Yury Manukhov and Vladimir Pavlov
WestJet's Louis Gosselin and City Councilor James Pasternak
Canadian Gateway's Julia Smirnov with Dominique deBlois of Chateau des Charmes wines and Anastsia Belashov of Niagara Falls Tourism
CG Journeys new brochure – hot off the presses!
Twinkly snow, plummeting temps and festive lights. It felt like a romantic Russian tale, and in a way it was, as we convened on the 21st floor of the Residences of the Ritz Carlton in downtown T.O. A normal condo would call this the party room, but let’s face it, nothing is quite the same at the Ritz. And just as a luxury Lincoln is not like a boxy Soviet-era Lada, tourism to the new Russia is dramatically different from the old days.
Ask the people at Canadian Gateway - or should I say, CG Journeys, the company’s new moniker. The tour operator has been offering tour, cruise and FIT programs since 1986 (as well as visa services) and also offers a well known air consolidation business which will keep trading as Canadian Gateway.
The event, which saw some 60 travel industry types as well as leaders in Toronto’s Russian community, was held to launch GC Journeys’ 2014 brochure. And what a beaut it is, from the regal cover to the lush photography.
“Moscow and St. Petersburg are always of huge interest for Canadians,” Yury Manukhov of the Federal Agency for Tourism of the Russian Federation told me. “But we are seeing a huge interest in river cruising and the Trans-Siberian Express. Canadians aren’t afraid of distances!” New product for CG Journeys next year will also comprise Armenia, Georgia and Karelia.
Of course Sochi is just around the corner, with 1.2 million tourists expected over the course of the Games. While not offering packages or tickets to the Games, CG Journeys can help with airfares as well as pre and post tours. Consul General for the Russian Federation Vladimir Pavlov assured me he will be diplomatically cheering for the Russian and Canadian hockey teams simultaneously.
Who’s a typical CG client? “The experienced traveller who has been to Europe several times,” according to Sales & Marketing Manager Julia Smirnov. And as travel agent Marcalla Plesnik of Now Destinations Travel pointed out, “Eastern Europe has opened up and you’d be surprised at the quality of hotels and restaurants, and a lot of people speak English.”
It’s a whole new world out there, folks, twinkly snow and all.
