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…

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Representatives of Choose Chicago wrapped up four days in Vancouver on Thursday with local travel agents during a sunny soiree on the patio of the Shangri-La Hotel.

"There's great interest in Chicago,” Cathy Domanico, Choose Chicago's vice-president of tourism and leisure sales, told PAXnewsWest.com. "Chicago is a new product offering for Western Canada, which provides a good opportunity for travel professionals…”

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The booming entertainment district in Scottsdale, Arizona is growing fast. Nine new restaurants and bars have opened in the last two years, giving the area the highest concentration of bars and lounges in downtown Scottsdale. The 230-room W Scottsdale hotel is located in a prime position for visitors looking to experience the area's nightlife, including three lounges within the hotel. PAXnewsWest.com sat down with Rich Gonzalez, the hotel's director of sales and marketing, to learn about the latest developments in the entertainment district, and what guests should know about this 230-room Starwood property…

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The sun obliged yesterday, shining on guests as they arrived at the Transat Holidays 2015–2016 sun product launch in Vancouver, presented at an intimate lunch for 20 agents at Blue Water Café.

Transat's new 2015–2016 sun brochure features 35 destinations. For the first time, all vacation destinations are offered as Transat Holidays packages, including those previously available only under the Nolitours banner…

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"I could have lived anywhere, but I chose to live on Kauai.” It was a refrain heard over and over again on a recent PAXnewsWest.com visit to the destination.

"Kauai has a feeling, a spirit,” said Sabra Kauka, a Kauai cultural representative. "It has a way of embracing you and saying ‘Aloha.'”

Ninety-seven per cent of Kauai's land is undeveloped, with many pristine areas accessible only by boat or foot, and some only by helicopter (a quirky piece of legislation prevents the construction of buildings that exceed the height of a mature coconut tree)…

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The Thailand Travel Mart Plus (TTM+) 2015 wrapped up Friday after three days of connecting Thailand tourism operators and service providers with buyers and media.

The 2015 Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) campaign encourages visitors to "Discover Thainess,” a theme much discussed at the event. What exactly is "Thainess”? It's that unique aspect of Thailand that keeps visitors returning to the country…

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PAXnewsWest.com is on location in Thailand this week for the Thailand Travel Mart Plus (TTM+) 2015.

Before attending the TTM+ opening reception last night, media guests (including PAXnewsWest.com) spent the day exploring Bangkok with Tourism Authority of Thailand representatives. First was the Pak-Klong Market, the largest wholesale and retail flower market in Bangkok, which also does a brisk business in produce. After a quick peek at the rows of stalls selling garlands, roses, herbs, and fruits and vegetables, it was off to the Amita Thai Cooking School for a lesson in Thai cuisine…

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Representatives from Visit West Hollywood are in Vancouver this week to highlight the best of the 4.9 square kilometre city which Communications Manager Chris Arboleda calls "geographically and culturally the centre of L.A.” PAXnewsWest.com sat down with Arboleda to learn more about this "hip, trendy and diverse” neighbourhood with "an authentic Hollywood feel.”

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David Smith of Interface Images is a Vancouver-based freelance photographer who also teaches the art of digital photography on some of the world's top cruise lines. Recently, he spoke at the BC Association of Travel Writers annual symposium about how to take better pictures while travelling.

The key? Take pictures of people. Sure, landscape and architecture shots are great, but it's pictures of people that will make your travel photography unique (and share-worthy) and help you build and capture lasting memories. "Explore what your camera means to you as you interact with cultures around the world,” he said. Here are his top three tips for getting great shots of local people as you travel around the world.

1. Ask permission

Taking someone's photo without asking is at best rude, and at worst can get you in serious trouble. While people in North America may be hesitant to have their picture taken, people in other cultures may be flattered you asked. "Internationally, your camera can unlock doors to local culture,” Smith said. Improve your odds of success by asking to "create” someone's picture rather than "take” it – it's a simple shift of language that makes a big difference.

2. Work the easy connections

Simply put, be nice. Be nice to cab drivers and others in the service industry – Smith has been invited into local families' homes more than once just by being polite and expressing an interest. When purchasing local goods in a market, be friendly and ask the vendors to pose with their products – they'll be happy to show off what they sell.

3. Create rapport

Bring pens, stickers and other gifts from home (Canadian flag items are a big hit) to thank people for allowing you to photograph them. Be sure to show people the photos you take of them on the camera's LCD screen. As strange as it may to sound in selfie-obsessed North America, some people may never have seen a photograph of themselves before, and it can bring them great joy.

Bonus tip: When taking pictures of people who know each other (friends or family members), ask them to "touch heads.” It brings their faces together (and gets them smiling) for a much more interesting photo than a line of people standing in a row.

Representatives from Greater Portland sat down for a conversation with PAXnewsWest.com yesterday about what's new in the Rose City and the surrounding areas of Washington County and Mt. Hood Territory. They showcased Greater Portland as a choice destination for travellers looking for a healthy, active experience supplemented with plenty of great food, craft beer and local wine – in the city and the surrounding countryside. "We like to live well, eat well and be active,” said Alacia Lauer of Travel Portland. "You have to get outside of the city to see what makes Portland Portland…”

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