Paris Region Reaches Out, Plus Xcaret, Philadelphia, WestJet And More JimBits

Paris was dealt a blow by the recent damage to Notre Dame, but there's so much to see in the city.

Paris Region tourism officials were in Toronto this week to talk about their strong tourism numbers and show off what's new at a workshop attended by media and agents.

The region attracted 50 million visitors last year, 542,000 of them Canadians.

France as a whole last year saw tourism rise three per cent, climbing to 89.4 million visits, making it "the world's top destination." The French government wants to ratchet that number up to 100 million by next year.

Paris Region officials said there are tons of new things to see and do in the area, including new parks on the Seine River, renovations and upgrades at Les Halles, a new Place de la Republique and renovations to the Trocadero Terrace. There are also plenty of new museums and hotels, including a floating hotel on the edge of the Seine.

Current art exhibits include one called Picasso and the War, featured at the Musee de la Armee until July.

The region also is hosting massive sports events in the next few years. The FIFA women's world cup runs June 7 to July 7 this year, while the Rugby World Cup will be in Paris in 2023 and the Summer Olympics are in town in 2024.

Grupo Xcaret CEO Miguel Quintana Pali, a lifelong devotee of sustainable architecture in the tourism field, was awarded yesterday the "Lifetime Achievement Award" during the annual HOLA, or Hotel Opportunities Latin America, Conference held in Miami.

Quintana began to look at the environmental impact of tourism infrastructure as far back as the mid-1980s, when the architect and former furniture salesman first acquired five hectares (12 acres) of coastal land in Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo, to develop what became Xcaret Park. The area was known at the time as "Rancho Xcaret," and was remarkable for its natural beauty and biodiversity as well as its history. In ancient times, it was the Mayan port previously known as Polé. Quintana's original plan had been to develop the area as a private retreat for his family, but on discovering cenotes, underground rivers and other unique natural structures, he worked with Constandse brothers, who owned the land, to create Xcaret, which opened in 1990 as a park, later adding several other parks and most recently Hotel Xcaret Mexico.

During his acceptance speech, Grupo Xcaret CEO Miguel Quintana Pali said, "At Grupo Xcaret, we are constantly searching for aspiration, quality and uniqueness, and we keep our standards very high in order to provide our guests with the best possible experience." He then added, "We noticed our guests were demanding more than just sun and beach; other hotels did not offer a complete vacation experience, and that's part of the success story for Xcaret park. Grupo Xcaret has a wide-range of attractions, and with the opening of our first hotel, we are able to capitalize on our unique All-Fun Inclusive concept."

A welcoming city with a growing reputation for great food and posh, new hotels. Sounds like Toronto or Vancouver or Montreal, but we're actually talking about Philadelphia.

Philly and Toronto are connected by nine non-stop, one-hour flights a day, Jeff Guaracino, president and CEO of Visit Philadelphia, told a crowd of journalists gathered at the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto on Wednesday night. That makes Toronto their number one international entry point, he said.

The city had 45 million visitors last year, he said; with roughly half a million of those being Canadian.

It's also quite easy to get there by car. It's exactly the same distance from Toronto to Independence Hall in Philadelphia as it is from T.O. to Times Square in New York, Guaracino said.

Travel agents who book U.S. trips should know that the new Four Seasons at Comcast Center in downtown Philly will open in mid-August of this year. Designed by the esteemed Norman Foster, the hotel will have four restaurants; two of them in conjunction with renowned celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

Chef Maxime Michaud also will be working at the hotel and passed around some of his delicious offerings to the crowd on Wednesday night.

Melissa Quinones, the hotel's public relations director, told TravelPulse Canada there will be 219 rooms, all on floors 48 to 56 of the hotel, which will be the tallest building in the city when it opens.

"Every room will have great views of Philly," she said.

Guaracino said a new W Hotel and a new Element hotel also are coming to town soon.

One thing for Canadians to keep in mind is that Philadelphia offers much better value and a bigger bang for the Canadian buck than most other east coast cities in the U.S., Guaracino said.

Nearly 100 travel advisors and staff from Travel Leaders Network attended the organization's 20th Annual International Summit, which took place April 12-15, 2019, in Petra, Jordan, known as the "Rose City." This year's prestigious event immersed participants in VIP cultural and culinary experiences, including a private candlelight dinner at the famous archaeological site of Little Petra. Attendees stayed at the Petra Marriott Hotel, just 15 minutes from the Petra World Heritage Site.

"Interest in attending this year's International Summit in Petra, Jordan, was so popular that we sold out months in advance," said Travel Leaders Network President Roger E. Block, CTC.

Lola Vassiliadis, Owner of Cruise Holidays based in Oakville attended the International Summit with her husband George who was born in Cairo, but had not returned since he was nine years old. " This trip had a special meaning to us at Petra and the Temples of Luxor and Karnak have been on our bucket list for years. We were able to add the five-day post tour to Cairo and Luxor after Jordan so that George could go back and relive some special memories."

"What struck us most was the friendliness of the Jordanian people and seeing what Jordan had to offer beyond the historical sites. One night we had an exclusive and magical experience dining under the stars which we will never forget and will highly recommend to our clients," she said.

Exclusive adventures around the ancient country were made possible in collaboration with several partners. The Jordan Tourism Bureau, as well as Abercrombie & Kent Jordan, provided opportunities before, during and post summit, such as a full day of memorable desert adventures in legendary Wadi Rum, capped by a desert sunset reception and private dinner at Wadi Rum Castle. Shannon Stowell, CEO of the Adventure Travel Trade Association, also spoke to the attendees about the meaningfulness of travel and the impact it has on the destination.

WestJet has revealed its winter 787-9 Dreamliner schedule, announcing the state-of-the-art aircraft will be operating its Toronto-London (Gatwick) route. The addition of the WestJet Dreamliner to this route gives Eastern Canada the opportunity to experience a new Business and Premium service between two large financial and tourism centres.

This daily Dreamliner service, starting October 23, 2019, upgrades WestJet's existing Toronto-London service operated on the 767. As part of the schedule update, WestJet also announced the 787-9 Dreamliner will be used to operate flights between Calgary and Maui up to four-times weekly starting October 31, 2019 and between Calgary and London four-times weekly starting October 27, 2019.

"Flying on the WestJet Dreamliner is a game changer in travel; guest feedback on the experience has been phenomenal," said Brian Znotins, WestJet Vice-President Network Planning and Alliances. "The Dreamliner was built for transoceanic routes with technology that reduces jetlag and leaves travellers feeling more refreshed upon arrival. With our custom cabins and award-winning service, guests are going to love the journey as much as the destination."

With the departure of flight 10, WestJet this week became the only airline to operate a non-stop route between Paris and Calgary. The airline's newest route, along with its codeshare partnership with Air France, provides historic new access between Western Canada and Europe. Canadian business and leisure travellers now can fly to and from 11 cities in greater Europe including Rome, Venice, Athens and Lisbon through WestJet's Air France codeshare partnership from Paris.

WestJet begins direct flights between Calgary and Dublin on June1 on the 787.

Their first Toronto-Barcelona flight is slated for today (Friday, May 24) on the 767.

The ship that revolutionized the cruise industry, Oasis of the Seas, marks its 10-year anniversary with a larger-than-ever, $165 million USD amplification. The first to introduce the unique seven-neighbourhood concept and one-of-a-kind AquaTheater entertainment venue, Royal Caribbean International's original gamechanger will set a new standard for family vacations with first-to-brand experiences and the latest Royal Caribbean hits. Guest favorites making their way to Oasis as part of the 63-day modernization include a reimagined, Caribbean-inspired pool deck that will feature a Splashaway Bay kids aquapark and The Lime & Coconut signature bar; famed Quantum Class staple, Music Hall; the Perfect Storm trio of waterslides, and the Ultimate Abyss - the tallest slide at sea. Debuting alongside this lineup is the cruise line's first barbecue concept, Portside BBQ, and dedicated karaoke venue Spotlight Karaoke. The amplified Oasis will set sail on Nov. 24, 2019, beginning 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries from Royal Caribbean's new, state-of-the-art Terminal A in Miami.

The architectural marvel will break even more records when she heads to the Big Apple in May 2020 as the largest ship to sail from the New York area. Oasis will reposition to her new summer home at Cape Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey, offering 7-night sailings to The Bahamas with visits to Royal Caribbean's newly transformed private island destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Raffles Hotels and Resorts, renowned for bringing old world elegance, first class travel experiences and genuine charm to the world's most fascinating cities and desirable holiday hot spots since 1887, is pleased to announce the opening of two important new landmark hotels, Raffles Shenzhen and Raffles Maldives Meradhoo. Both hotels opened in early May and are now accepting reservations at raffles.com. Known as havens for royalty, film stars, writers and artists, many remarkable stories and cultural moments have taken place within the plush confines of Raffles hotels and resorts.

"The Raffles collection now includes 14 properties across 12 countries, with a carefully curated list of distinguished addresses in leading markets around the world," said Chris Cahill, Deputy CEO, Accor. "With a storied history spanning more than 130 years, Raffles is currently experiencing a renaissance, with a robust project pipeline that will see the portfolio add an additional 8-10 hotels over the next few years."

Raffles Shenzhen brings the height of luxury and bespoke service to the shining modern metropolis of Shenzhen. An extraordinary urban oasis discreetly perched on the top floors of a 72-storey tower in the prestigious One Shenzhen Bay complex, Raffles Shenzhen is the epitome of glamour and refinement. With 168 spacious guestrooms, as well as a selection of serviced residences, well-travelled guests will be enchanted by the exquisite dining venues, spectacular views of Shenzhen Bay and Hong Kong, and of course, the famous Raffles Butlers and the warm, graceful and personalized service for which they are known.

On the remote southern tip of the Maldives archipelago, Raffles Maldives Meradhoo is as removed from the rhythm of everyday life as can be. Surrounded by crystalline Indian Ocean waters and unspoiled reefs, the resort is a rare haven of 21 island beach villas and 16 ocean overwater villas. Guests take a domestic flight and are transported by speed boat to the pristine and private oasis of Meradhoo, where they receive the gentle and intuitive attentions of the legendary Raffles Butlers, along with an exclusive Marine Butler service, Children's Butlers and private chefs.

Raffles also has new openings planned in the next couple years for Udaipur (the first Raffles in India), Boston, Dubai and Jaipur.

This year is Eurostar's 25th anniversary, and they're celebrating with savings.

Customers can save up to 20% on Standard Premier Upgrades: Enjoy up to 20% off savings for bookings from May 21st - June 6th, 2019, valid for travel between July 15th - October 13th. Between London and Paris, Brussels, Lille or Calais fares from $118 one-way. From London to Rotterdam and Amsterdam fares from $94 one-way.www.eurostar.com

New graduates can book a spontaneous euro-trip and secure tickets from $55 to help make the most of summer breaks. The fares are available for booking from May 21st to 30th, and valid for travel between May 22nd and August 22nd 2019. Between London and Paris, Brussels, Lille or Calais fares from $55 one-way. London to Rotterdam and Amsterdam include fares from $55 one-way.

A reminder that from London, Eurostar travelers can access Paris in roughly 2.5 hours and trade British tea for a Parisian patisserie. Alternatively, Eurostar allows access to Belgium and the Netherlands.