded nighttime skies, views that are denied to many people in other parts of the world.

“To be able to walk out of your hotel and see stars is pretty unique for many,” she said during the Toronto visit, billed as a Utah Star Party and which coincided with International Dark Sky Week.

The Utah delegation then continued to Calgary and Vancouver.

Utah tourism authorities are determined to help others see the constellations, with the Canadian tour not going the common route of giving event attendees gift bags, instead donating money that would have been spent on the swag to The International Dark Sky Association and the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.

Bremer acknowledges that promoting the eclipse is a “little bit of the opposite” from her office’s more traditional Dark Sky tourism. “It’s kind of cool.”

More stars in Moab

Melissa Stocks of Grand County Economic Development, which includes the city of Moab, noted her area is among destinations that can leave visitors somewhat star-struck, thanks to regional parks.

“The parks and monuments of southeastern Utah share some of the darkest skies remaining in the contiguous 48 United States,” tourism authorities state. “In recent years, three of Moab’s most popular parks — Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, and Dead Horse Point State Park — have been recognized as International Dark Sky Parks. Park staff routinely provide programs celebrating the night sky, from walks under the full moon to gazing through telescopes at objects millions of light-years away.”

For more information visit: discovermoab.com/moab-night-skies .

Visit Cedar Valley

Becki Lewis of Visit Cedar City — found 250 miles south of Salt Lake City — in turn said that culturally inclined sorts can do some star-gazing while in Cedar City, home to the annual Utah Shakespeare Festival, which dates back to 1962 and this year starts in June and continues into October.

Three theatres are used for it, including a “replica of a replica of the Globe” theatre in London in which Shakespeare’s plays were first performed. That roof-less Cedar City theatre provides sightings of starry skies to those taking in nighttime performances, Lewis said.

More information about the festival can be found at bard.org.

Lewis added that Utah has plenty of venues for people to enjoy nature.

“Most of the state parks would be national parks in other states,” she said. “They’re just beautiful.”

See Salt Lake City

Meanwhile, Ryan Mack of Visit Salt Lake said those visiting Salt Lake City can get up close and personal with some of the same terrain as athletes who competed in the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics did.

That includes both downhill and cross-country ski trails used for races.

“They (alpine trails that hosted races) won’t have the gates but they’ll be the same runs,” Mack said.

Skating and curling classes are available in the facility that hosted skating and curling competitions.

Mack said Salt Lake City’s successful staging of the Olympics boosted its tourism trade.

“In a lot of ways, it put Salt Lake on the international map as an outdoors destination,” he said.

Salt Lake City is expected to again host the Winter Olympics in 2030 or 2034, with strong community support, Mack added.

More information can be found at visitsaltlake.com.

The hottest new hotel and resort openings

May 15, 2023 No Comments

A look at the latest hotel and resort news from highly anticipated new openings to fresh renovations.

Bellagio

Las Vegas’ iconic Bellagio property is undergoing a US$110 million transformation across all rooms and suites within its luxurious Spa Tower. Following the AAA Five Diamond resort’s recent remodel of more than 2,500 guest rooms in its main tower, the Spa Tower redesign, which encompasses 819 guest rooms and 104 suites, is slated for completion in October. Meanwhile, the first collection of rooms available for guest stays will be available beginning July. The contemporary accommodations are inspired by the beauty and tranquility of Italy’s Lake Como.

Wynn Al Marjan Island

A new multi-billion-dollar integrated resort is coming to Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates. Wynn Al Marjan Island will mark the company’s first-ever beachfront resort and is inspired by the tranquil seascape of Al Marjan Island, a group of four islands. 

Set in a pristine setting overlooking the Arabian Gulf, Wynn Al Marjan Island rises more than 1,000 feet above the sea and will offer a premium luxury experience, including exceptional entertainment and gaming amenities.

With an estimated project cost of approximately US$3.9 billion, Wynn Al Marjan Island will feature approximately 1,500 lavishly styled rooms, suites and villas.

Visitors can expect a wide array of entertainment options, a gaming area, 24 dining and lounge experiences, innovative spa and wellness experiences, a high-end shopping esplanade, a state-of-the-art events centre, a theatre hosting a unique production show, and other amenities.

Casa da Companhia

IHG Hotels & Resorts has opened the doors to the first Vignette Collection hotel in Europe. Casa da Companhia is a 5* boutique hotel located in Porto, Portugal.

The Vignette Collection, the newest brand in IHG’s fast-growing luxury and lifestyle portfolio, is a family of distinct luxury hotels connected by a shared vision that travel can benefit local people and places.

Casa da Companhia has 40 rooms including three suites, a luxurious spa featuring treatments from Holiclinica, a fitness suite, heated indoor and outdoor pools and an outdoor terrace.

Rosewood Ranfaru

Stretched across a striking chain of private islands around a pristine lagoon in the South Male Atoll, Rosewood Ranfaru will be situated less than an hour away from Velana International Airport in Male. From touchdown to toes in the sand, guests will be able to make the journey to the resort via either a 35-minute yacht ride or a ten-minute seaplane hop.

Rosewood Ranfaru will offer approximately 120 beachfront and overwater villas, ranging in size from one- to five-bedrooms, all with private pools and a select number located on private islands.

Thompson Palm Springs opening this year

May 12, 2023 No Comments

Hyatt Hotels Corporation has plans for the 168-room Thompson Palm Springs, which will join the luxury lifestyle Thompson Hotels portfolio and mark the second Thompson Hotels property in California.

Thompson Palm Springs is expected to open in late 2023 and will offer panoramic views of the San Jacinto Mountains and the city of Palm Springs.

Developed by Dallas-based Hall Group and designed by interior design firm B2 Architecture + Design and architect SMS Architecture, Thompson Palm Springs will feature modern, groundbreaking design in the heart of the city.

Unique guestroom bungalows will be surrounded by two outdoor pools, gardens, lounge areas and winding walking paths, immersing visitors in the natural landscape of Palm Springs.

Amenities & more

Guests can expect additional amenities including a signature restaurant helmed by a world-class chef, sought-after indoor and outdoor bar and lounges, a well-appointed spa and fitness concept, and approximately 8,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space.

Thompson Palm Springs will also offer more than 20,000 square feet of ground-level retail and restaurant space along downtown’s iconic Palm Canyon Drive which will include HALL Napa Valley, a 3,400 square foot tasting room from owners Craig & Kathryn Hall showcasing selections from their family of wines: HALL, WALT and BACA. The hotel’s idyllic location will provide guests with access to the community’s thriving arts and culture scene including museums, art galleries, boutiques and bars and restaurants.

Thompson Palm Springs will build on Hyatt’s intentional growth strategy in key leisure markets, joining 18 Thompson Hotels properties worldwide, with four additional properties expected to open by the end of 2024 in destinations like Houston, South Beach Miami, and Monterrey, Mexico, as well as the brand’s entry into Asia Pacific in Shanghai.  

To learn more about the Thompson Hotels brand,  visit www.thompsonhotels.com.

Disney Cruise adds two new experiences on board Disney Magic

May 10, 2023 No Comments

From the magical mountains of Colombia to the bustling streets of New York City, the colorful worlds of two fan-favorite Disney films – Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Encanto” and Disney and Pixar’s “Soul” – have come to life for the first time on the high seas with the debut of new family-friendly experiences aboard the Disney Magic.

In addition to “Encanto”-themed entertainment and a “Soul”-inspired lounge, the ship’s concierge accommodations were enhanced with new theming and spacious refurbishments during a three-week dry dock project in Freeport, The Bahamas.

An Encanto Celebration

Guests can join the fantastical family Madrigal during an all-new immersive experience, “An Encanto Celebration,” designed to engage families through music, crafts and storytelling.

The interactive experience gives guests an opportunity to meet and take photos with Mirabel and the family member we don’t talk about, Bruno, during their Disney Cruise Line debut.

Families can also join a spirited sing-along of beloved “Encanto” songs and create butterfly and flower crafts inspired by the film. During the show, guests can experience a true taste of South America thanks to a selection of local Colombian beers, cocktails and sodas along with film-inspired mocktails.

New Soul Cat Lounge

The heartfelt story of “Soul” was the inspiration for the brand-new Soul Cat Lounge designed to look like Joe Gardner’sfavorite music spot from the film, the Half Note Lounge.

The space, located on deck three near Rapunzel’s Royal Table restaurant, instantly transports guests to a classic New York jazz club appointed with decorative details like brick walls, wood accents and plenty of rich leather seating around a stage set for live music, so guests can grab their partner and head to the dance floor for a swinging good time each evening.

The Soul Cat Lounge is adorned with custom artwork from Pixar featuring nods to the film including record labels, concert posters and portraits of jazz legend Dorothea Williams and her bandmates. Thoughtful “Soul”-inspired details are subtly layered throughout the design including record players, instruments and Joe’s hat.

Adults can enhance their big city experience with table-side Manhattans and martinis or choose from a selection of native brews and cocktails made with New York spirits. A fun collection of mocktails, specialty coffees and sodas are also on the menu. In addition to new drink options, guests can take a bite of Little Italy with an order of zeppoles, the classic Italian pastry similar to a fried doughnut, while enjoying the live music.

Redesigned concierge

The concierge spaces aboard the Disney Magic have been elevated and enhanced. The concierge lounge was reimagined and expanded to feature a sophisticated new theme and tropical colour palate inspired by Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Moana” and an additional outdoor covered seating area on deck 10 where guests can relax with a refreshing beverage while enjoying the ocean breeze.

All concierge suites, including one- and two-bedroom accommodations and the two signature royal suites, have been completely refurbished with fresh fixtures, furniture and elegant artwork, further elevating the premium experience for concierge guests.

Shore power technology was also installed as part of the ship’s dry dock project, continuing Disney Cruise Line’s longtime dedication to minimizing its impact on the environment. When available at the port, this will allow the Disney Magic to “plug in” to the port’s electrical grid, reducing the ship’s emissions.

The Disney Magic is currently sailing its first of three itineraries from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Beginning May 24, the ship will return to Miami for a summer of cruises to The Bahamas and Caribbean including the “Silver Anniversary at Sea” celebration in honor of Disney Cruise Line’s 25th anniversary. This fall, the Disney Magic will head west for its inaugural season sailing out of San Diego.

Oceania Cruises welcomes Vista, first of all-new Allura Class

May 8, 2023 No Comments

The first of the line’s Allura Class vessels, Vista is a 1,200-guest, all-veranda ship from Oceania Cruises.

At 791 feet (241 meters) long and more than 67,000 tons, Vista offers a staffing ratio with two crew members for every three guests. She also boasts the most spacious standard staterooms at sea, which measure more than 290 square feet, plus new Concierge Level Veranda Staterooms for solo travellers.

All-veranda accommodations

Setting new standards for comfort and residential-style luxury, she features all-veranda accommodations.

Vista’s elevated variety of onboard activities include eight bars, lounges and entertainment venues plus the luxurious Aquamar Spa + Vitality Centre and Aquamar Spa Terrace.

Elevated cuisine

Vista features 11 onboard culinary venues including three which are new to Vista.

These include Aquamar Kitchen, offering an array of wellness-inspired dishes with a hint of indulgence; The Bakery at Baristas, serving tempting freshly baked pastries; and new signature restaurant, Ember.

With an emphasis on innovating for drinks, as well as all things culinary, Vista is also introducing The Casino Mixology Bar, a new concept for the line, focused entirely on the art of the cocktail.

2024 sailings

Vista‘s 2024 summer season will see her sail a series of Grand Voyages in the eastern Mediterranean, Aegean and Adriatic Seas, visiting an intriguing array of iconic cities and smaller boutique ports throughout Italy, Turkey, Greece and the Holy Lands.

A full overview of Vista‘s 2023 and 2024 itineraries can be found at OceaniaCruises.com.

Filmmaker duo launch accessible outdoor guide for more inclusive travel

May 5, 2023 No Comments

Spending time outside significantly improves both mental and physical health.

However, for some, getting outdoors can be a challenge and accessing the natural world isn’t as simple as just stepping outside for many people for a range of reasons. 

‘This Expansive Adventure‘ is a multi-media website created by world-renowned and respected filmmakers, photographers and writers Fay and Matt Doyle.

With the belief that experiencing the outdoors and nature should not be full of barriers and can be much more inclusive, together, with outdoors retailer Ellis Brighamto, have created ‘The Accessible Outdoors Guide‘ that launched on This Expansive Adventure on May 10, 2023.

About the project

“We worked on creating articles and short film pieces to form an interactive hub,” explains Fay. “The guide aims to help people, through education, learn how to make their experience of the outdoors easier and safer. It also looks at the barriers people face to aid better transparency and to move toward more accessible nature for all.”

This is a subject particularly important to Fay, an adventurer with a disability who has faced many barriers to the outdoors since diagnosis.

Three short films are currently available as part of the ‘Learn Something New’ series on tea:tv Streaming, their original video content streaming platform. They include several interviews with experts and campaigners. 

The first is ‘How to Access the Outdoors with a Hidden Disability’. This short introduction includes lots of invaluable information to help develop confidence, especially with conditions where the goalposts can move during flare-ups. Ani Barber, a disabled outdoors enthusiast and founder of the ‘Outside Our Way’ blog, offers five suggestions on accessing nature and the outdoors with a hidden disability. 

Soraya Abdel-Hadi, founder of ‘All the Elements’ is featured in the second film, ‘Creating Change Around the Things You’re Passionate About’. She gives six tips to get you thinking about using your voice and actions to enact positive change. Activism can seem daunting. However, it doesn’t need to be. Soraya shares invaluable inspiration, creative ideas and thoughts on creating change around the things you feel passionate about and avoiding burnout.

‘Tips to Enjoy the Outdoors Safely’ is the third film’s title. It includes invaluable information to help make your time outdoors more accessible and enjoyable. Advice on how to make your adventures and time outdoors safer comes from Simon Pitman, a member of the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team and Ellis Brigham’s Fort William branch manager. 

Promoting more inclusive travel

‘The Accessible Outdoors Guide’ focuses on three key areas of the outdoor experience where problems can present themselves – safety, accessibility, and diversity.

In collaboration with experts, a series of informative articles have been produced that explore ways to break down some of the barriers faced. These are currently available on the ‘This Expansive Adventure’ website.

Fay and Matt created ‘This Expansive Adventure’ with the aim of moving away from ‘the idea of unrealistic travel, adventure and lifestyle goals and to make it more approachable, sustainable, achievable and inclusive’.

They hope that this initiative and ‘The Accessible Outdoors Guide‘ can help many more to enjoy the benefits of exploring nature.

Hard Rock opening massive casino in Deadwood, South Dakota

May 3, 2023 No Comments

Hard Rock International is bringing its unique brand of world-class entertainment to the historic city of Deadwood in the heart of the Black Hills National Forest. The Rocksino by Hard Rock project will celebrate a grand opening on Aug. 8.

Hard Rock International executives, local community members and civic leaders will participate in the celebration of the newest economic driver in the region most famous for its gold rush history.

The Rocksino by Hard Rock Deadwood is a boutique hotel & casino experience, which includes most of what fans of the Hard Rock brand have come to know but on a smaller scale than its famous integrated resorts in gateway international cities.

Currently, the property is seeking several positions for its workforce including Administrative Assistant, Hospitality Manager, Executive Chef, all department supervisors including food and beverage, casino, and kitchen, public area attendants, housekeeping, bartenders, kitchen staff, and retail sales associates.

The property will feature a casino including 86 new slot machines, full-service restaurant and bar with amazing craft cocktails, and a delicious new menu that will include everyone’s most loved pizza in Deadwood which will be prepared in our brand-new state-of-the-art kitchen.

Diners can enjoy their meals on the Historic Patio, which will feature a wood fire grill, or inside at the bar or VIP mezzanine. Shop at the Rock Shop Retail Store for custom Rocksino by Hard Rock Deadwood apparel. Beautifully renovated luxury guest rooms are scheduled to open later this year.

New contemporary city hotel debuts in Dublin

May 1, 2023 No Comments

Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas will officially make its debut in Ireland with the opening of Anantara The Marker Dublin Hotel.  

Previously known as The Marker, a significant renovation has now been completed with a multi-million investment at the iconic Dublin hotel, which is a member of Leading Hotels of the World.

The property is one of the Irish capital’s most contemporary and architecturally impressive buildings and is located in the heart of the Docklands, a stylish and innovative part of the city that is home to some of the world’s most famous names in tech. 

About the hotel

Overlooking the Waterfront on Grand Canal Square in the heart of Dublin City, Anantara The Marker Dublin Hotel has a contemporary design and style with eight state-of-the-art event and meeting facilities and offers 187 renovated stylish guest rooms over six floors, comprising 124 Premier and Deluxe rooms, 18 Junior Corner Suites and three large executive suites.  
 

The Roche Suite offers 1066 square feet of living space whilst the 990-square-foot Schwartz Suite, named after the square designer, features sweeping Grand Canal Square views. The spacious 1,389 square foot Presidential Suite is located on the fifth floor and boasts unobstructed views of Grand Canal Square offering two en suite bedrooms and separate living spaces.  

Services include the Condé Nast award-winning spa, which offers an infinity pool, sauna and eucalyptus-infused steam room alongside a series of new signature Anantara Spa treatments inspired by indigenous Irish ingredients and healing traditions.

A stylish rooftop terrace with stunning panoramic 360º views across the cityscape stretching to the sea at Dublin Bay is the best rooftop in the city. 

Recent refurbishments 


The lobby and bar have been refreshed with the addition of new soft furnishings, bespoke cabinetry, and custom furniture.
 
A destination restaurant, ‘Forbes Street by Gareth Mullins’, welcomes hotel residents and city dwellers alike.  The new restaurant will feature the very best of locally-sourced products served in a contemporary manner and with a uniquely Irish twist.
 

Close to the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) and the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Anantara The Marker Dublin Hotel is a perfect cultural and business epicenter for travellers keen to experience classic Irish hospitality at its best.

Anantara The Marker Dublin Hotel is the only five-star hotel in the area, which has recently emerged as one of the most vibrant, dynamic and modern parts of the city for living, working and socializing.

You can dive amongst Roman ruins in Malta’s new underwater park

April 28, 2023 No Comments

Malta is on the verge of offering divers a new underwater experience that will provide a truly in-depth look at the destination’s long history.

Spring will see the Mediterranean archipelago launch the Tower Wreck Deepwater Archaeological Park, which tourism authorities bill as the first of its kind.

The underwater park is located in Xlendi Bay, in the southwest corner of Malta’s sister island of Gozo.

“The deep-water archaeological park, encompassing an area of 67,000 square meters (approx. 42 miles), will allow international researchers and technical divers to explore the history of Malta from a totally different deep sea archaeological perspective. The marine park will showcase thousands of ancient artifacts, such as amphorae and urns, dating back to around 2,300 years, and natural heritage in the form of rocky outcrops formed by extinct coral reefs,” the Malta Tourism Authority said.

Explore 3rd century ruins

Professor Timmy Gambin of the Archeology Centre at the University of Malta praised the park as a “unique site” that will be open to technical divers. “All phases of our history are represented underwater,” says Gambin, citing many different types of rare ceramic remains that date to the 3rd century BC.

Malta tourism authorities proudly note that the Romans, Greeks, Carthaginians and other ancient civilizations helped shape Malta. Deepwater reefs can also be seen in the park.

“It is important for Underwater Cultural Heritage to be made accessible,” Gambin said. “I am very proud to be part of the team launching the Tower Wreck Deepwater Archaeological Park. Heritage Malta, together with the University of Malta and the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, is valorizing and sharing a unique site that is otherwise invisible to the vast majority of the world. Thanks to support from the Malta Airport Foundation, this ambitious and challenging project has gone from concept to reality.”

Shipwrecks and more

Gambin said Malta has “excellent all-round diving — from incredible underwater landscapes to historic shipwrecks at different depths. Our vision is to make Malta into a mecca for technical divers.”

Meanwhile, the Underwater Malta website will make the archeological site accessible to all through 360-degree videos, images, and 3D models, creating a virtual museum of the islands’ underwater archaeological sites. The marine park will be the site of a small museum with exhibits and video footage of the park.

“Through the Underwater Malta website, The Foundation also hopes to support Heritage Malta in bringing this project closer to people who are neither divers nor researchers but are keen to learn more about the Maltese Islands’ history through our underwater cultural heritage.” added Malta Airport Foundation chairman Josef Formosa Gauci.

More information can be found at www.underwatermalta.org.