canadian travel press june 13, 2016

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See CLIA page 5

MIKE DUNBAR

North Americans planning on travelling to mainland Europe could soon be faced with the prospect of having to obtain a visa if a Euro-ruling goes against Canada and the US next month.

The looming crisis has prompted the International Air Transport Association to call on the three parties to fi nd a solu-tion that will avoid jeopardizing the future of the EU-US/Canada

The Disney Wonder departs Vancouver’s cruise ship terminal at Canada Place, to start its journey to Alaska. Van-couver was the host city for the recent Cruise360 Conference.

Visa crisis threatensEuropetravel

TED DAVIS

Given the buoyant growth outlook for the global cruising industry, it’s little wonder that many major cruise ship companies have embarked on ambitious ship building and innovation programs. These were presented and described by cruise company executives who attended the recent Cruise360 Conference in Vancouver, as part of a keynote agenda that stretched over the three-day gathering.

Those executives have a bright

economic outlook for the global cruise industry on which to base their expansion plans. At Cruise360, they got the good news that the global cruise sector was maintain-ing a steady growth rate, exceeding projections that were set for 2015.

The numerical evidence was unveiled on the fi rst full day of the conference, which was held at the Van-couver Convention Centre, directly adjacent to the cruise ship berths at Canada Place. Cruise360 was pre-sented by CLIA (Cruise Lines Inter-

national Association), which said that passenger numbers for 2016 were also on track to surpass projections.

The industry reported a total of 23.2 million passengers on ocean cruises globally in 2015, up from a projection of 23 million, and a 4% increase over 2014. As a result of steady year-over-year increases, CLIA has modifi ed 2016 expectations and is now predicting that 24.2 million travellers will set sail on ocean cruises around the world.

See VISA page 5

Cruise lines show ambition

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Meet your new best Busbud

Taking bus travel to the next levelBOB MOWAT

“It’s a nice Canadian story,” observed Sean Shannon, who has just joined Montreal-based Busbud as its new chief operating offi cer.

Shannon told Canadian Travel Press that Busbud is doing “some really great things” and “has a strong mandate to bring to the city-to-city bus industry what the other OTAs have done to kind of everything else, but bus [travel].”

And he said candidly that it wasn’t until he’d seen what Busbud was doing that he’d given “much thought to that line of business.”

Shannon, who was previously managing director of Expedia Canada, said, “I mean at Expedia we had fl ight, hotel, car and train, but we didn’t have bus. We hadn’t thought about bus. So it was really interesting when I started to look at what Busbud had done. In a way, it’s sort of the fi nal fron-tier of bringing travel bookings online and aggregating things in the bus industry. And there’s no reason why there shouldn’t be a market for this.”

Busbud is a bus travel booking app and website that launched about four years ago, and today is selling bus tickets on 500,000 bus routes in 63 countries and to 10,000 cities around the world.

“We believe it’s the largest bus inventory in the world already in terms of aggregating all these routes and bus operators,” Shannon told CTP.

He said that on the B2C side of things, both the Busbud app and the website are “getting really good traction. We haven’t released tons of ticket data yet, but we had 600% ticket growth in April of this year over April of last year. Everything has been coming together really nicely in terms of securing that meaningful inventory with all the right players around the globe, getting it on the app, launching the app, having a good website – all those sort of good fundamentals that any kind of OTA has to do and do well.”

Now the company has launched Busbud for Business which opens its Bus Booking API to industry partners and already, a dozen local and in-ternational travel companies have signed distribution agreements with it.

Liligo, www.liligo.com, which offers online fl ights and hotels, is a launch partner for Busbud for Business and its managing director, Mario Gavira said that, “In recent years, we’ve seen increased inter-est among our users for low-cost fl ights, hinting at the need for more budget options on our site. We’re excited to add bus tickets and appeal to these value-sensitive consumers.”

As for Shannon, who took on his new role at the beginning of May, he said that he joins Busbud “as the experienced travel domain expert and the OTA domain expert, who’s coming into a group of young, smart folks who have been tackling this business and this industry. I’m clearly some-body who is additive to that group, and I’ve seen how OTAs have scaled around the world, not just in Canada, but in other parts of the globe.”

Shannon continued, “I really, really like the founder CEO [LP Maurice] and the other founders and what they’ve been doing for the past four years.”

In fact, Shannon told CTP that Busbud’s LP Maurice has a “classic” founders story.

As Shannon tells it, Maurice “was taking some time off for himself and doing some travelling in Latin America and found it so diffi cult to pull out his phone and do some bus route searching and booking, that he

literally sat on a bus in Argentina and started to write down what a business plan would be to create what eventually would become Busbud.”

The company has certainly accomplished a lot in its fi rst four years, and Shannon believes that the launch of the Busbud for Business API “will be a game changer.”

“I mean Busbud is designed from scratch as a B2C. So the vision was that this was something that was not just going to be back offi ce, but was going to be rolled out to consumers and consumers all over the globe. The inventory already all over the globe is very impressive, and I think there’s a story we can take out there to other partners who might say do I really want to do all this heavy lifting in the bus vertical or do I want to take advantage of somebody who’s in that single vertical and is a focused player.”

It’s a rhetorical question, and Shannon clearly believes that the answer is that those industry partners will want to take advantage of Busbud’s expertise and focus.

As for Busbud, the launch of the B2B API was the “next logical step” for the company because “more and more, there will be value in work-ing with other travel players - multi-lines of business ones - where in Search it will show a fl ight option, a train option and oh, here’s a bus option – so multi-modal display,” the company’s new COO said.

For Shannon, there are lots of areas to explore and with the API test-ed and working well with the launch partners, he believes that Busbud “can be far more aggressive in taking that opportunity out to everybody.”

“We’ll be selective in [doing] that,” he said. “I think the place to focus on is other players in the travel industry, but aside from that, we’ll be pretty open to working with anybody who’s in the travel space and can easily plug and play and work with the API.”

Currently, Busbud has 33 bus operators across North America which Shannon said is a “solid base to begin with” and the company will continue to work on adding to that number.

Asked about growth potential, he told CTP that there are about 10 billion bus tickets sold annually around the world, with 362 million of those tickets sold in North America (which includes Canada, the US and Mexico) – with, not surprisingly, Mexico being the biggest market of the three.

“So you’ve got globally 10 billion tickets – Europe and Asia Pacifi c and all these places and they’re all big markets – so you kind of do the math and again, not unlike other OTAs, if you can get a couple of per-centages of those things then there’s an awful lot of business there. An awful lot of future growth.”

But, Shannon cautioned, “We’re not making any public claims about anything that way, of course, at this point in time. But because Bus-bud is a global model, you look and say that there’s a big pie there for anybody to be aggressive and to be the best aggregator of all options for consumers out there.

“OTAs and meta-search engines are always on the lookout for new revenue streams, and the time is now for adding the fast growing inter-city bus booking vertical across all platforms.”

Busbud’s newly named COO Sean Shannon and CEO LP Maurice

2 • CANADIAN TRAVEL PRESS • JUNE 13, 2016

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“No. No clients have shown any interest so far, and I doubt that they will.”

Tara Morse,Collacutt Travel,Toronto

Do you have any clients showing interest in the Rio Olympics?

“No, I have not had any requests at all. We get requests for everything, so I’m somewhat surprised.”

Sheila Selluski,Around the World in Eighty Ways,Winnipeg

“No, I had a few, but then they didn’t want to go because of the Zika virus.”

Roger Boyajian,Sevan Travel,Toronto

“None. Not even an inquiry. I’m going to guess Zika virus is playing a huge part. And in chatting with friends, a lot worry the facilities aren’t going to be up to par.”Ruth Thompson,Crowfoot Travel Solutions,Calgary

1Can you give our read-ers a quick overview of what the Vision Travel

Foundation is all about? Vision

Travel Foundation was launched

in 2014, as a way for Vision Travel

to expand its support of social

and educational causes on a larger

scale. Over the past 10 years,

Vision has supported a variety

of causes locally through our

branches. Creating an offi cially

registered charity allows Vision

Travel to consolidate

its local efforts to

make a difference on

larger scale, having

a greater impact

both in Canada and

around the world.

2Can you talk a little about the Ecuador

initiative? When

Ruben Dominguez, a Vision

Travel senior travel advisor and

native of Ecuador, began making

plans to go back to his homeland

to help with the earthquake relief

efforts, the decision to help was

unanimous. We matched $1,500

in employee donations, provid-

ing a total of $3,000 in mon-

etary donations to the Canadian

Red Cross Ecuador Earthquake

Appeal, as well as donations of

much-needed clothing, non-

perishable food, fl ashlights, hats

and gloves. We also connected

with CanSafe-SafetyZone to sup-

ply an additional $5,000 worth of

safety products, including gloves,

respirators and safety glasses.

3It’s interesting that this was driven by one of Vision’s advisors. Do Vision’s team

members regularly suggest particular initiatives that are important to them? The Vision

Travel Foundation is a refl ection

of our team and the causes that

are important to them. When

it fi rst launched, Vision Travel

team members were asked for

their input in choosing the chari-

ties Vision Foundation would

offi cially support. In addition,

Vision Travel has always operated

with an open-door policy. We wel-

come and encourage suggestions

from our team about which initia-

tives are of the most urgency or of

particular importance to them and

their families.

4Can you tell us about some of the other initia-tives Vision Foundation

is involved with? Most recently,

Vision Travel Foundation donated

to the Canadian Red Cross in sup-

port of the Fort McMurray wild-

fi res relief. Vision Travel has many

clients across Alberta – we knew it

was important to support them in

such a time. We made a donation

of $10,000 to Canadian Breast

Cancer Foundation in October

of 2015, as well as

a $10,000 donation

to Children’s Wish

Foundation through

the Air Canada

Foundation, and

offered typhoon relief

support of CMAT.

5Why did Vision get involved

in charitable/social responsibil-ity activities and how big does it want to grow its footprint in this area? Giving back has

always been a big part of Vision

Travel’s culture. We wanted to

show support for the communi-

ties that we’re located in, while

empowering our team members

to make a difference in ways that

are important to them. The goal

of Vision Travel Foundation is to

continue offering our help when-

ever we are able.

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CLIAContinued from page 1

Following are some of the near-future plans for select cruise companies, plus strategies with longer-term horizons. Crystal Cruises: Crystal CEO Edie Rodrigues reported that six new Crystal-branded river cruise boats had been contracted, and that a seventh – the reimagined Crystal Mozart – would start sailing in July this year. Four would take to the rivers of Europe in 2017, with two more follow-ing in 2019. As well, Crystal will revive the tradi-tions of a luxury ocean liner, or cruise liner, with a refurbishing of the SS United States. The ship will be transformed into an 800-guest, 400-suite luxury liner. Also, Crystal announced that it will be introducing its fi rst-ever expedition megayacht, (Crystal Endeavor), which will have polar ice sailing capabilities and will be launched in 2018.

Princess Cruises: Following 50th anniver-sary celebrations in 2015, Princess Cruises has embarked on a refurbishing program of its fl eet. “The anniversary was the signal to revamp our ships,” said John Chernesky, VP North America, during his time on stage at Cruise360. He also announced that all 18 Princess ships will offer the opportunity to experience culi-nary specialties by chef Curtis Stone, who is now designing meals for the ships’ main dining rooms. Chernesky also announced that theatre producer Tony Schwartz (Wicked) was now leading the Princess at-sea stage show, called “Magic To Do.”

Holland America: Holland America kicked off the year by celebrating the launch of the new Koningsdam, which started sailing in April this year. “It is a traditional Holland America ship, a mid-size classic cruising experience, but with new twists,” said Eva Jenner, VP of North America sales for HA. Entertainment on board is now celebrating the blues, with the opening of the B.B. King’s Blues Club on board eight HA ships. And Lincoln Center Stage pro-ductions, which showcase multiple programs

of chamber music each evening, are featured on the Koningsdam.

Royal Caribbean International: There is an onboard capacity for 6,780 guests, housed in 2,747 staterooms, served by 2,100 crew, with access to seven “neighbourhoods.” Those are just a few of the metrics that describe the new Harmony of the Seas by Royal Caribbean. More facts? The ship has 23 pools, waterslides and fl owriders, 20 restaurants, 18 decks (16 for guests) and high-diving performers at the Harmony of the Seas Aquatheatre. The ship is in itself a statement, said Laurie Bohn, the director of travel trade sales at RCI.

MSC: Investments totaling $10 billion have been made by MSC Cruises, as the cruise line embarks on a major expansion program, said Ken Muskat, EVP of sales. The company has placed orders for 11 new ships, in three different size/style categories. Two ships will be delivered by next year, and the rest are on a launch schedule that runs to 2026. MSC has also announced that it is developing a private marine reserve island in the Bahamas called Ocean Cay MSC, projected to open in November 2017. “Our website has been revamped for travel agents,” said Muskat, noting the addition of a loyalty status match program.

Carnival Cruise Line: The brand new Carnival Vista was launched on May 1 and is now sailing on Mediterranean itineraries. “It is our biggest and most innovative ship,” said Adolfo Perez, VP of travel trade sales for Carnival. This latest vessel features the fi rst Imax theatre at sea, as well as the gravitational thrills of the Skyride slide. New cabin types are a highlight on the ship, and one of these gives special consider-ation to families. The larger family staterooms are offered with the services of a concierge plus access to a family lounge. There are 100 ships within 10 brands under the Carnival fl ag.

Norwegian Cruise Lines: NCL is in the midst of a major growth that has seen on-board capa-city rise by 50% since 2010, said Alex Panela, the VP of key accounts for Norwegian Cruise

Lines. “We will see another 40% growth be-tween now and 2019,” he said. The new “Feel Free” marketing campaign emphasizes lifestyle escapes from routine and rigid schedules, only making mention of pricing as a conclusion to the ads. “We are investing in travel agents, we need their growth,” said Panela, noting that ITP and home-based travel agents especially getting attention by NCL.

Celebrity Cruises: Celebrity has made the Galapagos Islands a specialty destination and has added two new cruise yachts there, for a total of three vessels, said Dondra Ritzenthaler, the SVP of sales for Celebrity Cruises. In 2016, the Celebrity Millennium receives a grand makeover. The Penthouse and Royal suites are getting new marble, fi xtures, etc., and a new Rooftop Terrace will give guests a new way to experience the outdoors. She noted that Celebrity’s advertising emphasizes that the ships are home “to the best wine, food and people,” and do not focus on pricing.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises: It’s an all-inclusive message that is currently defi ning product progress at Regent Seven Seas Cruises, which is setting some new benchmarks in that aspect. Key amongst those is the offer of free unlim-ited shore excursions. Also setting a precedent is the availability of free inclusive WiFi for passengers in a number of cabin categories. “The earning opportunities are higher with these all-inclusive programs,” said Randall Soy, EVP of sales and marketing for Regent.

Ponant: Ponant Cruises CEO for the Americas Navin Sawhney met travel agent partners and press at a reception in Vancouver before the start of Cruise360. He described the nature of the luxury expedition yacht cruises that are the company specialty detailed expan-sion program. That will see two new luxury expedition yachts ships introduced in 2018 and another two ships enter the water in 2019. Ponant itineraries specialize in exotic, environ-mentally key destinations, on trips that pam-per passengers in luxury accommodations.

VisaContinued from page 1

visa waiver program.At issue is a 2014 reciproc-

ity clause that was added to the legislation governing the Schengen Agreement that provides for borderless travel between European Union coun-tries, as well as a common visa policy for all EU member states.

Right now, under the terms of the visa waiver program, most, but not all, EU citizens can visit

Canada and the USA visa-free, with the same access being grant-ed to Canadians and Americans visiting the EU.

Both Canada and the United States currently require visas for Bulgarian and Romanian nationals, while the US list also includes visitors from Croatia, Cyprus and Poland.

In a briefi ng paper distributed at IATA’s recently concluded annual meeting in Dublin, the association explained, “Under the reciprocity clause, visa-free

access to EU countries – except the UK and Ireland – can only be granted to citizens of a third country, if that third country offers reciprocal visa-free access.”

The European Parliament and Council have until July 12 to advise the European Commis-sion on whether the provisions of the 2014 reciprocity amendment should be enforced for Canadian and US citizens, warned IATA.

The airline trade body pointed out, “According to the European

Travel Commission, more than 30 million Canadian and US tourists visit Europe each year, spending over $54 billion.

“Nobody wants to risk the economic consequences of introducing new requirements for travellers from Canada and the US to Europe,” stated Rafael Schvartzman, IATA’s regional VP for Europe, who explained, “We are calling on the EU institutions to agree upon a proportionate ap-proach in cooperation with their US and Canadian counterparts. JUNE 13, 2016 • CANADIAN TRAVEL PRESS • 5


Toronto InterContinental means businessIAN STALKER

Th e InterContinental Toronto Centre says the reopening of its ballroom

clearly underscores that it means business.

Th e hotel held a recent celebration marking the completion of a 2.5-

month renovation of the facility, which hotel general manager Alexi

Hakim praised as having a modern, fresh look to it.

Th e hotel also has some 20 meeting rooms that have also been renovated.

Th e InterContinental Toronto Centre tends to see more business trav-

ellers during the week and more leisure travellers on the weekend.

But Hakim told the gathering that his hotel can easily accommodate

both, in part because of its location.

“We’re in the centre of the city,” he told the audience, adding guests

can walk to the likes of the Air Canada Centre, Rogers Centre, CN

Tower or Ripley’s within fi ve minutes.

Hakim later told Canadian Travel Press that the new ballroom will

complement the hotel’s banquet and catering off erings “because it’s

upscale and trendy, and the wall fabrics are exquisite. Th e look is fresh

and inviting.”

Hakim said his hotel is particularly well suited for serving convention

goers to Toronto as it’s physically linked to the Toronto Convention

Centre and was built with that huge facility.

“If you go one step outside the hotel, you’ll be in the centre,” he said.

Th e hotel’s Mary Ann Gamboa in turn noted that the hotel is only

separated from the convention centre by a “sliding door.”

Meanwhile, the celebration saw the ballroom draw praise from those

on hand for the event, with one attendee telling the audience that she

appreciated the ballroom’s “modern vibe,” while another noted that it

has a “very open” feel to it.

Best Western reinvents how guests view hotelsAs part of its brand refresh, Best Western

Hotels & Resorts is now providing travellers

with an immersive 360-degree look into its

hotel off erings.

Th rough use of the Best Western Virtual

Reality Experience (BWVRE), clients are

able to view guest rooms, hotel lobbies and

amenities prior to arriving at a property.

For the past three years, Best Western has

partnered with Google Street View to gather

1.7 million photos of its 2,200 North American

hotels. Using Google Street View Technology

along with customized narration and music,

BWVRE creates an engaging, storytelling

experience and sets a new industry standard

for virtual reality. By this summer, every Best

Western-branded hotel in North America will

have implemented the BWVRE.

“Walking into a lobby or guest room leaves

an indelible impression on what kind of

experience will follow, but photos aren’t

enough,” said Dorothy Dowling, chief

marketing offi cer and senior vice-president

of Best Western Hotels & Resorts. “Th e

Best Western Virtual Reality Experience

transports consumers into our hotels and

a customizable narration will guide them

through the experience.”

Best Western is the fi rst major company of

its size and scale to launch this cutting-edge

technology setting a new industry stan-

dard for how virtual reality can be used to

enhance the customer experience. BWVRE

videos are being developed in 8K resolution,

the current highest ultra-high defi nition

video available and will be available on all

platforms that are supported by HTML5,

including Google Maps, Google Search,

YouTube and Facebook. Th e technology

allows for the broadest distribution of video

assets and gives Best Western the ability to

enhance the experience over time.

Additionally, BWVRE is part of Best

Western’s recently launched brand refresh

created to highlight the hotel company’s

decades of success. During this time,

Best Western hotel owners have invested

$2 billion in property improvements

and renovations across North America,

including a reimagined brand identity to

help clarify its exceptional off erings and

broaden the appeal with a contemporary,

energetic and relevant look. Th e company

has introduced a new master brand logo

and new logos for Best Western, Best

Western Plus and Best Western Premier, as

well as its other brands to help underscore

the unique diff erences between its seven

hotel off erings.

(www.bestwestern.com)

Mary Ann Gamboa, The InterContinental Toronto Centre’s director of sales and marketing, and the hotel’s general manager Alexi Hakim are upbeat about the hotel’s new ballroom.



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Discovering what’s newin Fort Lauderdale areaANN RUPPENSTEIN

Th e latest tourism eff orts

in the city of Pompano

Beach are literally about to

go under.

Lidia Gorzelany, tourism

marketing manager of the

city of Pompano Beach,

located to the north of

Fort Lauderdale, says the

city is gearing up to sink

a large ship – the size of

three football fi elds – to

create a new dive reef.

“Th ere are already

16 wrecks under the

sea in Pompano,” she

says. “Diving is great in

Pompano. A lot of people

think it’s only in the Keys,

but Pompano has one of

the best dive areas not

only in Florida, but in

the Caribbean. It’s like

a secret, but the secret is

out.”

In partnership

with the Isle Casino,

half of the ship will

be decorated like a

casino – complete with

gaming tables and slot

machines for endless

photo opportunities –

while the other half will

be adorned in rotating

art, available for cor-

porate sponsorship.

From the recently

opened Margaritaville

Hollywood Beach Resort

and the Beachwalk Resort

to the soon-to-open

Conrad Fort Lauderdale

Beach Resort, Erick

Garnica, director of

international sales at the

Greater Fort Lauderdale

Convention & Visitors

Bureau – Hello Sunny –

says the area has seen a lot

of hotel growth recently.

“Th e destination has

grown signifi cantly

because of all these hotels,

and culinary-wise we’re

opening a lot of new res-

taurants in the hotels and

in the downtown area,”

he says. “We are stealing

away a lot of the market

share that was tradition-

ally going to other parts of

South Florida, and we’re

known as a multigenera-

tional destination.”

Canada is a top fi ve

international market for

the area, which saw 15.4

million visitors in 2015.

In addition to ongoing

airport enhancements

and expansions, he says

the next phase of the

cruise port development

is underway.

“Th e cruise segment is

very important,” he says.

“Our cruise port is under-

going expansion because

we’re welcoming bigger

cruise liners.”

In further updates,

B Ocean Resort Fort

Lauderdale is in the pro-

cess of getting a facelift .

Two of the four buildings

are already complete, with

renovations expected to

wrap up this summer. Th e

new look includes updates

to the lobby, restaurants,

corridors, outdoor and

public spaces, all 487 guest

rooms and suites, and a

new Aveda spa.

“We’re going to have

three food and beverage

off erings,” says Claudia

Bonaiuto, international

sales manager for B Hotels

and Resorts. “It’s a great

property for pre- and post-

cruises, leisure packages,

long stays and corpor-

ate travellers. All the

rooms will have Keurig

coff ee-makers.”

Over at Hampton Inn

by Hilton – Aventura/

Hallandale Beach, Cecilia

Orbegozo, director, sales

and marketing, says her

location recently completed

a renovation including

updates to in-room wall-

paper, curtains and vanities.

Recently visiting Toronto from Florida were Chris Rowe, Lago Mar Resort & Club; Erick Garnica, Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB; Madelyn Caban, Crowne Plaza Hollywood Beach Resort; Lidia Gorzelany, Pompano Beach; Claudia Bonaiuto, B Hotels & Resorts; and Cecilia Orbegozo, Hampton Inn by Hilton – Aventura/Hallandale Beach

Golfers can scratch itch in Yosemite ParkMICHAEL BAGINSKI

California’s Yosemite national park is known for a lot of things, but

golf is not one of them. Yet avid golfers wishing to take a break from

the area’s famed natural beauty and outdoor activities to scratch their

golf itch can do so at nine-hole Wawona/Big Trees, a rare course found

within a national park.

Located adjacent to the historic Wawona/

Big Trees Hotel in Yosemite, “the scenic,

as well as challenging, track will challenge

even the best of golfers with its tight tree-

lined fairways, elevation changes and nat-

ural water hazards,” says Terry Selk, exec-

utive director of the Yosemite (National

Park) and Mariposa County Tourism

Bureau, of the “unique golf experience.”

Open in June-October only, the opportun-

ity is limited “but worth the eff ort” to experi-

ence, assures Selk, himself an avid golfer.

Other opportunities can be found in nearby Gold Country – a

region dotted with historic and quaint small towns, an abundance

of wine and craft beer tasting experiences and an endless range of

scenic splendours and recreation excursions – all just a few hours

drive from San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Open 365 days a year, Yosemite off ers varied experiences in all

four seasons. Although summer is the primary visitation period,

Selk says “the other three seasons actually

provide a more fulfi lling experience, as

the park is less crowded, prices are lower

and the array of recreation experiences is

robust.”

With a geographical boundary of over 1,100

sq. m., the park off ers an extensive range of

opportunities for both adventurers and the

non-adventurers alike, prompting Selk to

suggest that a “a half-day or one-night visit is

just not enough to truly experience the wonder

that is Yosemite.”

Mariposa County, home to Yosemite National

Park, also has plenty to off er, both in and outside the park boundaries.

(www.yosemiteexperience.com)

Golf can be played in Yosemite.

See FORT LAUDERDALE page 15


0613PG08_15.indd 80613PG08_15.indd 8 6/9/2016 4:20:50 PM6/9/2016 4:20:50 PM

http://www.yosemiteexperience.com

Sun, sand and wellness in St. LuciaIAN STALKER

St. Lucia’s TheBodyHoliday resort can help people get shipshape on a land-based vacation.

The upscale Sunswept Resorts all-inclusive is happy to accommodate those seeking both relaxation and wellness, with the latter possibly in-cluding lifestyle and nutritional counsel-ling, says general manager Atanas Botev.

“Our motto is, ‘Give us your body for a week and we’ll give you back your mind,’” he says of a resort that promotes “good health and a balanced lifestyle.

“Everyone leaves with something from TheBodyHoliday.”

TheBodyHoliday features the likes of a spa that offers treatments from around the world and a complimentary consulta-tion for both men and women; a hair and beauty salon; yoga that can be tailored to individual wants; a fi tness centre that can provide customized programs; activities such as Tai Chi, tennis, Pilates, golf, and scuba diving; and dining that provides “great food” with “wholesome ingredi-ents,” organic vegetables and herbs, and dishes from around the world.

Botev says TheBodyHoliday will pro-vide nutritional counselling from both a chef and nutrition specialist, and can accommodate “any kind of diet restrictions.”

Cooking classes can teach guests how to prepare dishes for people with allergies, he adds.

Botev reports that TheBodyHoliday has created a 2.5-acre garden on resort grounds that produces food for the resort and that garden will

gain a restaurant serving “healthy and delicious” rastafarian food. Rastafarian dishes don’t include processed foods.

The property has 28 rooms for solo travellers who room by them-selves and don’t pay a single supplement. September is dedicated to solo travellers, who can enjoy the likes of sunset cruises and a welcome

cocktail. A communal table is available for solo travellers.

June is Jive June month and features 30 dance classes, while October is a yoga-themed month, and July and August pay particular attention to fami-lies, with guests as young as 12 welcome to join their families in those months at a resort that requires guests to be at least 16 in other months.

Affi liated St. Lucia resort Rendezvous Stolen Time, in turn says that property works to help couples reconnect.

“The purpose of the holiday is to re-mind couples of what made them great in the fi rst place,” says general manager Yhasmine Remy-Hylton.

The resort added Stolen Time to its name this year, which demonstrates that it recog-nizes “that time is so precious,” and couples can “take that break and reconnect,” she says.

The couples-only property “fi rst and foremost” offers relaxation, discovery, intimacy and celebration, with available celebrations, for instance, possibly helping couples celebrate the time they fi rst met or fi rst kissed.

Rendezvous Stolen Time also offers the likes of “Professional Idling,” which teaches people how to relax and possibly includes breakfast in bed at any time of the day.

Tai Chi is one of the activities available at TheBodyHoliday.

IAN STALKER

Havana’s Riviera Hotel has hosted the rich and the infamous.

The prominent hotel dates back to the late 1950s and was linked to American mobster Meyer Lansky, who was a regular visitor to the Cuban capital during that era.

But current general manager Hector Salas says the hotel’s Mafi a connections were short-lived, with the Cuban Revolu-tion taking place not long after the central Havana hotel opened, and Lansky and his cohorts were then expelled from the country.

“Tourists are surprised [about the hotel’s past], but they enjoy hearing the story because it’s part of history,” Salas says of some of the questionable sorts who

once were very visible at what had immediately become a very popular hotel.

Salas adds that the Riviera originally had a lucrative casino, but gambling was banned after the revolution and that casino now serves as a conference room.

The hotel – now a Cuban National Monu-ment – still has its Copacabana nightclub, which Salas reports once welcomed American entertainment “A-listers” during a time that had no shortage of “glitz and glamour.”

Cubatur guide Betsy Olivares Bettancourt says Cubans remember the Mafi a Havana heyday era, but “of course they were not good times.”

Havana has numerous places that were once linked to the Mafi a, she says, adding that Al Capone was among those who would visit Cuba’s capital.

But Salas says there’s no point in keeping the Riviera’s or city’s one-time mobster links under wraps.

“It’s part of the history of the hotel and part of the history of the city,” he says.

Havana hotel sheds ties with unsavoury sorts

The Riviera remains a very visible presence in Havana. JUNE 13, 2016 • CANADIAN TRAVEL PRESS • 9


VibrantVIETNAM

Southeast Asian nation a feast for the senses

story & photos/ MICHAEL BAGINSKI

It’s been a long road from Huddlesfi eld Town to Hanoi for Kelly

Langrick, but there’s no place the travel industry veteran from the

north of England would rather be.

Indeed, as client service manager for Destination Asia, which serves

as Goway Travel’s destination management company in Vietnam,

Langrick is one of the southeast Asian nation’s biggest cheerleaders.

“It’s amazing,” she gushes over a complimentary fruit juice cocktail

and fruit cubes in the lobby of a Hanoi hotel.

Asked how long visitors should devote to Vietnam, she laughs, “How

long have you got?”

Oft en combined with neighbouring Cambodia and Laos, Vietnam

can easily stand on its own, and Langrick believes a “bare minimum” of

11 days is required to do it justice.

Despite having only a week, a group of Goway staff and select

travel agents – and Canadian Travel Press – recently took part in a

Destination Asia fam to get a taste of Vietnam, a place that is increas-

ingly becoming popular with more and more travellers and which was

boosted even further by publicity from the historic recent visit of US

president Barack Obama.

“At the moment, Vietnam is on trend,” says Langrick. “It’s very eco-

nomical; the history here is amazing; the people are the nicest people,

they are very open; language is less of a barrier…”

However, by mass tourism standards, Langrick believes Vietnam

is still “under the radar,” and she adds, “half of me wants to keep it

uncommercialized, the other half wants everyone to see it!”

At World Travel Market (WTM) in London last November, Vietnam’s

vice chairman of tourism Ha Van Sieu stated that tourism is becoming

increasingly important to the country, with greater resources devoted

to infrastructure development such as roads, airports and opening up

new visitor-friendly destinations.

Goway’s Peter Cheng sees the diff erence, having visited the country

15 years ago. Toronto-based Cheng says he can’t get over the new roads

and airports, even the vibrancy of the nightlife in previously subdued

Saigon.

Th e Vietnamese government is also working to eliminate visa restric-

tions, adding six European countries to its visa-waiver list in 2015,

though Canadians must still pay the US$25 fee.

“Over the past number of years, Vietnam has emerged as a world-class

destination that delivers an unrivalled visitor experience, from natural

wonders and cultural off erings to adventure tours and beautiful beaches

with some of the leading resorts of the world. Vietnam and its people

have much to off er…” added the Tourism Authority at WTM.

Even allowing for the government’s rhetoric, it’s hard to argue the

sentiment. From ageless rural scenes and astonishing natural beauty

to cultural treasures like Hue, Sapa and Hoi An, which have drawn the

attention of UNESCO, Vietnam is a feast for the senses.

Langrick, who concedes that she would love to see more Canadians

in her adopted country, says visitors generally fall into two categories:

those who want to “get under the skin” by visiting back roads and doing

home stays, and the far more prevalent group that will do Hanoi-Hoi

An-Saigon (see sidebar) “in some order.”

In late May, a Goway fam trip introduced Vietnam and Taiwan to a joint Canada/US trade group, which included (l-r) Soran Prasad, Goway; Kait Daly, KAI, NY; Susan Davies, Square 1 Travel & Cruise; Melissa Webster, Goway; Jackie Grieve, TravelMasters; Yash Matharoo , Goway; Sheryl Stewart, Celebration Travel; Katie Sitton, McMinnville Travel, Oregan; Michaela Trimble, NY; and Peter Cheng, Goway.

Hanging out in Halong Bay: (l-r) Prasad, Webster, Daly, and Grieve.



Either way, Destination Asia, through

Goway, can meet any need. From backpacking

to the high-end Sofi tel Hotel Metropole Hanoi,

individuals to fi xed or custom groups, or

theme tours centred on writing, photography

or the Vietnam War, “we can do anything,”

says Langrick.

Th e legacy of the latter – the US war of the

mid 1960s to ‘70s – dominates visitor inter-

est, and many sites and museums cater to

the theme; but Langrick is quick to point out,

“Th ere is so much history and the [US] war

is only part of that history. Th ere is so much

more to see and do.”

From great food, including a safe and deli-

cious street food culture, to the world wonder

Halong Bay, and the timeless charm of the

Mekong River Delta, Langrick says, “every-

where is a little bit diff erent.” She adds, “I

don’t know of anyone who has had a negative

experience [visiting].”

Add to the list the travel agents on the

Goway fam, who, to a person, raved about the

destination.

“I loved it! I was very pleasantly surprised,”

said Jackie Grieve of TravelMasters, citing the

“amazing people” as one of her highlights. “For

what they’ve been through [war, commun-

ism], I’m dumbfounded at how happy they are.

Th ey’re very sincere, they really try to help you.”

Th e Vancouver agent also praised beauti-

ful hotels and the general cleanliness of the

country.

Th e latter observation similarly struck other

members of the fam group.

“I never thought I’d want to come here,” said

Sheryl Stewart of Celebration Travel in White

Rock, BC. “I thought it was going to be dirty

and poor, but it wasn’t at all!”

Stewart admits to also having her mind

changed about Vietnamese food (which more

resembles Th ai than Chinese food) – some-

thing she had “stayed away from” in the past.

“I thought I wouldn’t like it, but I loved it!”

Safety is also an important ingredient for

Stewart in recommending a destination to

clients and Vietnam passed with fl ying colours,

she said. “I felt I could be anywhere. I never

thought that two girls like my granddaugh-

ter and her friend could travel here, but I

almost think they would be safer here than in

Th ailand or Vancouver!”

Admittedly having steered clients away

from Vietnam in the past in favour of bet-

ter-known (and well-loved) destinations like

Th ailand, Stewart says, “I can’t wait to start

selling Vietnam. And I’m going to come back

on holiday!”

Courtney, BC, TravelPlus Square 1 Travel

& Cruise manager Sue Davies “really liked”

the country, praising its incredible diversity

from north to south. “Th ere’s a great contrast

between Hanoi, Hoi An and Saigon. You really

have to see it to get a full taste…”

Davies says Vietnam has been scoring

more interest from her clients of late. “It’s on

people’s radar… Th ey’re more open to tourists,

and it’s defi nitely a go-to destination, moving

up ahead of Th ailand.”

Goway Western Canada BDM and fam

leader Soran Prasad agrees, citing “huge inter-

est” from Canadians – especially in BC – in

the destination.

Spurring the boom in part, she says,

are extremely competitive airfares from

Vancouver to Asia, including fam partner

China Airlines, which connects to Hanoi or

Saigon via its hub in Tapei, Taiwan. Excellent

and economical domestic service is available

through Vietnam Airlines.

All things considered, a Vietnam excursion

can come in on par with a week at a fi ve-star

resort in Mexico, observes Prasad.

While Goway lists suggested itineraries in its

brochure, Prasad says it’s all about customiz-

ation, especially among groups, where culture,

cuisine and history are popular themes.

For travel agents, Kelly Langrick says the

key is to know your clients. “Th e diversity of

Vietnam is amazing. Find out what makes

them tick, and then talk to us,” she says.

Th e best time to visit, she notes, is October

to mid-May as summer can be scorching (with

humidity).

As for the gal from Huddersfi eld, UK, she’ll

be waiting in Hanoi.

“I can’t imagine any place else to be,” she says

of Vietnam. “I can’t imagine going home. Th is

is home!”

Class outing, Hanoi. Ginger, hail! Only the best for Buddha.

• 11JUNE 13, 2016 • CANADIAN TRAVEL PRESS


Shaped like a giant S, Vietnam is surprisingly large, or more precisely, long. As such, some domestic fl ights are usually required to make effi -

cient use of one’s visiting time. And, in a country where driving is challenging and is considered not really feasible for foreigners, a package tour

through an operator like Goway takes care of all the logistics with a combination of land, water and air travel.

Following is a brief synopsis of the destinations visited by Goway fam participants during a late-May visit, following the traditional Hanoi-Hoi

An-Saigon axis:

HANOIIn the far north, Vietnam’s capital is a bustling

blend of ancient and modern, west (colonial

French) and east. Th ere are lakes and tree-lined

boulevards reminiscent of Paris, but it’s the

seething cauldron of humanity in Old Town that

leaves an indelible memory. Th irty-six crooked

lanes are crammed with shops, vendors, street

food stalls, and the ubiquitous scooters, and a

short stroll is an adventure all of its own.

An oasis from the chaos is the Ho Chi

Minh complex, comprised of the founder of

modern Vietnam’s mausoleum, home and

presidential place.

Th ere are many Buddhist temples to see,

as well as museums in the country’s cultural

mecca, and, of course, the former famed

“Hanoi Hilton” prison.

Where to stay: La Casa Hotel,

www.lacasahotel.com.vn

HALONG BAYTh e UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of

the seven Natural Wonders of the World is argu-

ably Vietnam’s most famous destination and can

serve as a day trip from Hanoi (four hours each

way and four-hour cruise), but better to take

a two- or three-day cruise through the 3,100

jutting limestone islands, cliff s and arches, and

emerald green waters, with stops at an on-the-

water fi shing village and massive cave complex.

Recommended: Bhaya Cruises,

www.bhayacruises.com

HOI ANSituated almost dead centre in the country (an

hour’s fl ight to Danang from either Hanoi or

Saigan, then a 40-minute drive) this ancient

trading port has also been aff orded UNESCO

status. Th e Old Town features preserved

multi-ethnic wood structures with tiled roofs

that have been converted into shops, galleries,

cafés, and restaurants in a rare and welcome

pedestrian zone. Commercial, but not overly

commercialized, Hoi An is famed for its lan-

terns, cooking schools, custom tailor shops,

and riverside ambience. Its market is a timeless

slice of Asia that can be explored for hours.

Outside the town are some of Asia’s best

beaches, presided over by modern, hospitable

resorts.

To most visitors, Hoi An is their favourite

town in Vietnam.

Recommended: Red Bridge Restaurant and

Cooking School, www.visithoian.com

Where to stay: Boutique Resort Hoi An,

www.boutiqueresorthoian.com

MEKONG DELTADaytrippers trade the mesmerizing metropolis

of Saigon for the time-honoured and measured

pace of the river delta, where scooters give

way to boats and crowds of people to water

buff aloes and roosters. A river tour by both

motorized and non-motorized sampan reveals

quiet canals, villages where locals make candy

and snake wine, process coconuts, weave mats,

and fashion bricks by hand. Lunch is served in

a quiet village where locals are happy to (try

to) banter and grin for photos, and kids might

even cuddle up for a hug.

Recommended: Destination Asia,

www.destination-asia.com

HO CHI MINH CITY (SAIGON)Vietnam’s largest city – still called Saigon by locals

and visitors alike – is a place of contrasts. Th e most

western metropolis in Vietnam, yet oddly devoid

of a lot of skyscrapers, Saigon makes even chaotic

Hanoi seem calm by comparison. A “city that

never sleeps,” this combination of New York and

Bangkok or Tokyo fi nds room for elegant French

colonial buildings, tree-line boulevards and quiet

parks. But it’s the designer shops, neon karaoke

palaces and top-rate restaurants that pack in locals

and visitors alike.

Th e “American War,” as it’s called here, is

remembered at the War Remnants museum

and Cu Chi Tunnels (two hours from city

centre), where visitors experience just how the

Viet Cong conducted, and won, a guerrilla war

against the world’s pre-eminent super power.

Recommended: Duxton Saigon,

www.saigon.duxtonhotels.com

— MB

Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum, Hanoi.

Halong Bay is a UNESCO world heritage site.

Picture postcard Hoi An is everyone’s favourite town.

Hotel de ville (city hall), Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City.

Timeless scene on the Mekong Delta.



http://www.lacasahotel.com.vn

http://www.bhayacruises.com

http://www.visithoian.com

http://www.boutiqueresorthoian.com

http://www.destination-asia.com

http://www.saigon.duxtonhotels.com

UCAN AHCI ERKEK 9x12.5 inc ING.indd 1 23.05.2016 17:07


www.turkishairlines.com

“Culture isn’t an excuse for cruelty...”

— Melissa Matlow of World Animal Protection on using wild animals for tourism-related activities, such as elephant rides, snake charmers or monkeys riding bicycles

Please send your answer to:“Where in the World?” at [email protected]

Gear To Go

A guide to some of the amazing devices that make travel a little bit easier, or more fun

Kingii floatation deviceThis is an advanced and comfortable wrist-worn personal fl oatation

device that can prevent drowning, the third cause of unintentional injury

deaths worldwide.

A German-American team has developed the world’s smallest fl oata-

tion device with the hopes of reducing global drowning rates, which have

grown to 372,000 a year.

It is perfect for keeping swimming, sailing, surfi ng, fi shing, kayak-

ing, paddling and any other water-based activity, making them safe

and enjoyable.

The small, unobtrusive wristband provides the reliability of a life jacket

without restricting mobility, the manufacturer notes.

It features a small lever

on the wristband that

when pulled activates

a small CO2 cartridge,

infl ating the balloon-

shaped fl oatation device

in just one second. The

safety device only needs

to be deployed in cases

of danger, exhaustion or

heavy currents.

An accompanying

whistle can be blown to draw attention to the user, and a compass

reorients and directs the user back to land.

If the device needs to be used or is deployed, it can be reused by simply

defl ating the infl atable, stashing it back into its pouch and inserting a new

Kingii Cylinder.

It is available at www.kingii.com and the price is $89.

Get ready to see a lot more of this scene on TV this summer, unless, of course, Zika-inspired worries cause the plug to be pulled. One of the most famous beaches in the world, as much for its natural setting as the quality of the sand, this location has inspired films, songs, nightclub names (dust off those old Barry Manilow LPs for a hint), and many a daydream. Where in the world is it?




http://www.kingii.com

APPOINTMENTS

UniworldUniworld Boutique River

Cruise Collection has

promoted Michelle Palma,

director of national

accounts, to vice-president

of sales, Canada. With 20

years of experience in the

travel industry and spend-

ing the last six years with

Uniworld, Palma hopes

to continue to increase

Uniworld’s brand recogni-

tion within the consumer

market, grow the groups

business

and work

more closely

with pre-

ferred retail

partners to

continue

to increase Uniworld’s

market share in the luxury

river cruise segment.

Palma can be reached at

[email protected].

VisitBritainVisitBritain has

appointed Paul Gauger

new interim executive

vice-president, Americas.

Th e appointment comes

on the back of a recent

global reorganization at

VisitBritain which aims to

revitalize Britain’s brand

proposition in North

America and continue

to build growth markets

in Latin America. In his

new role, Gauger will lead

the consumer and B2B

marketing strategy to

grow outbound tourism

in the Americas. He will

implement a new organ-

izational strategy, amplify

the GREAT Britain: Home

of Amazing Moments

#OMGB campaign; build

VisitBritain’s commercial

capabilities across retail

and product

develop-

ment, put in

place mar-

ket digital

and content

strategies

and forge

strategic local partner-

ships across the three

regions. Gauger joined

VisitBritain in 2003 and

has held senior roles

within the organization,

most recently the global

head of International

Media & Destination

PR based in London. He

was previously based in

New York for fi ve years

as VisitBritain’s com-

munications director,

Americas, a role that has

given him profi le, strong

industry contacts and

deep market knowledge in

all three markets in which

VisitBritain has offi ces.

“We changed all the furniture and

moved the safe deposit boxes from the

front desk to the guest rooms,” she

says. “Th e furniture was changed from

light wood to dark wood.”

She says guests can expect baked

fresh daily cookies and a social hour

on Th ursday nights. In light of the

sinking Canadian loonie, she says the

property off ers many value-added

amenities such as WiFi and a break-

fast buff et, included in the rates.

Th e Crowne Plaza Hollywood

Beach Resort also boasts updates

with a newly renovated fi tness centre,

and will soon be doing some minor

revamps to the guest rooms.

“We have complimentary WiFi

in the hotel, 24-hour access to the

fi tness centre with a room key and the

largest infi nity pool in the area,” says

Madelyn Caban, international/tour

and travel sales manager. “We also

have a trolley pickup and the water

taxi that picks you up behind the

pool and takes you all the way to Fort

Lauderdale.”

At Lago Mar Resort and Club, Chris

Rowe, director of corporate sales, says

the privately owned property can

be fl exible with rates for groups of

Canadian travellers.

“Th e biggest thing about our prop-

erty is we sit directly on the beach, we

have one of the largest private beaches

in Fort Lauderdale,” he says, adding

the family-oriented property comes

complete with tennis courts, swim-

ming pools, mini putt, and more.

Whether it’s ecotourism to the

Everglades or shopping, Garnica

says there’s plenty to do in the area.

“We have the largest outlet mall

in the US, Sawgrass Mills, which is

over 370 stores and growing,” he says.

“We’re known as the Venice of America

because of the waterway system that

connects the entire destination.”

It was all about Barbados during the recent “Barbados on the Water” event, held at Harbourfront in Toronto.

Pictured is the Visit Barbados team of Cheryl Brathwaite, Deborah Millington, Peter Mayers, Joy-Anne Crichlow, Brita Greaves.

Barbados celebrates:

Fort LauderdaleContinued from page 8

Th e following identifi ed the May 16 “Where

in the World” as 20 Forthlin Rd., Liverpool –

Paul McCartney’s childhood home: Marilyn

Lentz, Bytown Travel; Tess Bridgwater; Marcia

Proctor, Th e Travel Agent Next Door; Timothy

Edgecombe, Rosewood Hotel Georgia; Jocelyn

Silver, Continental Travel Group; Erika Nikolic,

Lakewood Travel; Don Cavaliere, Dean Group;

Summer Harris, Flight Centre; Katherine Hirtzel,

Carlson Wagonlit; Mike Cochrane, Marlin Travel;

Karen Hamilton, CAA; Celine Moskovitz, House

of Travel; Barb Hricina, CWT Concierge; Susan

Hopkins, Advantage Intravel; Lynda Hurdis,

TravelPlus; Shirley

Hulleman, BOB’S

cruises; Barbara

Smith, Clarke-

Way Travel; Irene

Rivard, CAA; Steve

Torok, Avianet;

Tracey Byram,

Blue Planet Travel; Donna Dougherty, Marlin

Travel; Debbie Fuller, Expedia CruiseShipCenters;

Veronika Andrasofszky, New Wave Travel; Julie

Bond, Tripcentral.ca; Henriette Léveillé; Bonnie

Felicella, Hagen’s Travel & Cruises; Dave Wright,

Sunwing/Signature Vacations; Madeline Oldford,

Expedia CruiseShipCenters; Beverly Greenan,

TPI; Shirley Portingale, TPI.

Th e following identifi ed the May 9 “Where in

the World” as Brandenburg Gate, Berlin: Joanne

Gaucher, CruiseShipCenters; Nicola Groenewegen,

CruiseShipCenters; Debbie Fuller, Expedia

CruiseShipCenters; Julie Bond, Tripcentral.ca;

Michelle Dandeneault, Expedia CruiseShipCenters.

Th e following identifi ed the May 2 “Where in

the World” as Pompeii, Italy: Deborah Chapman.

Gauger

Palma

• 15JUNE 13, 2016 • CANADIAN TRAVEL PRESS

0613PG08_15.indd 150613PG08_15.indd 15 6/9/2016 2:05:20 PM6/9/2016 2:05:20 PM


Classic RoomAug 11, 16 & 18

$875+ $380 taxes

Cayo Coco, Cuba Meliá Cayo Coco

Classic Marinaview RoomAug 08, 15 & 22

$685+ $380 taxes

Varadero, Cuba Meliá Marina Varadero Plus

Junior Suite Royal ServiceJul 05, 09 & 15

$1185+ $380 taxes

Holguin, Cuba Paradisus Rio De Oro Resort & Spa

Bookable online for only $50 each way!All features of Champagne Service plus: • Extra legroom seats • Advance seat selection • 7 kg extra checked baggage • Free headset • Priority check-in and boarding • Priority baggage handling

Elite Plus Service

is now operating from

in TorontoTerminal 3

Sunwing Airlines

All flights offer award-winningSunwing Airlines' Champagne Service

For all guests at no extra cost:• 23 kg FREE checked baggage • Bon Voyage glass of sparkling wine • Choice of Hot & Fresh Bistro Meals™ with wine • Soft drinks • Leather seating • First run movies • Hot towel service • Kids backpacks with games & toys

ONE WEEK • ALL INCLUSIVE

OTTAWA DEPARTURES

TORONTO DEPARTURES


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canadian travel press june 13, 2016

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