Global Travel News

Calling all fashionistas! Shopping is as good as it gets in Greater Fort Lauderdale. And your clients can shop ‘til they drop – right onto a relaxing beach! Here are five shopping hotspots your clients definitely don’t want to miss.

Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise

Let’s begin with an exceptional shopping opportunity: Sawgrass Mills, which is the largest luxury outlet shopping destination in the U.S. With 350+ stores and 70+ exclusive, luxury outlets including Burberry, GUCCI, Prada, Tory Burch and Versace, it’s a gold mine of fashion finds and savings. It’s no wonder that shoppers actually bring empty suitcases here to carry all of their purchases home!

Dania Point in Dania Beach

This upscale, contemporary shopping, dining and entertainment center gives your clients choices like Anthropologie, Kendra Scott, Pandora, Tommy Bahama, Urban Outfitters and more. It’s also home to some of the best restaurants in the region and those traveling with children will appreciate the onsite movie theater and bowling alley/arcade.

Las Olas Boulevard in Downtown Fort Lauderdale

For an enchanting shopping experience, look no further than Las Olas Boulevard. These charming waterfront city streets are filled with high-end retailers and one-of-a-kind boutiques and art galleries. Here your clients can combine their shopping with festive dining and nightlife in lively sidewalk cafes and rooftop bars.

Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach

Your clients will not only find high fashion, housewares and art galleries to peruse here, they’ll also enjoy live Thoroughbred horse racing, casino gaming, fine dining and nightclubs. One of its newest offerings is the Carousel Club, an open-air, trackside venue featuring lawn games elevated mixology, top DJs, live entertainment, culinary pop-ups, Instagram-worthy elements and much more.

The Galleria at Fort Lauderdale

Give your clients a uniquely Floridian shopping excursion at The Galleria at Fort Lauderdale: It’s a stop on the Water Taxi route, so they can enjoy a scenic cruise on their way there and back. This upscale shopping mall is one of South Florida’s premier shopping destinations, offering numerous fashion retailers including Macy’s and Dillard’s and popular dining establishments such as Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurants and Seasons 52.

To learn more about Greater Fort Lauderdale’s exceptional offerings, become a Lauderdale Loyalist. When you join this free program, you’ll have access to ready-made sales presentations, promotional materials, insider tips and promotions, and much more. Register today at LauderdaleLoyalist.com. Find even more helpful information at VisitLauderdale.com/Travel-Trade  and learn about the latest accessibility initiatives https://www.visitlauderdale.com/accessibility/from the world’s most welcoming destination.

First published at Travel Industry Today

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Some hotels in and around Hilo are becoming fully booked in what is normally a slower time of the year for Hawaii’s travel industry, falling between the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Helicopter tours of Mauna Loa, which began erupting last week after being quiet for 38 years, are also in high demand by tourists and journalists.

“Right now, it’s boomed,” said Marian Somalinog, who staffs the front desk at the Castle Hilo Hawaiian Hotel. “We’re sold out until after Christmas.”

She attributed the increase to people wanting to watch the rivers of bright orange molten rock gush from Mauna Loa, a shield volcano whose name means “Long Mountain” in Hawaiian. The glow from the eruption can be seen in the distance from parts of the hotel.

But now thousands of cars have created traffic jams on Route 200, known as the Saddle Road, which connects the cities of Hilo on the east side of Hawaii Island and Kailua-Kona on the west side.

Volcanic flows pose a potential future threat to that main artery but are currently still several kilometers away and not a danger to any communities. That means onlookers can take in the spectacle while exposing themselves to little danger. Tourists and locals are in the crowds, many snapping photos and taking selfies.

Somalinog hasn’t bothered to join them, however. “The traffic is crazy,” she said. “It’s not worth it.”

Brett Steen flew from Oahu to the island of Hawaii with his parents, who are visiting from Florida, on a trip booked months ago. The volcano began erupting right before their arrival on the Big Island.

“It’s a bonus part of our trip,” Steen said. “We’re super excited to get out here.”

At Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, spokeswoman Jessica Ferracane said many visitors know about Mauna Loa but aren’t aware that Kilauea, a smaller volcano, is also erupting – and that they can see both from multiple spots near the latter’s caldera.

“That hasn’t happened since 1984. It’s a really special time to be here,” Ferracane said.

The number of visitors to the park hasn’t increased since Mauna Loa’s eruption began late Sunday, but she expects it to rise late next week in line with normal seasonal patterns.
Saddle Road, which is outside the park, might not remain a prime viewing spot for long. The red-hot lava is creeping toward it.

Ken Hon, scientist in charge at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, said the flow has “slowed considerably” and was a few kilometres south of the highway. At the current rate, he said, it could arrive later this week.

“We don’t really know which way the lava flow will ultimately go,” Hon said.

A blockage of the road would pose problems, especially for those who use it to commute from Hilo and other parts of the island’s east side, where housing is generally more affordable, to jobs on the west side, home to many of the larger beach resorts.

Unless some sort of bypass is constructed, commuters would need to take coastal routes to and from Kailua-Kona, adding at least an hour drive time each way.

Steve Solberg, general manager of Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa in Kailua-Kona, said many guests have headed up Saddle Road to see the eruption. Some people cancelled reservations at the resort because of the volcano, but those were snapped up by others wanting to see the eruption.

“So, it’s really kind of a wash at this point, but we expect it to be a very positive thing in the next week or so,” Solberg said.

He said that if Saddle Road is closed, the dozen or so employees who live in Hilo will be provided rooms at the resort during their five-day work week so they don’t have to make the long commute every day.

Gov. David Ige has issued an emergency proclamation to allow responders to arrive quickly or limit access as needed. If lava does cross the highway, the Hawaii National Guard can help plan for alternatives and try to set up bypass routes, the governor said.

Mauna Loa last erupted in 1984. The current eruption is its 34th since written record keeping began in 1843. Its smaller neighbour, Kilauea, has been erupting since September 2021.

First published at Travel Industry Today

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News