By the Caribbean Journal staff

Canada’s leading airline is launching a pair of new routes to the Caribbean for the upcoming winter season.

Air Canada has announced plans to launch new winter flights from Quebec City to the two most popular destinations in the Caribbean region: Cancun and Punta Cana.

The new service to Cancun, Mexico will run Dec. 21 to April 11, 2020, while the new Punta Cana flights will run from Dec. 22 through April 12, 2020 to the Dominican Republic’s biggest tourism hub.

The Westin Puntacana resort in Punta Cana.

“We are thrilled to offer residents of Quebec City these non-stop connections to the popular winter getaway destinations of Cancun and Punta Cana,” said Lucie Guillemette, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Air Canada. “We are adding these new international leisure routes to meet anticipated demand from the capital of Quebec and offer Quebec City residents easy access to incredible holiday experiences.”

It’s the first major flight expansion for Air Canada since the company announced its exclusive agreement to pursue a combination with Canadian travel giant Transat.

If that transaction is completed, the company said it would “facilitate continued growth and expansion in the highly competitive global leisure travel segment.”

The Paradisus Palma Real in Punta Cana.

Air Canada will be operating both flights on 200-seat, all-economy Air Canada Rouge Airbus A321 aircraft.

“We welcome the news that Air Canada has chosen to strengthen its presence in Quebec City by offering international flights from [Quebec City],” said Stéphane Poirier, President and CEO of Quebec City’s airport, YQB. “By improving its winter service and adding flights to winter sun destinations, the airline meets the needs and demands of the people of Quebec. This announcement is the result of a great collaboration between Air Canada and YQB.”

It’s the latest new Caribbean service for Air Canada, which most recently announced plans to expand its service to St Kitts in the Eastern Caribbean.

— CJ

The post Air Canada Launching New Punta Cana, Cancun Flights appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants is coming to a new destination: Mexico.

The fast-expanding hotel company, now part of the IHG umbrella, is planning to open its first properties in Mexico with a pair of Mexico City boutique hotels.

The two hotels, which are slated to open in 2020, will be located in Mexico City’s chic neighborhood of Polanco.

Both hotels are owned by ZKC, a Mexico City-focused real estate development firm, which is developing the projects in partnership with VineTower Development, architect Ambrosi Etchegaray and Arquitectura de Interiores.

The boutique hotels will have 32 and 48 guest rooms, respectively, with each set to include a signature eatery and a rooftop bar.

“Polanco will be home to Kimpton’s first two boutique hotels in the country and illustrates our continued growth in the Americas,” said Mike DeFrino, chief executive officer of Kimpton. “We look forward to bringing Kimpton’s irreverent spirit and heartfelt hospitality to life with ZKC and VineTower.”

They’re part of a wider regional expansion for Kimpton, which has one existing regional property in Grand Cayman and another set to open soon in Grenada.

“We were looking for a boutique partner who had a track record of operational excellence and a true understanding of modern guest needs,” said Mauricio Khalifa, partner for ZKC. “These two projects will complement but be distinct from one another, bringing an award-winning hospitality brand to a highly sought-after location. We’re excited to marry Kimpton’s expertise with our deep knowledge of the region.”

— CJ

The post Kimpton Is Opening Its First Hotels in Mexico appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By Alexander Britell

Dominica has been seeing a remarkable surge in tourism arrivals that are the latest sign of the destination’s post-Maria comeback story.

Dominica, one of the Caribbean’s most naturally beautiful destinations, saw a spectacular first quarter, with 23,444 stayover visitors and a sizzling 87.5 percent increase over the same period in 2018.

Pagua Bay House in Dominica.

More importantly, the total represented a very strong 11.2 percent jump compared to the first quarter of 2017, before Hurricane Maria.

The growth was buoyed by a blazing month of March, when Dominica reported a 110 percent improvement over the same period in 2018 and a 70 percent increase over the same period in 2017.

“A clear path of recovery within the tourist industry is evident in visitor arrivals performance for the first quarter of 2019 as we continue to maintain the momentum from the fourth quarter of 2018,” the Discover Dominica Authority, the country’s destination marketing organization, said in a report.

“The current trend suggests a positive outlook for 2019 which could bring visitor arrivals back to or possibly exceed pre-Maria levels,” the DDA said.

The sky pool at the Fort Young in Dominica.

Indeed, Dominica’s tourism sector has seen a renaissance, with the rebirth of hotels like Secret Bay, Fort Young and Pagua Bay. (Secret Bay is already in the midst of an expansion project).

And the totally reimagined Jungle Bay eco-hotel officially opened its doors in a new location in the south of Dominica.

A rendering of the new Kempinski project in Dominica.

And Dominica will soon be getting a boost from a burgeoning luxury sector, led by this year’s highly-anticipated debut of the Kempinski Cabrits hotel in northern Dominica.

The renewed growth continues what we saw on our first post-Maria visit to Dominica a summer ago — that Dominica remains one of the Caribbean’s most stunning, untouched, adventure-filled destinations.

The post Dominica, a Caribbean Tourism Comeback Story appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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