6 | NEWS TO USE: canada's top stories
V2V launches new tours
RM's heli-hike adventure
NEW from Rocky Mountaineer this summer is a 10-day Journey Through The Clouds Mountain Adventure, which combines a twoday rail journey with two-and-a-half days of heli-hiking and three nights at Cariboos Lodge. Prices from £4,687pp (July/August). rockymountaineer.com
Rui in Toronto
Spanish hotel chain RIU Hotels & Resorts is to open its first Canadian property in Toronto. The Riu Plaza, which will open in 2021, will be located in the city’s financial district and will have 350 rooms, meeting rooms, a gym, bar and restaurant. rui.com
Ottawa airport set for upgrade
Ottawa International Airport is embarking on a five-year $100-million renovation project, which will feature a new on-site hotel. ottowatourism.ca
Untitled-1 1
News to use.indd 6
V2V VACATONS, the operator of a cruise linking Vancouver and Victoria in BC, has launched its 2019 season with a new selection of tours and experiences. Included is a Sail and Fly option, which combines a one-way trip on the high-speed catamaran, V2V Empress, with a return flight on an iconic seaplane with Harbour Air. The new tour highlights include must-see attractions such as Butchart Gardens, high tea at the Fairmont Express Hotel, a Beacon Hill Park
horse-drawn carriage ride and admission to the Royal BC Museum. Agents can book the new tours online as an extension to V2V's downtownto-downtown service. "V2V has created opportunities to experience this beautiful part of the world in a host of ways tailored to popular interests," said Manager Julian Wright. V2V Empress sails each day until October 31, linking Vancouver and Victoria in 3.5 hours. The cruise passes the Southern Gulf islands of the Pacific Northwest. v2vvacations.com
Westjet increases ex-UK services WESTJET will add more UKCanada flights this summer. The Gatwick-Calgary service will move to daily and be operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner featuring Westjet's first international Business Class cabin. The airline's GatwickToronto service will increase from twice daily to three times a day while Gatwick-Halifax will move to a daily service. Westjet will also operate Gatwick-
Vancouver six times a week, Gatwick-Edmonton twice a week and Gatwick-Winnipeg once a week. The Vancouver, Calgary, Halifax and Toronto schedule will run from April 29-October 26 while flights to Winnipeg and Edmonton will operate from June 18 to September 1 and June 18 to September 8 respectively. A Glasgow-Halifax service will run from April 29 to October 26. westjet.com
Le Boat expands BOATING holiday specialist Le Boat is celebrating its 50th anniversary with the opening of a second base on the 125-mile long Rideau Canal in Ontario. The new hub at Seeley’s Bay makes it possible for holidaymakers to take a oneway cruise along the canal, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The operator, which is wellestablished in Europe, opened its first base in Canada at Smiths Falls, midway along the Rideau Canal, in 2018. Le Boat’s second base is a 10-hour cruise from the historic town of Kingston, famed for its grand 19th century architecture, Bellevue House National Historic Site and Fort Henry. For the 2019 season, the operator is also adding four boats to its Canadian fleet, all of them Horizon 5 cruisers, carrying up to 12 passengers each. The season runs from May 17 to October 14. Le Boat, which was featured on both Channel 5's Celebrity 5 Go Barging and Channel 4's Great Canal Journeys with Prunella Scales and Timothy West, won the Gold award for best Advertising Campaign (under £250,000 media spend) at the Travel Marketing Awards for its 2017/18 multi-media campaign. leboat.co.uk
16/03/2018 08:23
3/27/19 04:04 PM