JimBits: Barbados Visitor Increase, Canadian Hotel Openings and Tons of Cruise News

New airlift, new experiences and refreshed product are already translating to increased tourism business for Barbados. Newly released figures show that Barbados is continuing its path of positive growth in 2018, attracting 357,668 stayover visitors for the period January to June. When compared to the corresponding period in 2017, there were 10,819 additional visitors to the island; an increase of 3.1 percent.

According to in-house statistics from the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI), the island enjoyed an influx of arrivals, and of the five top-producing source markets, the United Kingdom is out front once again with over 119,241 arrivals, up 2.8 percent from 2017. Following closely behind is the United States, which recorded the fastest growth of 8.8 percent from 107,328 visitors during the January to June 2018 period. Barbados record 53,236 arrivals from Canada, a 2.9 per cent increase from 2017.

Avalon Waterways has announced the extension of the booking deadline of its Free Air - and more! - offer, now expiring Aug. 7, 2018. Clients can reap a harvest of savings on a select number of the company's European river cruises departing between September and December this year.

The offer includes free sked air on flights from Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa, while clients from numerous other gateways receive a special $299 fare. In addition, clients will enjoy a $1,200 saving per couple off the regular price of these cruises. The cruises included range from eight to 21 days on the Danube, Rhine and Moselle, and some include land extensions to London.

For more information and to book, visit www.agentlingo.ca.

Air Transat, named World's Best Leisure Airline at the Skytrax World Airline Awards, is thrilled to offer a wide array of flights to travellers looking to discover France this summer. In addition to daily flights to Paris year-round, Transat offers service to Lyon, Nice, Marseille, Nantes, Bordeaux and Toulouse summer after summer. With a total of 46 direct flights a week from Canada, in addition to 89 connecting flights, Transat stands out in the French market-where it has been present for 30 years-with its high flight frequency.

France's rich history is evident in its thousands of attractions, including stately castles, magnificent vineyards and multitude of renowned monuments. The never-ending list of things to see and do has something for all types of travellers. Air Transat also offers a multi-destination flight option, making it possible to land in one city and return from another at no extra cost. This advantage multiplies the itinerary possibilities and lets travellers combine several destinations without having to backtrack. A holiday in France's chic, gastronomic capital of Lyon can therefore be combined with a getaway to Nantes, an ancient port city known for its history and emerging effervescent community of young artists.

NYC & Company today announced that John Marshall has joined the organization as Director, Tourism Development, Established Markets, serving the USA & Canada. In his new role, he will drive leisure travel to New York City's five boroughs from these key visitor markets, reporting to Reginald Charlot, Managing Director, Tourism Development for Established Markets and working together with the organization's travel trade representatives in Toronto.

"As a lifelong New Yorker, it is an honor to join NYC & Company and represent the destination in this role. With countless new developments and beloved classics across all five boroughs, I look forward to sharing my hometown with visitors and engaging key members of the trade to further drive travel from the USA and Canada," said John Marshall.

"It is a pleasure to welcome John to the NYC & Company team, with his many years of experience working with both the domestic and Canadian markets. He is a seasoned tourism professional and we look forward to leaning on his expertise in elevating destination awareness in this important marketplace even further, in the months to come," said Reginald Charlot.

Last year, New York City welcomed a record 62.8 million travelers, comprising 49.7 million domestic and 13.1 million international visitors - including 970,000 Canadian travelers.

IHG announced that its upper-midscale brand, Holiday Inn Express, has crossed the milestone of 100 open hotels in Canada with the opening of the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Trois-Rivières in Quebec.

On the heels of this 100th hotel milestone are three additional openings for the brand in Canada: Holiday Inn Express & Suites Brantford, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Kelowna - East, and Holiday Inn Express & Suites Moncton. These openings further demonstrate the brand's rapid growth throughout IHG's 56-year history in Canada, and signal significant opportunities to Canadian owners.

The classic Highway One drive along California's Central Coast is now ready to welcome visitors for an uninterrupted road trip as the final repairs at Mud Creek in Big Sur mark completion. Extreme weather in 2017 had severely affected the areas around Big Sur and northern San Luis Obispo county that resulted in road closures on the Pacific Coast Highway. With the roadworks officially over, the quintessential California experience along the most scenic coastlines in the world is now fully accessible - and better than ever.

"We're extremely thrilled to once again invite travelers to seamlessly drive along the 350 miles of the Central Coast's gorgeous shoreline," said Michelle Carlen, President, Central Coast Tourism Council. "We would like to thank Caltrans and their partners who worked relentlessly to reopen the Highway. With a diverse range of attractions and activities suited for all age groups, Central Coast is certainly the ultimate road trip destination. We welcome everyone to embark on this adventure once again and experience California's best."

This bucket-list drive, also popularly known as the Original Road Trip, expands from Ventura to Santa Cruz and promises a true California vacation with sun-drenched beaches, world-class wineries, breathtaking coastal views, rustic campsites and state parks, sightings of marine life, delightful culinary experiences and the most gorgeous sunsets.

Emerald Waterways is pleased to announce the launch of their latest state-of-the-art Star-Ship, the Emerald Harmony. Featuring authentic Asian design fused with the modern amenities of a boutique hotel, Emerald Harmony will navigate the waters of the Mekong river between Vietnam and Cambodia beginning in August 2019 with 13-, 17- and 21-day cruise and tour packages.

With only 84 guests in 42 staterooms and suites, Emerald Harmony will offer an intimate sailing experience on the Mekong. The ship features spacious cabins, including 32, 273-square-foot Panorama Balcony Suites with drop-down windows; four, 398-square-foot Grand Balcony Suites; and two, 450-square-foot Owner's Suites boasting wrap-around terraces and private hot tubs. The ship also boasts a pool located on the ship's aft, an Asian-themed Horizon Bar & Lounge, and an impressive 2:1 guest to crew ratio. The menu in the main dining venue, Reflections Restaurant, will serve a locally-inspired menu showcasing native cuisine from the region. Featuring dark wooden tones and muted colors, the beautiful Lotus Lounge, situated at the front of the Vista Deck, is a quiet spot for guests to relax and watch the horizon unfold as the ship sails.

Perhaps the most innovative feature of the newest Star-Ship is in its clever design-unlike most similar-sized Mekong river ships, the Emerald Harmony will be built to allow access to the center of Ho Chi Minh City, meaning guests will disembark in the center of the action rather than needing to be coached in from outside the city.

The Star Alliance Connection Service is now available at Toronto Pearson Airport. This assists passengers with tight connections between two Star Alliance member airline flights. Dedicated Connection Service staff use special software to monitor the transfer window for customers with onward flights. Cases where passengers and checked bags appear in danger of missing a connection are automatically highlighted. The Connection Service agent can thereby already consider the various options available to ensure that the customer reaches the onward flight, or if necessary book alternative options, before the inbound flight even lands.

"With Connection Service now available in Toronto, we will ensure that more passengers with tight connections can make their onward flight, thereby improving the travel experience at one of our main hubs in North America. We are presently working on the expansion of this service to more key hubs in our network", said Christian Draeger, Star Alliance Vice President Customer Experience.

Toronto is the 13th biggest Star Alliance transfer hub world-wide, with more than 400,000 passengers connecting from one Star Alliance carrier to another each year.

Ultra-luxury cruise line, Silversea, has developed a spectacular wine program to bolster its reputation as the top purveyor of wines at sea.

Selected by the cruise line's expert Wine Ambassador, Lawrence d'Almeida, approximately 160 different wines populate Silversea's wine selection, which is lauded by wine experts for including one of the largest and broadest choices of complimentary wines aboard any cruise ship, with roughly 70 different labels. Every major wine region in the world is represented in the complimentary range, as well as every major wine grape, yet Italian wines are particularly well-represented as an homage to the cruise line's heritage. When relevant to the ships' visited destination, local wines are added to Silversea's wine selection, enabling guests to travel deeper by sampling fine wines from across the world.

Designed with wine-related destinations in mind and hosted either by Silversea's Wine Ambassador himself or by qualified master sommeliers, the cruise line's range of themed wine voyages unlocks a number of unique oenological experiences across the world, from onboard lectures and tastings to shore-based excursions. The themed wine voyages enable guests to sample an exceptional range of wines and expand their knowledge, while visiting spectacular destinations and enjoying authentic moments.