News nuggets, airlines, hotels/resorts, cruising, tours, events, FAMS/incentives, deals, destinations and more are covered in our weekly round-up of travel industry news you may have missed.
NEWS
The Maritime provinces and Ottawa are spending $9 million to help restore air travel between Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Under a three-year pilot program with PAL Airlines, daily flights will be offered between Halifax, Sydney, N.S., Charlottetown, Fredericton and Moncton, N.B. Passengers are expected to fly with the service later this year, although exact dates aren’t yet known.
WestJet says some personal data including information about travel documents such as passports was stolen in a cyberattack earlier this year, but credit and debit card numbers as well as user passwords were not compromised. In a note to customers, WestJet said the personal information taken varies from person to person but may include name, date of birth, e‑mail address, mailing address, phone number, gender and recent travel booking history including travel booking numbers. As such, the company is offering affected customers identity theft and monitoring free of charge for 24 months.
AIR
American Airlines launched seasonal flights between Dallas and Quebec City, offering a direct flight every Saturday between YQB and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) through Nov. 1. American is also increasing its non-stop service from Quebec to Charlotte (CLT), North Carolina, now offering a daily flight to the major hub until Oct. 5, then a weekly flight until Nov. 1. The new and enhanced services join the daily summer flights to Philadelphia (PHL) and Chicago (ORD), giving Québec City passengers more options for direct flights to the U.S. – and vice versa.
WestJet reports it carried a record number of passengers on the August long weekend with 314,536 guests and a completion factor of 98.7% and an A15 on-time performance of 69.2 per cent. Since July 1, WestJet has carried more than 2.2 million guests, maintaining an overall A15 on-time performance of 71.3 per cent across all flights with a completion factor of 98.2%.
Flair Airlines will begin non-stop service to Mexico City International Airport Benito Juárez (MEX) from both Vancouver (YVR) and Toronto (YYZ), beginning October with three flights per week on each route and one-way fares starting from $160 CAD from YYZ-MEX and $141 CAD from YVR-MEX.
BY THE NUMBERS
More passengers are choosing the front-of-the-bus when flying, according to IATA. In its annual World Air Transport Statistics (WATS) report for 2024, the association says international premium class travel – business and first class – bookings grew by 11.8%, outpacing growth in global economy travel of 11.5%. The total number of international premium-class travellers in 2024 was 116.9 million (6% of total international passengers).
DEALS
The Sandals Summer Sale offers travellers up to $1,750 in savings, including up to $1,500 in Instant Credit and a $250 Spa Credit. Bookable through Sept. 1 for travel through Dec. 25, 2027, the offer extends to Sandals’ 17 all-inclusive resorts across the Caribbean. In order to redeem the promotional offer of spa credits, travel advisors (on behalf of their clients) must register the booking within 72 hours of making it at https://www.sandals.com/summer-sandals-sale-registration/ . To view full offer details, go to www.sandals.com/sale.
Canadian couples can save over 65% and receive a complimentary 5th night on select dates at Serenity at Coconut Bay, Saint Lucia when booked by Aug. 31 for travel in August and Oct. 4-31. Use booking code SUMMER5 when booking directly on the resort’s travel agent booking portal. Stays of seven nights or more also include Serenity’s Grand Romance Package, featuring $1,200 in added value, such as massage, sunset cruises, and more. Agent REWARD$ members can earn bonuses on both direct and tour operator bonus.
TOURS
Luxury rail company Rocky Mountaineer has launched a brand-new ‘Passage to the Peaks’ route through Canada, only in June/July 2026. Now available for booking, the new journey explores the heart of the Canadian Rockies, featuring destinations like Jasper, Kamloops, Lake Louise, and Banff. Unlike other Rocky Mountaineer routes, Passage to the Peaks does not travel to the West Coast and instead focuses on area between Banff and Jasper. Package options range from two to 10 days, with full package details available on the website.
Aurora Expeditions has announced a significant update to its Antarctica booking policy, now enabling travel advisors to price voyages in six currencies, including Canadian dollars. The shift allows the exchange rate to be locked in at the time of booking for both the deposit and final payment, avoiding currency fluctuations and giving clients full visibility on their total trip cost from day one.
HOTELS & RESORTS
Buoyed by consumer demand and an expanding travel industry, IHG Hotels & Resorts reports that it has surpassed one million open rooms around the world across its 20 brands, which include such well-known names as InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn, Crown Plaza, Holiday Inn Express, and Kimpton. IHG says it has experienced remarkable growth, opening hundreds of hotels every year and doubling its brand portfolio to more than 6,700 properties in the past decade in over 100 countries.
Blue Diamond Resorts says it is taking the next step in its evolution: As of Aug. 11, the all-inclusive resort officially transitioned to Royalton Hotels & Resorts, consolidating its brand identity under the same name some 15 years after launch. The change marks a natural evolution for the company, whose success has been closely tied to the growth and recognition of its Royalton-branded properties across seven leading sun destinations. Planet Hollywood Hotels & Resorts will also evolve to become Planet Hollywood Hotels & Resorts by Royalton.
CRUISE
Crystal reports that Crystal Symphony will enter drydock for a scheduled three-week refurbishment of select areas in November. The project is focused on refining the onboard experience through aesthetic and functional updates to the Aquamarine and Sapphire suites on Deck 10 and several key public spaces.
Small-ship expeditions specialist, Aqua Expeditions – part PONANT – has announced the addition of a sixth vessel, Aqua Lares, to launch in Feb., 2026. The ship will offer 5- to 11-night voyages across the Seychelles, with select itineraries venturing to the Aldabra Atoll or onward to Zanzibar, Tanzania – each crafted for travellers seeking remote and extraordinary wilderness. It will also be the first luxury expedition yacht available to book by the cabin in the Seychelles.
FAMS & INCENTIVES
Small group adventure specialist Intrepid Travel is offering a grand prize trip with the top-selling agent (by transaction value) from Aug. 12-31 earning the prize (up to US$2,500 value with free single supplement or same rate for companion). There are also 10 randomly drawn prizes as incentives in the August World Sale, which offers all travellers up to 20% off select 2025 departures (for travel Sept. 1-Dec. 18). Submit your booking number on the Booking Form .
EVENTS
Fifty years in business is plenty of reason to celebrate, as is the new season’s product roster. The two are coming to together at “The Greatest Celebration: Air Canada Vacations‘ 2025 Product,” which the tour company promises will be “an evening of glitz and glamour,” with presentations and trade show. Dates/locations are Halifax – Sept. 3; Edmonton – Sept. 9; Vancouver – Sept. 11; Montreal – Sept. 16; Toronto – Sept. 18.
Taking place in Ottawa from Aug. 27-31, the annual North American Festival of Wales is hosted by the Welsh North American Association, celebrating Welsh culture through a series of events such as Welshfest and A Taste of Wales. Visit Wales notes that Wales is a popular travel destination for Canadians and almost 500,000 Canadians have some Welsh ancestry. For full details and events, visit https://festivalofwales.org/index.html.
PEOPLE/APPOINTMENTS
The Canadian Association of Tour Operators (CATO) has announced the appointment of Paola Briata, VP of Contracting and Operations Product Delivery at WorldStrides, to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. Briata is a multilingual and accomplished travel industry executive with 30 years of international experience across the leisure, corporate, cruise, and educational travel sectors.
Anthony Considine has been promoted to Head of Sales, North America at Intrepid Travel. He joined the company in 2024 as sales manager for Tailor-Made,
DESTINATIONS
The Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival (photo above) will take place Oct. 23–26, turning the Central Harbourfront into a culinary playground, blending the vibrant flavours of East and West. This year’s highlight, “Legacy Remix: A Fresh Look at Rare and Fine Wine,” offers curated tastings of exquisite vintages alongside creative new interpretations. Add in Michelin-starred bites, local dining gems, live music and a festive atmosphere, and its an vibrant celebration of Hong Kong’s world-class gastronomy. HKTB is also partnering with some tour operators to offer special Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival packages tailored for Canadian travellers.
Peruvian restaurant Maido has earned the number one spot on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list for 2025. Located in Lima’s Miraflores neighbourhood and led by Chef Mitsuhara Tsumura, Maido specializes in Nikkei cuisine, combining Peruvian ingredients with Japanese techniques. This is the second time a Peruvian restaurant has taken the top spot on the renowned industry list, with Central earning the honour in 2023 before being retired to the list’s “Best of the Best” collection.
LAST WEEK IN TRAVEL HISTORY
In 1981, air traffic controllers in Canada resumed full operations after Ottawa agreed to set up a special fact-finding team to investigate problems involving flights to or from the United States. Two days earlier, the controllers had cut off most flights between the two countries, claiming the skies were unsafe because of a strike by U.S. controllers. Thousands of passengers were delayed throughout North America and Europe.
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