Paul Gauguin Cruises welcomed Vancouver agents to a spirited event last night, with an information session followed by a hard-fought game of Family Feud to test participants' knowledge of the company.
Vicky Lubyk, the company's director of sales, Western Canada, began by giving agents a quick primer on Tahiti, French Polynesia and the South Pacific, where the 332-passenger m/s Paul Gauguin sails…
India Tourism and the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI) brought their roadshow to Vancouver last week to educate agents about the many adventure tourism opportunities the country offers. Members of the travel trade had the opportunity to meet directly with six ATOAI representatives in a trade show format before a presentation that included remarks from the Consul General of India in Vancouver and India Tourism…
Big, soft, doughy pretzels sprinkled with crunchy salt are one of the greatest foods to come out of Germany. But where can you find them in Vancouver? It turns out it's surprisingly easy to satisfy your pretzel craving in this city. Whether you're focused on authenticity, ambiance or just availability at 3:00 am, we've got you covered with this list…
Read the rest of my list of where to find soft pretzels in Vancouver at YP.ca
Air Canada Vacations (ACV) hosted 200 agents at its winter product launch in Vancouver last night, an event that included announcements, prizes and special appearances by Elmo and Cookie Monster.
Kristin Erz, area sales manager for ACV and Colin Skerritt, global account manager, the evening's MCs, kicked things off by thanking agents for their support…
Ah, waterfront patios – does it get any more West Coast? False Creek provides a host of options for soaking in the sun on its south shore. With great views of the city, three bridges to frame the scene and plenty of sail-bys from beautiful people on beautiful boats, an afternoon on one of these Vancouver patios is sure to come with a healthy side of photo ops…
Read the rest of my list of Great patios on the south side of Vancouver's False Creek at YP.ca
Destination Hotels, the largest operator of independent hotels in the United States, has unveiled a rebrand that includes a new name (formerly Destination Hotels and Resorts), programs, partnerships and a more unified visual identity. PAXnewsWest.com sat down with Carrie Drost, Destination's director of public relations, to find out what the rebranding effort means for travel professionals and their clients…
The five-year-old Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel in Vancouver has thriving arts and food and beverage programs. The hotel's growing collection of artworks is the focus of a newly released self-guided art podcast tour. In the kitchens, newly appointed executive chef Nathan Brown is showcasing local Vancouver ingredients with a focus on sustainable ingredients and cooking from scratch. PAXnewsWest.com sat down at the hotel's ORU restaurant with Kaylyn Storey, public relations manager, to learn more about the latest developments in the hotel's efforts to highlight the visual and culinary arts…
Boomerang and Exotik Tours invited travel agents to the TravelBrands offices in Vancouver yesterday to announce new technology improvements that will change the way agents quote and book travel through the companies as of Sept. 7. These backend changes will enhance the functionality of the revamped website launched in May, which brought the Exotik and Boomerang product offerings together on one site…
Context Travel, named one of the top European tour companies by Travel + Leisure magazine, launched its first Canadian tours in Vancouver and Montreal in May. This week, PAXnewsWest.com joined expansion manager Lily Heise and Vancouver wine docent Louise-Marie Lessard for a trial run of the new Vancouver-based tour Wines of B.C., a Tasting Journey of the Province, with stops at The Wine Bar in Yaletown and Beach Bay Café in the West End…