Travel Brands Joins With Exotik Journeys, Plus Air Canada, WestJet & Tequila!

Travel agents can now book unique destinations offered by Exotik Journeys through the online platform Access by TravelBrands. A select number of the brand's itineraries are bookable online, while planning to release more products online in the future.

"Our goal is always to help agents work smarter, not harder," says Nathalie Tanious, Vice President, TravelBrands. "Now that these products are available online, travel agents can enjoy immediate confirmation and no delays. Soon, more of Exotik Journeys' products will be available online for agents to book." Exotik Journeys provides unique travel experiences all over the world with products that satisfy all types of travellers. From independent travel and locally guided tours, to affordable longstays and bespoke specialized itineraries, Exotik Journeys helps build custom packages for travel agents' clients that are well-suited to their needs.

Travel agents can go to TravelBrands' Access platform to book South Africa, Tunisia, Iceland, Croatia, Britain, Spain and other European destinations. The online bookings will allow for immediate confirmation and invoices. There is a booking guide available to agents in the Access platform where they can view the products and their respective departure dates.

To book Exotik Journeys' products online or learn more about its offerings, please visit www.travelbrandsaccess.com

Air Canada is reducing single-use plastics onboard aircraft and in its workplaces as part of the company's ongoing commitment to curtail waste. Starting in Summer 2019, Air Canada will replace plastic with wood stir sticks in drinks served on all flights, a move that will save 35 million plastic stir sticks annually - enough if laid end-to-end to join Halifax and Vancouver.

"Air Canada has made sustainability central to its decision-making and business processes, including acting responsibly with respect to the environment. Through seemingly small measures such as eliminating plastic stir sticks, to major investments such as our $10 billion fleet modernization, we are making great strides in our ongoing sustainability programs, notably improving fuel efficiency by 43 per cent since 1990," said Teresa Ehman, Director of Environmental Affairs at Air Canada. "Air Transport World Magazine recognized the effectiveness of our environmental programs when it named Air Canada the 2018 Eco-Airline of the Year, citing our participation in the development and support of alternative fuels in Canada, and our innovative sustainability programs."

Air Canada's stir stick replacement will be made of bamboo and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, which assures products come from responsible sources so that forests remain thriving environments for generations to come.

Princess Cruises released the 2019 Canada & New England season, featuring Regal Princess and Caribbean Princess on the cruise line's largest fall deployment and the opportunity to visit Greenland roundtrip from New York aboard Caribbean Princess.

The 2019 Canada & New England program includes three ships with 16 departures, visiting 16 destinations on seven unique itineraries with three late night ports and two overnight ports with access to four UNESCO World Heritage sites.

"In 2019 we bring three of our ships to Canada & New England, for our guests to experience the brilliant colors of fall foliage, famed destinations and landmarks in this region," said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises and Carnival Australia group president.

All 2019 Canada & New England cruises and cruisetours are open for sale. Highlights include:

· NEW 16-day Greenland & Canada voyage round-trip from New York on Caribbean Princess, visiting three ports in Greenland and three ports in Canada

· Seven-day Canada & New England voyages departing on Saturdays from New York on Regal Princess

· More departures than ever of the 10-day Classic Canada & New England voyages, including one in August, out of Quebec and New York on Caribbean Princess, with overnight stays in Quebec and scenic cruising on the St. Lawrence River on every voyage

· Late-night stay in Boston and Saguenay on every Quebec to New York 10-day Classic Canada & New England on Caribbean Princess

· 13-day Canada & Colonial America voyages departing both in summer and fall between Quebec and Ft. Lauderdale on Caribbean Princess, with overnight stays in Quebec

· Five-day Canadian Atlantic Provinces Getaway out of New York on Regal Princess

· Access to the following UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Historic District of Old Quebec, Old Town Lunenburg, Landscape of Grand Pré, and the Statue of Liberty

· NEW 24-day Canada & New England voyage round-trip from London (Southampton) on Sapphire Princess, with an overnight stay in New York and a maiden call to Rockland, Maine

W Punta de Mita - a chic beach resort located on one of the best surf breaks in Mexico's coveted Riviera Nayarit - is offering a new Te Amo Tequila package that includes:

· $50 resort credit

· Signature Mezcal Lab experience - an interactive tequila & Mezcal tasting for two

· Tequila cocktail in-room amenity

Rates start at just $259/night USD. Valid on travel through April 14, 2019. To book, email [email protected].

February is Romance Month and National Margarita Day is on Feb. 22 - this offer's perfect for couples seeking a secluded, sophisticated escape with some fun, boozy perks.

In an effort to raise awareness, WestJet late this week warned the public of an ongoing phone scam where fraudsters are posing as WestJet representatives.

"It's important the public is aware that these calls are not coming from WestJet or a representative of WestJet," said Richard Bartrem, WestJet's Vice-President Marketing Communications. "Many of us here have been on the receiving end of these calls and understand the irritation they are causing. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience to the public and encourage Canadians to report their concerns to the correct authorities in the effort to locate the source of the issue."

WestJet does not engage in telephone marketing and reminds the public to avoid sharing their credit card numbers and other private information with fraudsters posing as WestJet.

WestJet has more information posted on its advisories page under 'scams' available online: https://www.westjet.com/en-ca/travel-info/advisories

Additionally, the public can contact the RCMP Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or visit their website http://www.antifraudcentre.ca/ for more information and to report details.

Contiki (www.contiki.com), the original travel company offering epic global adventures for 18 to 35-year old's, today launches a new campaign that pairs young Canadians with the trip of their dreams, just in time for Valentine's Day. According to a recent study conducted by polling firm Ipsos, nearly half of Canadians noted they will be taking a vacation this winter and with Contiki's new 'Fall In Love with Travel' campaign, the youth adventure travel company wants to change the status of millennials' vacation plans from "Complicated" to "Official". Beginning February 1st, 2019 until February 17th, 2019, clients can save 15% off* on a selection of Contiki's adventures in Europe, Asia and Latin America. Clients can also save 20% off on two of their European trips that include 'London to Berlin' and 'Berlin to Budapest'.

"Travel is always a perfect match," said Sheralyn Berry, President of Contiki Canada. "We know your clients are in love with travel and we want them to embrace it. Our new campaign aims to make it easy for travel advisors to match their young clients with the trip of their dreams, like a professional travel matchmaker!"

Air Transat, named World's Best Leisure Airline in 2018, placed first among airlines in Forbes magazine's annual list of Canada's Best Employers. The company gained 18 positions in the overall ranking, rising from 69th in 2018 to 51st in 2019.

"It's a great honour to lead Canada's airlines and be among the top 15 best employers in Quebec," said Christophe Hennebelle, Vice-President, Human Resources and Corporate Affairs. "Whether it's through our inspiring brand image that embodies the joy of vacations or our leadership in sustainable development, Transat provides a stimulating and diverse workplace that is a source of pride for our employees. They're our best ambassadors and we thank them for contributing so much to the company's reputation."

Forbes establishes its ranking of the country's top employers based on a survey of 8,000 Canadians who work for some 1,500 private and public companies with more than 500 employees. Answers are given anonymously and without the involvement of employers.

Emirates airline strives to meet all customer needs, including travelers diverse eating habits, cultural religious and personal eating requirements through a variety of dedicated menus. In fact, this January, served over 20,000 plant-based meals across all classes and saw a 40 per cent increase in requests for vegan meals on board flights. We've compiled a list of fun stats and information surrounding in-flight vegan option we felt would be of interest to your readers.

Vegan meals are the third most requested meal option in Emirates Economy Class. In a recent poll conducted by Vegan News, travellers voted Emirates the Best Airline for Vegan Meals.

Emirates has more than 170 plant-based and regionally-inspired recipes to cater to its vegan customer base. Last April, Emirates introduced nut-based vegan cheese alternatives, serving up 18,000 kilos of nut-based cheese to date.