Harris & Johnson Say Members Are “Embracing The New Ensemble”

“We’re in a really good spot,” says David Harris, Executive Chairman of Ensemble.

TravelPulse Canada caught up with Harris and Ensemble President Michael Johnson a year after the consortium – a cooperative for over 50 years – was acquired by Navigatr Group.

ADVERTISING

At the time, Johnson said: “Travel has evolved and it’s time the consortium did too. Ensemble is the 50-year-old new kid on the block.”

Although 95% of the former cooperative’s shareholders voted in favor of the acquisition, it still was a tumultuous time for Ensemble, especially as it happened just as the pandemic that devastated the travel industry was beginning to release its hold.


Ensemble Travel Group CEO David Harris
Ensemble Travel Group has named David Harris as CEO, a newly-created position. He’ll be based in Toronto.

“We had to prove ourselves,” says Harris. “We’re thrilled with where we are.”

During a conversation at last October’s Ensemble agency owners and

…

New Orleans Pelicans and TripADeal announce global partnership

The New Orleans Pelicans announced today a first-of-its-kind global partnership with TripADeal, an Australian-based online travel agent offering bucket list trips at unbelievable prices. The partnership between the Pelicans and TripADeal marks the first Australian International Team Marketing Plan (ITMP) in the NBA. TripADeal will become the Official Online Travel Agency of the Pelicans.

“We are thrilled to partner with TripADeal to help create memorable once-in-a-lifetime experiences for basketball fans worldwide,” said Pelicans President Dennis Lauscha. “With the NBA becoming increasingly popular in Australia, this partnership allows us to grow fan engagement and develop interactive opportunities with the passionate basketball fanbase in Australia and its surrounding markets.”

“We’re proud to be the first Australian organization to sponsor an NBA team, and to be doing it with such a reputable organization as the New Orleans Pelicans,” said TripADeal Co-Founder and Co-CEO Richard Johnston. “The popularity of basketball and the NBA in

…

Top 10 Beach Vacation Packing List

Planning a beach vacation? Don’t know what to pack for a beach vacation? Picture yourself lounging on pristine sandy shores, soaking up the sun, and savoring the gentle breeze. To make the most of your seaside retreat, here are my recommended top 10 beach vacation packing list. It’s essential to pack wisely. Whether you’re heading to a tropical paradise, a serene coastal town, or your local seashore, I’ve curated the ultimate beach vacation checklist for you. For all your beach trip essentials, this beach list will ensure your getaway is as enjoyable and stress-free as possible.

𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮ang𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘮a𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦 a𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘪ana𝘵𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘴. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘐 𝘮a𝘬𝘦 a a 𝘴 𝘮ang𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩a𝘴𝘦! 𝘛𝘩ang𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘔a𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘴 𝘩 𝘛𝘳an𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘴!

1. Sunscreen and sun protection

Nothing ruins a beach vacation faster than a painful sunburn. Protect your skin from harmful UV rays

…
16 Most Instagrammable Places in Budapest

16 Most Instagrammable Places in Budapest

5. Dohany St. Synagogue

Dohány Street Synagogue, the largest synagogue in Europe, and second largest in the world, was built in 1859. The Central Synagogue in NYC is an almost exact replica.

This synagogue has a rich history, and during the early years of WWII, it was used as a German radio base. A chilling thought, right? For a time, Adolf Eichmann himself had an office in the women’s balcony, behind the rose window, which still stands today.

Between 1944-1945, the ghetto where the synagogue is located witnessed the death of between eight and ten thousand people, with two thousand people buried on site. It’s a sobering and heart-rending piece of history to visit.

But, there are some quirks to this place too. For example, you might notice that Dohány is not lined up with the street – this is because the synagogues must face east, towards Jerusalem. So, if

…

Planning a Private Adventure | TravelPulse

TourRadar is encouraging travelers and their travel advisors to plan adventures on their own terms.

The company’s travel experts save travel advisors valuable time by handling the planning and seamlessly crafting experiences of a lifetime based on TourRadar’s extensive selection of pre-designed, customizable experiences.

Travel advisors looking for upgraded accommodation, extra nights or more activities can make these alterations for clients and there is the option to join a group tour, build a custom itinerary or craft a private experience.

TourRadar’s adventures are designed by local experts who love sharing their destinations with guests. They have a dedicated team with firsthand travel experience who are able to facilitate a stress-free vacation no matter where your journey takes you. Clients will receive VIP treatment whether they are taking the family to Vietnam or planning a romantic sojourn in Paris.

Palolem Beach, Goa, India

PHOTO: Palolem Beach, Goa, India. (photo via lena_serditova/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

Your Trip,

…

Bill Belichick on when DeAndre Hopkins will visit: I’m not a travel agent



Arizona Cardinals v New England Patriots

Getty Images

Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is visiting with the Titans on Monday and said last week was that he will then move on to a meeting with the Patriots, but it’s uncertain just when that meeting will take place.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick didn’t offer any suggestions about the date of the visit when he spoke to reporters at a press conference on Monday. Belichick said “we’re working through some things” when asked about the timing of Hopkins’ visit and that he doesn’t know right now when it will happen.

“I’m not a travel agent,” Belichick said, via Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.

If things go really well between Hopkins and the Titans, there might not be a reason for someone who is a travel agent to get involved with booking Hopkins’ trip to New England but it looks like we’ll have

…

How the Caribbean Has Earned a Reputation as a Foodie Destination

Across the Caribbean, chefs are embracing local food traditions and homegrown ingredients, which both attract travelers who want authentic culinary experiences and raise the area’s reputation as a foodie paradise.

In Grenada, Chef Andre Bernard is intent on using seasonal ingredients and local spices at his popular Dre Flavors Restaurant. “I use a lot of local ingredients in my cooking,” he says. “The only juice you’ll be served at my restaurant is made from 100 percent local, seasonal fruits. I also infuse Indian spices in my curries and starters, and our cheesecake dessert highlights local fruit that’s in season like mango, guava, ripe, and passion fruit.”

Chef Bernard’s hyper-local approach to cooking is part of the culinary movement that’s highlighting local flavors and helping to drive tourism to the islands. “Our menu is geared towards experiencing the unique infusion of local ingredients in a fine dining experience. Grenada has a

…

MO man charged with planning to murder a US border agent

A New York Times file photo shows Border Patrol agents.

A New York Times file photo shows Border Patrol agents.


Photo files

Th New York Times

Two self-styled militia members, who were arrested after one shot at FBI agents at the Lake of the Ozarks, planned to travel to Texas shoot at undocumented immigrants crossing the U.S.-Mexican border and murder Border Patrol agents who would have tried to stop them, according to new charges filed against them.

[–

Jonathan O’Dell, 33, of Warsaw in Missouri’s Benton County, and 37-year-old Bryan Perry, of Tennessee, were arrested in October after Perry allegedly fired 11 shots at multiple FBI special agents trying to execute a search warrant at O’Dell’s residence.

[–

At the time, little was known about why the FBI was searching the residence in the 30000 block of US 65 Highway, about 100 miles southeast of Kansas City.

[–

But a 44-count second superseding indictment, returned this week by a federal

…

No pilots, no panic: Travel agent warns against worries ahead of potential strike

WestJet pilots issuing a notice of a strike just days before the May long weekend shouldn’t cause panic for travelers just yet.

Terry Kaszas, general manager of travel services for CAA Saskatchewan, said travel agents have been getting a few questions and concerns with the looming threat of a strike.

As a strike hasn’t officially started, however, he said there haven’t been too many frentic calls yet.

Kaszas advised travelers not to be concerned.

“I don’t think they should be worried just yet. Let’s wait and see what happens before we cause any panic,” he said.

His biggest piece of advice was to get in contact with a travel agent if a strike did happen.

Travel agents, he said, are starting to already get instructions about what they can do for clients to be prepared in that situation. Presently, Kaszas said there is a free change or cancellation open to

…

Memorial Day weekend air travel tops pre-pandemic levels: TSA

Air travel during the four-day Memorial Day holiday weekend topped pre-pandemic levels, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced Tuesday.

The TSA said its agents screened nearly 9.8 million individuals at airports across the country over the holiday period — about 300,000 more than the 2019 Memorial Day weekend, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Friday reached 2.74 million people screened at airports, which the TSA says is the most it’s recorded in a day since the pandemic.

The reported figures are in line with an AAA prediction that air travel would surge back to pre-pandemic levels.

The TSA has also forecasted an overall increase in travel this summer, which begins Memorial Day and runs through Labor Day in September.

The rise in Memorial Day air travel and the anticipated summer levels come after other high holiday travel numbers in recent months that have signaled travel and transportation are returning to

…