| About
Aquila
In
1982, Beth Kelly Hatt arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick, and
it’s never been the same since. In response to her
struggle to find a tour to introduce her to her new city, Beth started
her own seasonal tour business, offering mostly city tours to summer
tourists. In just five years, Aquila had grown to the point that
it required full-time management, offering receptive tour operator
services for groups of travellers coming to Atlantic Canada, as
well as offering outbound tour programs to Europe and eventually
around the world.
Over the years, Aquila has grown to be recognized as an
innovative leader in the tourism industry. Known for watching
and responding to trends in travel, Aquila’s services over
the years have included full receptive operator services in Atlantic
Canada, as well as tour operator services for groups to destinations
around the world. Today, Aquila continues to be the preferred tour
operator for cruise lines operating shore excursions
in Saint John, New Brunswick, and with over 25 years of experience
in the tourism industry, they offer consulting services on both
Cruise Excellence and the Travel
Trade. They also continue to operate Voluntouring
Programs so that travellers can give back and make a difference
while travelling.
Each
year, Aquila creates moving experiences for more than 65,000 travellers
in Atlantic Canada and around the world. We provide memorable
Aquila experiences for travellers, and we do it with enthusiasm
and joy. In fact, our clients have a lot to say about the Aquila
difference. To read some of Aquila’s fan mail, click
here! And Aquila doesn’t just work hard to create moving
experiences for our travellers. We also work hard in partnership
with national, regional, and local industry to bring more travellers
to Atlantic Canada, holding seats on various boards and taking active
roles in partnerships geared to attracting travel trade, cruise
lines, and a variety of other business to Atlantic Canada. Some
of these entities and many others have recognized Aquila’s
hard work, innovation and success with numerous awards and accolades
over the years. To learn more about Aquila’s awards and accolades,
click here!
But it’s not all work and no play for the Aquila Team.
We are a team that works hard and plays hard - together. Clients
often describe the Aquila team as spirited, enthusiastic, and fun.
First-timers to Aquila often ask Beth whether our team gets any
work done, or if we just laugh and have fun all of the time. But
in truth, we do work very hard, and the proof is in the fact that
Aquila continues to grow each year, even during times when the tourism
industry as a whole is struggling. So what’s our secret? “No,
we don’t spike the water cooler,” laughs Beth. Instead,
Aquila has fostered a philosophy of happiness in the workplace and
empowerment of the team, and the contagious Aquila team spirit that
has resulted from this philosophy is the driving force behind our
success. To meet our fabulous Aquila team, click
here! And to learn how to create such an environment in your
workplace, click here!
We
are also a team that believes in giving back to the community in
which we live, work and play. As a group, the Aquila team
has been actively involved in the community by volunteering to projects
such as Marathon-by-the-Sea, the Atlantic Coastal Action Committee’s
Beach Sweeps and Creek Sweeps, the St. Andrew St. David Soup Kitchen,
Run for the Cure, and Big Brothers/Big Sisters “Bowl for Kids”.
Also, each year Aquila chooses specific organizations to which donations
are made, with special attention given to issues that have touched
the lives of those closest to us, and we often plan fundraisers
to support these organizations. Examples include the ALS Society
and Habitat for Humanity, among many others. Aquila also encourages
our team members to get involved individually with community organizations
as well, allowing company time to fulfill volunteer roles. Members
of the Aquila team are currently involved not just with industry
associations such as Hospitality Saint John and Enterprise Saint
John, but with local events and organizations including the Multiple
Sclerosis Society, ALS Society, Big Brothers / Big Sisters Mentoring
Program, and many other community programs.
Aquila’s
company memberships and accreditations include:
-
National Tour Association (NTA)
- Team
Canada
-
Hospitality Saint John
-
Saint John Board of Trade
-
Tourism Industry Association of New Brunswick
- Tourism
Industry Association of Nova Scotia
- Tourism
Industry Association of Prince Edward Island
- Hospitality
Newfoundland and Labrador
-
Atlantic Canada Cruise Association
- Florida
Caribbean Cruise Association
Aquila’s long and growing list of clients includes:
Carnival Cruise Lines
Celebrity Cruises
Crystal Cruises
Discover Mexico
Fred Olsen Cruise Lines
Holland America Line
Hospitality Newfoundland & Labrador
Norwegian Cruise Lines
Princess Cruises
P & O Cruises
Royal Caribbean International
Seabourn Cruises
Signature Attractions
Tourism Industry Association of New Brunswick
Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia
Tourism Industry Association of Prince Edward Island

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