Travel news and Press Releases
As Vivir De Viaje Travel Magazine is receiving every day more visitors to its web site from English speaking countries in the Caribbean plus Canada, United States, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Pacific region, we decided to open a space where the non Spanish speaking reader will find some news and press releases that could be of their interest.
Vivir De Viaje is mainly a Spanish speaking travel magazine written for the Latin American and Latin US travel agents and frequent travelers. Most of the content in our magazine will be found in Spanish, but eventually we will try to become totally bilingual for the best interest of our global readers.
We upload our contents in a Newspaper format instead of the more common blog style as we think our readers need to get fast to the overall information, avoiding the many "clicks" and subpages so common in these days.
Vivir De Viaje is mainly a Spanish speaking travel magazine written for the Latin American and Latin US travel agents and frequent travelers. Most of the content in our magazine will be found in Spanish, but eventually we will try to become totally bilingual for the best interest of our global readers.
We upload our contents in a Newspaper format instead of the more common blog style as we think our readers need to get fast to the overall information, avoiding the many "clicks" and subpages so common in these days.
April 2016
Alaska Airlines merges
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Brad Van Dommelen moves
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January - March 2016
SpeedVegas will exhibit at International Pow Wow (IPW) at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, June 19 through 22, where the company will participate in the Media Marketplace on Monday, June 20. This will be the first time they will be exhibiting at IPW since its opening.
SpeedVegas is Las Vegas' new, award-winning 100-acre motorsports complex. The 1.5-mile supercar track will open to the public in April 2016. For the summer 2016, the entire $30 million motorsports complex—including a multilevel welcome center, event center with a capacity of up to 1,000 guests, café and much more—will be complete. The 100-acre supercar driving experience broke ground in September 2015. "After years of planning, it's thrilling to finally be telling the world about SpeedVegas," says Allison Raskansky, executive vice president of business development. |
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Washington, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced on March 15, 2016 the anticipated establishment of the Electronic Visa Update System (EVUS), a new platform under development designed to enhance border security in accordance with the bilateral arrangement with China to issue 10-year validity tourist and business visas.
Beginning in November 2016, nationals of the People’s Republic of China holding 10-year visas B1/B2, B1 and B2 visas will be required to complete an online form to update certain biographic information.
Travelers will need to have a valid EVUS enrollment prior to traveling to the United States. An EVUS enrollment is valid for two years or until the traveler obtains a new passport, whichever comes first.
“More than 2.7 million nationals of the People’s Republic of China are part of the 10-year visa program, a milestone in diplomatic relations between the United States and China,” said Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske. “The Electronic Visa Update System will enable CBP to enhance the security of the program while facilitating legitimate travel.”
A nominal fee will be charged at the time of the EVUS enrollment and subsequent updates. This update will generally be valid for two years and will help to facilitate entry into the United States.
Beginning in November 2016, nationals of the People’s Republic of China holding 10-year visas B1/B2, B1 and B2 visas will be required to complete an online form to update certain biographic information.
Travelers will need to have a valid EVUS enrollment prior to traveling to the United States. An EVUS enrollment is valid for two years or until the traveler obtains a new passport, whichever comes first.
“More than 2.7 million nationals of the People’s Republic of China are part of the 10-year visa program, a milestone in diplomatic relations between the United States and China,” said Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske. “The Electronic Visa Update System will enable CBP to enhance the security of the program while facilitating legitimate travel.”
A nominal fee will be charged at the time of the EVUS enrollment and subsequent updates. This update will generally be valid for two years and will help to facilitate entry into the United States.
October - November 2015
Aeromexico presented new flight simulator for Boeing 787Mexico City, November 12th, 2015. Aeromexico in partnership with Lockheed Martin Commercial Flight Training (LMCFT), presented its new Boeing 787 flight simulator at the Aeromexico Training facility.
This device will allow Aeromexico’s pilots to train under highly realistic operating conditions. With the arrival of the new simulator, Aeromexico can optimize scheduling and control of the pilot training process, in addition to streamlining the availability and productivity of their employees. The new device has been qualified by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC) to Level D, the highest recognition that a simulator receives from the authority in terms of aviation safety and operability. The simulator is equipped with more than 30 different specific visual scenes, including Mexico City International Airport, London and Paris. The modern simulator offers the crews advanced technologies including real aircraft panels and a 200-degree field of view visual system. The Rockwell Collins EP8000 image generator with Eyevis projectors offer panoramic views and detailed airport scenes. The visual system combined with a state-of-the-art Instructor Operating Station and an industry leading electro-pneumatic motion system allows simulated flight scenarios in many different weather conditions. Alaska Airlines flying to Costa RicaLOS ANGELES — Alaska Airlines inaugurated on November 2, the new service between Los Angeles International Airport and Costa Rica's two major international airports, further strengthening the airline’s southern California focus city.
The eight weekly flights from Los Angeles (LAX) to San Jose (SJO) and Liberia/Guanacaste (LIR), Costa Rica, started Saturday and Sunday respectively, and is the first international destination Alaska has launched since 1991, when the Seattle-based airline introduced seasonal service to Magadan, Russia. "As the most popular Central American tourist destination for U.S. travelers, Costa Rica is one of the best places in the Western Hemisphere for adventure tourism," said John Kirby, Alaska Airlines' vice president of capacity planning. "With the addition of Costa Rica, Alaska offers up to 80 peak season weekly departures from Southern California to Latin America, more than any other airline.” Liberia is the gateway to the Guanacaste region in the western part of the country, renowned for surfing and sport fishing. While the capital city of San Jose, located about 130 miles from Liberia, boasts museums and historic Spanish colonial architecture. Since 2010, Alaska has entered 90 new markets, including 26 new cities. By the end of 2015, Alaska will have added 21 new markets, which includes 10 new cities. CityPass joins national US
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$50 million for NY State TourismALBANY, NY (November 18, 2015) – Governor Andrew M. Cuomo hosted the third New York State Tourism Summit in Albany, where local and international tourism leaders met with State officials to explore new industry opportunities.
At the summit, a commitment of $50 million was unveiled to promote statewide tourism, create jobs, and attract more visitors to every region of New York. This investment, which is one of the largest ever by the State, builds upon the historic investments in the tourism industry which generated a $100.1 billion economic impact in 2014. "Tourism is vital to New York's economy – it creates jobs and opportunity in virtually every community across the state," said Governor Cuomo. When people visit New York, they fall in love with all that our state has to offer and keep coming back. I am proud that our administration is continuing to play a leading role in supporting tourism across the state, and I look forward to seeing the industry and our economy thrive for years to come." The third New York State Tourism Summit brought hundreds of tourism experts to the Capitol to discuss innovative ideas and new ways to encourage travel to all 11 vacations regions of the State. Last year, New York's tourism industry generated direct spending of $62.5 billion, producing $7.8 billion in state and local taxes. The number of visitors to New York increased by 8.2 million with nearly 227 million visitors in 2014. As New York's fourth largest employment sector, one out of every 12 jobs in New York is tourism-related. Data from 2014 show the tourism industry supported 867,900 jobs and generated more than $31 billion in wages. Cruising news from New OrleansNew Orleans Steamboat Company and Gray Line Tours have announced the construction of a new Mississippi riverboat for New Orleans. The new 600-passenger boat will complement the Steamboat Natchez, offering harbor cruises, dinner cruises and private charters beginning in 2017.
New Orleans Steamboat Company's announcement follows Viking River Cruise's commitment to launch two new luxury riverboats on the Mississippi River in New Orleans in 2017, making New Orleans Viking's first homeport in North America. Cruising from New Orleans has become increasingly popular, and the industry is experiencing a boom: American Cruise Lines added a second riverboat to its river cruise offerings from New Orleans in April 2015, and Carnival Cruise Lines will expand its capacity in New Orleans by replacing the Carnival Triumph with the Carnival Elation in April 2016. Aeromexico will fly to Santo DomingoMexico City, November 3, 2015. Aeromexico announced new nonstop service with four weekly flights from Mexico City to Santo Domingo starting in March 2016, becoming Santo Domingo the carrier’s 16th destination to serve in Latin America.
The new service will be operated with Embraer 190 aircraft with 99 passenger seats, including 12 in Clase Premier (Aeromexico’s Business Class). Aeromexico’s EVP of Revenue Management Anko van der Werff said, “We are excited to add to Santo Domingo to our international route network, as the most visited tourist destination in the Caribbean, and because trade volume growth has averaged more than 8% between both countries over the last few years. New airline flying from New OrleansNew Orleans-based Glo will begin nonstop service to three cities in November.
Glo's public charter flights, operated by Corporate Flight Management Inc., will offer two nonstop flights from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International to Shreveport; Little Rock, Arkansas; and Memphis, Tennessee on weekdays. It will offer one flight between New Orleans and the three cities on Saturday and Sunday. Glo, said in a news release that the airline was created because existing air travel options in the Gulf and Mid-South regions are incredibly limited. The airline will operate 30-passenger Saab 340B aircraft on Glo's new routes |
August - September 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
Costa Rica bound with Alaska AirlinesAlaska Airlines will chart new territory this fall when it adds new service between Los Angeles and Costa Rica's two major international airports, further strengthening its southern California focus city.
The eight weekly flights from Los Angeles to San Jose (SJO) and Liberia/Guanacaste (LIR), Costa Rica, are scheduled to begin Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 respectively, and are in addition to new daily service the carrier will add on Sept. 9 between Los Angeles and Baltimore. Liberia is the gateway to the Guanacaste region in the western part of the country, renowned for surfing and sport fishing. While the capital city of San Jose, located about 130 miles from Liberia, boasts museums and historic Spanish colonial architecture. Source: Alaska Airlines Amtrak on tour across USAOn Saturday, May 9, 2015, Amtrak and partners officially kicked-off Amtrak Train Days at Chicago Union Station. This was the first of many Amtrak Train Days celebrations taking place in dozens of locations across the county this spring, summer and fall.
The free event was held at Union Station and it featured the Amtrak Exhibit Train, a self-guided, interactive tour to learn about Amtrak's history, its operations and the future of America's Railroad®. Amtrak is inviting communities from across USA to join in the celebration of passenger train travel by hosting their own Amtrak Train Day events during 2015. Amtrak Train Days 2015 Sweepstakes is running from May 9–November 30. One Grand Prize winner will win a trip for four people courtesy of Amtrak Vacations, one Chuggington Prize Pack, a $500 Nook Gift Card and a Walthers Model Train Set. Winners will be chosen on December 1, 2015. To register an event, find additional tour stops or for more information about Amtrak Train Days, visit AmtrakTrainDays.com American connects Dallas with BeijingDallas/Fort Worth, May 7 – American Airlines launched a daily nonstop service between Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK), marking the airline’s 11th route between the U.S. and Asia and the only daily nonstop flight connecting DFW and Beijing.
"The launch of today’s flight is a significant milestone for American as we continue to grow our presence in the important Asia-Pacific region,” said Doug Parker, chairman and CEO of American Airlines. With this new service to Beijing, American now offers nonstop service from Dallas/Fort Worth to five key business markets in Asia – Beijing, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo. |
New terminal for IAH airportHouston, May 11, 2015 United Airlines, in partnership with Houston Mayor Annise Parker and the Houston Airport System, broke the ground on the airline's new Terminal C North concourse at George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
The $244 million project will create a 265,000-square-foot facility, more than 100,000 square feet larger than the existing Terminal C North, with 11 passenger boarding gates to accommodate a mix of United's narrow-, mid- and wide-body aircraft. When construction on the new concourse is completed, the Houston Airport System will demolish the existing Terminal C North facility at Bush Intercontinental to enable the reconstruction of the Mickey Leland International Terminal D. The international terminal is critical to Bush Intercontinental's extensive connecting air traffic, particularly for those customers connecting between United flights and flights operated by United's international airline partners. United expects to complete the new Terminal C North concourse in early 2017. Source: United Airlines New Orleans breaking recordsMay 2015, New Orleans. The city of New Orleans welcomed 9.52 million visitors in 2014 who spent a record-breaking $6.81 billion, according to a University of New Orleans Hospitality Research Center Study commissioned by the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau and New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation (NOTMC).
The spending is the highest in the city's history. Source: New Orleans CVB Delta and Aeromexico increased liassonAtlanta and Mexico City, May 8th 2015 - Aeromexico and Delta Air Lines have filed an application with the Mexican Comision Federal de Competencia Economica (Federal Economic Competition Commission) for a Joint Cooperation Agreement on flights between the United States and Mexico.
Subject to the required economic competition authority’s approvals, the airlines expect to offer an expanded network, enhancing routes and schedules, concurrently increasing opportunities to co-locate and invest in airport facilities by improving gates, lounges and the overall connecting experience. Additionally the airlines will increase joint sales and marketing initiatives in order to benefit consumers. This application marks a significant step in the process to further deepen the commercial relationship that both airlines have had for over 20 years. As informed on March 31st, in which a similar application was presented to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), this business partnership seeks to offer more travel options and new destinations to passengers in both countries. Currently Delta and Aeromexico offer more than 4,000 weekly codeshare flights, representing more than 80 daily transborder round-trip flights. |
April 2015
CityPass arrives in DallasDallas, Texas, will soon join New York City, San Francisco, Chicago and more than half a dozen other powerhouse tourism destinations as an official CityPASS city.
City Pass, the company that packages discounted prepaid admission to a city or region's top attractions will officially launch the brand-new Dallas CityPASS® ticket booklet on May 15. This will be the second CityPASS program in Texas, following Houston, which debuted in 2008. Each Dallas CityPASS booklet will save visitors 41 percent off combined admission to the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Reunion Tower GeO-Deck, a choice between the Dallas Zoo and The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, and a choice between the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum and the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. The second option ticket allows visitors to choose between the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum, where presidential documents, artifacts, the Decision Points Theater, and a full-scale replica of the Oval Office tell the story of America's 43rd president; and the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. Dallas CityPASS booklets will cost $44 for adults and $30 for children, ages 3-12. Passes are valid for nine consecutive days, beginning with the first day of use. The CityPASS program is available in New York City, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Southern California, Tampa Bay and Toronto. Source: CityPass |
News from New Orleans
DID YOU KNOW...That the city of New Orleans welcomed 9.52 million visitors in 2014 who spent a record-breaking $6.81 billion?
This fact is according to a University of New Orleans Hospitality Research Center Study commissioned by the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau and New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation (NOTMC). The spending is the highest in the city's history, more than doubling post-Katrina numbers from 2006! |