Travel and Tourism Industry News

Canada’s Honeymoon City has long been known as a tourist destination. Anchored by the iconic Niagara Falls itself, a thriving hospitality and attractions sector has become the face of the city.

That isn’t going away, but Niagara Falls is taking big strides to go beyond the bright lights to position itself as one of Canada’s top destinations for conventions, conferences and trade shows.

“Tourism is very much driven by the seasons, but conventions and business travellers will make Niagara Falls a year-round destination,” says Anthony Annunziata, Vice-President of Marketing at the Marriott Gateway on the Falls. “Niagara Falls has a premier facility for large corporate gatherings, with all the amenities to keep your employees, delegates and clients happy when not on the convention floor.” Read the rest of this entry »

Award-winning car hire company, Rhinocarhire.com warns that car hire prices are set to soar this summer. The online car hire specialist predicts this is due to a number of reasons: the UK’s high rate of inflation, the EU’s sovereign debt situation, the earthquake in Japan and increasing oil prices. Rhinocarhire.com therefore strongly advises customers to book early to obtain cheap car hire.

Rhino Car Hire

The UK is currently suffering the highest rate of inflation in two-and-a-half years, rising to 4.5% in April. What’s more, because of the sovereign debt situation in countries such as Greece and Portugal, the rate of inflation in many European countries is even greater than the UK. Read the rest of this entry »

Family and multi-generational travel has been named the biggest new travel trend in 2011 by industry expert Virtuoso. With their hectic schedules, families are now seeking cultural experiences in exotic locales where they can spend quality time together while expanding their horizons. Traveling to far-flung places in Asia and the Pacific with Asia Transpacific Journeys broadens everyone’s viewpoint and gives children perspective on their life by developing critical thinking skills and learning about other cultures.

Marilyn Downing Staff, Founder and President of the nation’s leading tour company for the Asia and Pacific region, believes that by visiting cultures so different from the American lifestyle children learn about other cultures and traditions early on, which helps them understand that the world is a much bigger place than they may have thought before.

“Our sensitive and seasoned Asia travel guides provide children with insights into the local cultures, religious traditions, exotic plants and animals,” says Downing Staff, herself a parent. “It shapes their attitude towards life.”

Here are their top picks for family trips that are both educational and fun in nature through hands-on learning: Read the rest of this entry »

A picture is worth a thousand words and at the Selous Safari Camp in southern Tanzania, Camp Manager and successful artist, Jenny Hartree hopes to help her budding wildlife photographers capture the once-in-a-lifetime shot. With endangered species, prehistoric landscapes and magical lighting, the Selous Game Reserve guarantees an epic and memorable backdrop.

Tanzania Safari Photos by Jenny Hartree

On hand to offer tips and advice on how to set up the perfect photo by using the correct light, camera settings and lenses, British-born Jenny Hartree has an inherent love of nature and wildlife which exudes through her work and teachings. A semi-finalist numerous times for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, Jenny has explored Africa extensively over the past 25 years successfully transferring images captured on film in to detailed pencil drawings. Jenny’s top tips for the amateur photographer include: Read the rest of this entry »

Hyatt Regency Chicago, located at 151 E. Wacker Drive in Chicago, is excited to announce the completion of a $90 million renovation, which features a complete remodel and transformation of the hotel’s 2,019 guest rooms and suites, as well as 65 guest room floor corridors. Through their investment in this important renovation, the hotel’s owner Kato Kagaku Co., Ltd., continues to demonstrate great support of the hotel providing guests with the ultimate in comfort and convenience.

Hyatt Regency Chicago Renovated Guestroom

The newly renovated guest rooms now feature brand new Hyatt Grand Beds, wall coverings, carpet, window treatments, chairs, soft goods, artwork, lighting, and 2 category 6A cables per room. A contemporary color scheme with contrasting warm and cool gray and orange hues is used in various textures throughout the room. Striking black and white photography etched on glass and showcasing unique aspects of the city adorns the walls. In order to complete this extensive renovation, all guest rooms, bathrooms, corridors, and elevator landings were completely stripped down, floor-by-floor, to provide a bare canvas from which the design team could work with to create the transformation. Read the rest of this entry »

Whether you are sending your child to a traditional overnight camp, on a school field trip or half way around the world, safety is always paramount in a parent’s mind. For 20 years a Chicago-based service adventure travel company called The Road Less Traveled has been providing teens and young adults the chance to embark upon unique, life-changing experiences in some of the world’s most incredible locations.

Whether participants are hiking the Andes Mountains in Ecuador or scuba diving and replanting underwater reefs in the Florida Keys, the programs’ first priority is always safety.

To ensure the best and safest journey possible, here are some safety tips for teens and parents from the staff of The Road Less Traveled:

For Parents…

Choose A Credible Company: With so many teen tours, adventure trips and service-focused programs available to teens these days it can be hard to know which one to go with. Select a program that has a great track record and an established reputation. Don’t be afraid to ask for references or testimonials from previous participants. Another consideration is to choose a program that is accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA). Read the rest of this entry »

South Korea’s southern resort island of Jeju will become saturated with mobile wireless internet, which will likely boost the island’s tourism industry, telecom titan KT Corp. said Tuesday.

KT installed mobile Wi-Fi (wireless-fidelity) services along major roads and at tourist attractions on Jeju island, Pyo Hyun-myung, president of KT’s mobile business group, told reporters.

Coverage will reach 95 percent of the region’s tourist attractions by the end of next month, he said.

It also plans to expand the number of Wi-Fi hotspots on the 1,848-square-meter island from 900 to 1,500 by the end of this year.

KT established a type of mobile Wi-Fi service called Wireless Broadband (WiBro) in 82 Korean cities earlier this year to meet explosive wireless data demand from data-gobbling smartphone users. Read the rest of this entry »