Introducing Jim Bits

A number of Texas Tourism folks took the time to attend an information session for travel journalists in Toronto on Tuesday. With wonderful Texas chili and fried chicken to snack on, journalists were treated to presentations from Rosalyn Hunter, who emceed the event on behalf of VOX International. Also on hand was Sana Keller from Pulse Communications, who represents San Antonio Tourism, plus representatives from Houston, Fredericksburg Hill Country and Lubbock.

I didn't know, but just shy of 500,000 Canadians visited Texas in 2016, the last year for which figures are available. That's probably not surprising when you consider classic destinations such as San Antonio (famous for The Riverwalk, The Alamo and other sites), Austin (fab food and music), Dallas (museums, shopping) and Houston (wonderful food, world-class rodeo and NASA).

A new Buddy Holly Performing Arts Center is being built in Lubbock in north central Texas, Holly's hometown. Journalists were told the center should open in 2020.

Fredericksburg is now home to several dozen wineries and Texas, officials said, is the second most popular state in the U.S. for wine-tasting, edging out such notables as Oregon, Washington and New York state.

Keller said the Riverwalk in San Antonio now stretches 24 km's (15 miles) and that the city has been rated one of the most friendly in the U.S.

A spokeswoman for Houston Tourism said there are tons of great new hotels and restaurants in the city and that downtown is increasingly friendly for pedestrians. She recommend a visit during crawfish season (generally the first half of the year) to try some great local food.

Canadian singer/songwriter Jann Arden next year will be hosting a special sailing of Avalon Waterways' Blue Danube Discovery cruise, departing June 18, 2019. As well as mingling with passengers, Arden will perform a private concert on board and participate in a photo op and CD signing.

Arden acted as Godmother of the ship Avalon Tranquility II in 2015 and hosted another cruise last year.

The 12-day vacation starts with a two night stay in the Hungarian capital Budapest before embarkation and sailing onto Vienna, followed by the fairytale castles of Dürnstein, Austria and Germany's baroque charms in Passau, Regensburg and Roth before disembarking in Prague, Czech Republic for a two night stay.

PONANT, the leader in expedition cruising and the only cruise line carrying the French flag, announced the launch of two additional vessels which will expand its fleet to 12 ships with 2,000 crew members and 460 departures by 2021. In an age when oversized ships are the norm, PONANT has made a strategic decision throughout its history to focus on small-ship cruising with all the intimacy and authenticity that it allows.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2018, PONANT specializes in destinations around the world that are inaccessible to larger ships such as Antarctica, the Arctic, Alaska, the Amazon, the Orinoco, Kimberley (Australia), Papua New Guinea, and even the roof of the world at the Geographic North Pole and the North-East Passage.

PONANT's expansion includes construction of the fifth and sixth vessels in the innovative Explorers series. The new yacht-like ships, to be called Le Bellot and Le Surville, will launch in 2020.

Courteous and helpful staff and improvements to airport ambiance have inspired passengers travelling through Toronto Pearson in 2017 to award Canada's largest airport an Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Award and the title of Best Large Airport (serving more than 40 million annual passengers) in North America by Airports Council International (ACI), the global organization representing the world's airports.

"We've set our sights on becoming the best airport in the world," said Howard Eng, President and CEO, Greater Toronto Airports Authority.

As a frequent traveller at YYZ, I have to say the courteous staffing and added shopping and dining options have certainly improved things at Pearson. But they're not getting all the glory. Also this week Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport was named one of the best Airports in North America for the third consecutive year in the ACI quality awards. YTZ tied for second place for Best Airport in North America (over 2 million passengers per year).

Billy Bishop Toronto City ranked sixth in a Top 10 list of global airports by Condé Nast Traveler 2017 Readers' Choice Awards and one of North America's best airports by Skytrax World Airport Awards. The airport was also recognized as one of the Top Ten Most Beautiful Airport Approaches last year by Private Fly.

Transat is inviting Canadians to take advantage of vacation packages to select hotels in Jamaica from Montreal, Toronto and Halifax at 50 per cent off for bookings made by March 20, 2018.

Travel agents also can take advantage of a special Bonbon offer: $10 on individual or group bookings.

This promotion is valid for select departures dates between April 1 and June 30.

For all details, visit www.transat.com.

Silversea has announced the opening of general sales for its 140-day, 62-port, 32-country World Cruise in 2020. Departing Fort Lauderdale on Jan. 6, 2020, Silver Whisper will be the first ship to visit all seven continents - including the remote, rugged landscape of Antarctica - on a world cruise. Unique in the richness and range of its itinerary, the World Cruise 2020 will include long stays and overnights in many of the world's most fascinating capital cities and spectacular natural wonders - each of which has been selected for its authentic beauty. A first in the history of cruising, Silversea's World Cruise 2020 will pass through both the Northern and Southern Fjords, enabling travel enthusiasts to witness and explore some of the world's greatest marvels. In total, there will be 40 new destinations from the 2018 and 2019 Silversea World Cruise itineraries.

Holland America Line is introducing Food & Beverage Aficionado Cruises in 2018 that showcase the talents of the members of its esteemed Culinary Council, Master Mixologist Dale DeGroff, and the premium line's wine curator and winemaker partners. The Culinary Council comprises a collection of elite international celebrity chefs who bring global influence to every dining venue across Holland America Line's fleet of premium ships. The Culinary Council is led by Holland America Line's Master Chef Rudi Sodamin, who is joined by international chefs Jonnie Boer, David Burke, Elizabeth Falkner, Andy Matsuda, Ethan Stowell and Jacques Torres. The cruise line also collaborates with acclaimed wine critic James Suckling on curating its wine program, master mixologist Dale DeGroff on its cocktail program and vintners from its home state of Washington, including Chateau Ste. Michelle winery, which helped develop the BLEND wine experience on board Koningsdam.