From hard-hats to diamonds, Romantic Planet Vacations wins big at the 2019 GIVC awards!

Karisma Resorts and Lomas Travel kicked off the GIVC party this week with a Super Heros and Villains opening event where top selling agencies and agents from across the UK, USA, Canada and Mexico got to dust off their favorite comic book costume and ka-pow their way into the festivities, which was held at the El Dorado Royale Resort in the Mayan Riviera.

The over 180 attendees had the opportunity to do a hard-hat site inspection of the new Nickelodeon Resort and the new adult-only Margaritaville Resort, both being the first of it's kind in Mexico.  These new Karisma properties are located about 15 minutes apart and are set to open late 2020. 

The Nickelodeon Hotels and Resorts Riviera Maya, which will be home to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Sponge Bob Squarepants, among other favored Nickelodeon characters, is said to be opening the largest water park in all of the Riviera Maya! 

Margaritaville Resort, which will be an adult-only luxury experience resort, boasting a Landshark Bewery right onsite, blenders in your room to make your own Margaritas, and the guaranteed chill Caribbean vibe that Jimmy Buffet is renowned for. There's no other place that makes you check your shoes at the front desk and exchange them for new flip flops! 

 If that wasn't enough, Karisma Resorts is also opening another family-friendly Margaritaville Resort in Mexico. The Island Reserve, which will be taking over the Azul Beach Resort, will be a quaint and chill property that promises fun for all kids and kids at heart. This opens in March 2020.

The mornings at the GIVC event were filled with marketing and branding sessions and the afternoons were filled with enjoying the host hotel facilities at your leisure.

On the third and final night, GIVC agents turned in their hard hats for diamonds as all were recognized for their hard work and efforts in selling the Karisma brands and Lomas Travel products. 

Romantic Planet Vacations, a Canadian travel agency who has specialized in destination weddings and honeymoons since 2004, took center stage representing Canada at the GIVC awards this year. President, Laurie Keith, and their top Karisma producing agent, Corinne Wilson, started off the event by being recognized as the top Canadian storefront producer in all of Canada. Just as they were getting off the stage and starting to celebrate their wins, they were called up again to accept the award of top ten Azul Resorts sales in the world. Then the very prestigious 4-diamond top producer award rounded up their total award wins to three to their surprise and delight. "Wow! What a night!" declared Keith, after this recognition of her success. She continued with, "This is a total team win. I have the very best travel consultants in the industry. We have a strong family connection and live by our team-work values. These awards are for them."

Romantic Planet Vacations is a boutique host travel agency with specialty and certified independent travel consultants that are home-based across Canada.  

Local Burlington Travel Agency Earns Top Growth Award

Romantic Planet Vacations of Burlington, ON was recently honoured with the “Highest Growth Award” from Ensemble Travel^® Group, one of the premier travel agency organizations in the travel industry. The full-service agency earned the award for achieving the highest year-over-year growth (regionally) based on its 2017 preferred partner sales compared to 2016, including cruise lines, tour operators, hotels, airlines, rental car, and travel insurance companies.

Laurie Keith accepts the Highest Growth Award presented by Ensemble Travel Group

              The sales award was presented to Laurie Keith, owner of Romantic Planet Vacations, by Ensemble Travel Group Co-Presidents Lindsay Pearlman and Libbie Rice last month during the organization’s annual international conference held at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar in Nassau, the Bahamas. More than 850 travel executives attended the key industry meeting. 

"Congratulations to the team of highly skilled travel professionals from Romantic Planet Vacations!” said Pearlman. “This award honours a few select agencies that have demonstrated their strong business expertise through impressive gains with our global network of travel providers as well as by delivering extraordinary customer service to their growing base of customers.”

Romantic Planet Vacations has been specializing in destination weddings and honeymoons since 2004 and has always been a leader in this niche travel market since it's conception. The company has been a member of Ensemble Travel Group for 3 years. Clients of the travel agency enjoy a number of exclusive travel perks and services because of its affiliation with Ensemble Travel Group. Please visit www.romanticplanet.ca for more information.

The Bridal Guide Releases Six Wedding Invitation Mistakes to Avoid

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Honeymoon and Destination Wedding News Updates

Palace Resorts unveiled the $22 million refurbishing of the Nizuc section of its Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort in Mexico. The renovations include upgrades to Nizuc's 120 guestrooms, pool, dining venues and bars, and other public areas, plus a new Irish pub, kids club, and mini golf course.

Melia Nassau Beach has taken over the Sheraton on Cable Beach as it's first resort in English-speaking Caribbean at the Baha Mar in the Bahamas. The 694-room property will be executing a renewal plan that will be completed in December 2014. After a series of renovations, the hotel will be rebranded as Melia at Baha Mar.

The Bermuda Department of Tourism named February "Love Month" and unveiled a lineup of free public events and activities for couples (from free entry and tours at the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art on Tuesdays next month to "Love Train" guided tours of the capital of Hamilton).

Karisma Hotels & Resorts released more details about the 144-suite Generations Riviera Maya property debuting in February. The oceanfront property will feature six dining venues, four bars, an Eko Kids Club facility, a Baby Beach Lounge, and other amenities.

AMResorts (Dreams, Secrets, Zoetry, Now, Sunscapes) announced its "Winter GREATaways" promotion, with discounts up to 40 percent and in-resort credit worth up to $400 for qualifying bookings. made by February 25 for travel until end of April 2014.

Outrigger Hotels & Resorts unveiled Valentine's offers:  in Hawaii, a free vow renewal ceremony on Valentine's Day for guests at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach or the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach; and in Fiji, a vow renewal package (from US$1,700 pp dbl when booked by Jan. 31) that will include the ceremony, a dinner for two, and seven nights in a deluxe oceanview room at the Outrigger on the Lagoon - Fiji.

Sandals unveiled a new service called "Soon to Moon" connecting guests with an "engagement concierge" to help them plan marriage proposals (from picnic lunches on a private island to carving "Will You Marry Me?" message on a beach). 

Secrets Puerto Los Cabos Golf & Spa Resort debuted the 500-suite in Mexico. The property has 13 dining venues and lounges, a large spa, and many other guest amenities.

The Grenada Grand Beach Resort became the Radisson Grenada Beach Resort this week. The 20-acre property on Grand Anse Beach has four main dining venues and bars, two outdoor pools, two tennis courts, and other amenities.

  

Sunwing rolled out a new "Viva Dominicana" package for trips booked to Riu Merengue (Puerto Plata) or Grand Paradise Samana that include special activities such as rum tastings, cigar classes, Spanish lessons, fairs, and more (similar to its Viva Cuba program).

Blue Diamond (the resorts division of Sunwing Travel Group) welcomed two new properties in Punta Cana (D.R.):  the 470-room Royalton Punta Cana and the 525-room Memories Splash Punta Cana. The hotels were created when the former Grand Paradise Bavaro was split in two (with a water park added between them).

Transat Holidays and Nolitours now offers weekly departures from Toronto to Los Cabos, Mexico (Feb. 1-April 19).

Karisma Hotels & Resorts announces a "Canadian Beef Culinary Series" for 2014 built around guest chefs from Canada preparing beef dishes with wine pairings at all of their gourmet-inclusive Azul, El Dorado, and Generations Resorts.

Sandals signed a deal with the government in Antigua to convert the Grand Pineapple Beach Resort in Long Bay into Beaches Antigua. There's no definitive word on the timeline involved, but the refurbished property will offer one- to four-bedroom suites with as many as a dozen restaurants, a water park, a movie theater, a BMX bike track, an Xbox Play Lounge, and other family-friendly services. 

The 181-room Outrigger Mauritius Resort & Spa had a "soft opening" on Jan. 15, after the property wraps up an extensive refurbishment. On that date, most guestrooms, the Edgewater restaurant, the Bar Bleu, and other public spaces will be ready (with opening rates from US$202 ppdo for staysJan. 15-Feb. 15). The resort sits on the island's southern tip, about 45 minutes from the airport and the capital of Port Louis, and it's surrounded by a nature reserve. (www.outriggermauritius.com)

The 238-suite Riu Palace Jamaica is now open as an adults-only property with five dining venues, three bars, two pools, a gym, and access to services at the Riu Montego Bay next door.

Melia will take over the Braco Village Hotel & Spa in Jamaica, giving the 226-property a thorough makeover before it debuts next November as the all-inclusive Melia Jamaica.

Six Senses Hotels, Resorts and Spa will add nine new locations in the next few years, including its first Europe property (the Six Senses Mont Blanc in France in 2015) and its first Caribbean hotel (the Six Senses Freedom Bay in St. Lucia in 2016).

Air Canada previewed the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner cabin interiors that will debut next spring. Highlights include lie-flat "executive pods" in international business class and the largest personal entertainment screens (18 inches) offered by any North American carrier in business class.

Contact Romantic Planet Vacations, your honeymoon and destination wedding specialist since 2004.
www.romanticplanet.ca

Honeymoon and Destination Wedding Product Updates

Outrigger unveiled the 181-room Outrigger Mauritius Resort and Spa this week. The five-star beachfront resort is the company's first location in the Indian Ocean region, with two main restaurants, a primary bar, four pools, the Navasana wellness spa, and other unique touches.

Carnival Cruise Lines overhauled its wedding packages with upgraded catering, decor, floral, and photo options - plus, it added Freeport and Grand Turk to its list of wedding destinations.

The Brando Resort, Tahiti is a new luxury eco-resort on the private island of Tetiaroa near Tahiti (once owned by the famed actor Marlon Brando). Arrivals start in July 2014 for this property with 35 one-, two-, and three-bedroom beachfront villas with private plunge pools plus two restaurants, a lounge and beach bar, a pool, and other unique services such as an ecostation for on-site research.

Honeymoon in Africa: new romance-themed adventure trips are now available:  the nine-day "Masai Romance and Sultry Beaches" in Kenya (from $4,251 pp dbl), the eight-day "Grand South Africa" (from $5,260 pp dbl), and the nine-day "Classical India" (from $6,932 pp dbl). Rates are plus airfare.

Air Canada rouge will take over several Caribbean routes previously served by Air Canada itself this summer, including flights from Montreal and Toronto to the Bahamas, Barbados, Cancun, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Tampa.

visit www.romanticplanet.ca for more information or to obtain a custom quote for your upcoming honeymoon or destination wedding. 

Save $160 per person FUEL PROMOTION - Book by 28FEB14

Book your 2014 honeymoon or destination wedding group by February 28th, 2014 at select resorts and save

$160 per person!

Contact a Certified Destination Wedding Specialist today for your custom quote!