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Robert Atkinson, Air Canada's general manager – sales is standing by to help agents sell. Selling Canada asked him to review the last year and look ahead…


How has 2012 been for Air Canada? This year marks Air Canada’s 75th


anniversary and we have continued to go from strength to strength, picking up industry awards and being given the privileged opportunity to showcase our London Heathrow operation to the world during this summer’s Olympic Games.


What has made you proud this year? I’m proud of being part of the best team in the business. For example, our Heathrow team’s management of Olympic athletes’ travel arrangements was used as a best- practice example by LOCOG, when they met with the Brazilian Olympic organising committee. Air Canada also won ‘Best International Airline in North America’ in the Skytrax Awards for a third consecutive year, which surveys more than 18 million passengers worldwide.


What does this winter hold for Air Canada? We continue to offer more daily


flights from the UK to Canada than any other airline, with up to 64 non- stop flights per week to seven major Canadian cities scheduled this winter including four per day to our hub in Toronto, daily flights to Montréal, Calgary, Vancouver, Ottawa, and four per week to Edmonton and Halifax respectively.


What are your priorities for the year ahead? Our top priority will be to continue to work with leisure agents, tour operators and established partners to help drive sales and promote our premium class service and Executive First, which in my view is the best in the market for business travellers.


You’ve been with Air Canada for 40 years Bob – what’s kept you from moving on? I stay at Air Canada because I am working at a company that I believe in. We're working in an ever- changing industry which brings new challenges each day and I am surrounded by a great team of people who pull together to provide the very best service to our customers.


Prestige Holidays goes wild for Canada


ON the back of a 48% year on year growth, Prestige Holidays has launched its largest ever Canada and Beyond programme featuring new wildlife watching breaks and escorted tours. Holidays lead in at £1366pp for a


three-night Vancouver city break including return flights from London, a trolley tour and sightseeing. “Wildlife is still the dominant


requirement, especially bears and whales” said Denise Hunn, Manager of Prestige’s Canada Portfolio. “We have


6 WINTER 2012/13 • SELLING CANADA


introduced new escorted and wildlife tours for 2013 in response to consumer demand including more polar bear viewing out of Manitoba.” New for 2013 is a four-day fully- guided wildlife tour on the West Coast of British Columbia which allows participants to view grizzly and black bears as well as Orcas, bald eagles, blue herons and porpoises. Available May to October the tour leads in at £2688pp including return flights from London. www.prestigeholidays.co.uk


to open in TorontoLEGOLAND


GLOBAL leisure giant Merlin Entertainments is to build the company’s first ever attraction in Canada – a $12 million LEGOLAND Discovery Centre.


The attraction will open in spring 2013 at Vaughan Mills, one of the greater Toronto area’s premier shopping and entertainment spots. It will offer a fun, interactive and educational two to three-hour indoor experience specifically designed for families with children 3-10 years old. Based on the ever-popular LEGO


brick, LEGOLAND Discovery Centres provide a range of play areas including a 4D cinema; a brick pool, master classes from the LEGO Master Model Builder; exciting LEGO rides; special party rooms for birthdays and other


celebrations. Also included will be the popular MINILAND exhibit, found in every LDC and LEGOLAND Resort Theme Park. Each Legoland is different, designed to


reflect the iconic buildings and skyline of its location and featuring buildings nominated by the local community. “The LEGOLAND Discovery Centre will be a wonderful addition to all the great tourism attractions in Ontario,” said Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport Michael Chan. “Ontario is a premier global travel destination and now visitors – as well as parents and children from our province – have one more great reason to visit. This is a great entertainment venue that will generate jobs and growth.” www.legoland.co.uk


On track in Alberta this Christmas


SPECIALITY travel company Holidays By Rail is offering a range of train packages across Canada ideal for winter travel, as well as a new seasonal getaway to Alberta. The new Christmas in the Rockies


getaway is available as an eight- or 10-day itinerary. Clients begin in Vancouver before boarding VIA Rail’s


Canadian for the overnight journey to Jasper. In addition to time spent in the largest National Park in the Canadian Rockies, travellers enjoy local seasonal celebrations in Lake Louise and Banff. The trip departs on December 17 and 20 and starts at £1,649 land-only, pp. Additional independent train holidays include the popular Canadian Snow Train linking stays in Toronto and Vancouver with a four-night train journey; and the Canadian Snow Train with Jasper. Travellers seeking an escorted


cross-Canada adventure can join a 13-day Winter Rail Spectacular tour, beginning in Toronto and travelling to Jasper, Vancouver, and Victoria. There are three tours priced from £2,560 pp including flights. www.holidaysbyrail.com


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