With an increase in flights this fall/winter season, including a direct Air Canada flight from Montreal that started in December, Los Cabos is anticipating an increase in Canadian visitors to the already popular sun destination on Mexico’s Pacific coast.
New York’s much-debated plan to charge drivers to enter the centre of Manhattan is now in effect, following years of bureaucratic and legal roadblocks. The goals of what is known as “congestion pricing” are designed to reduce gridlock and pollution and raise revenue for public transit.
An undiscovered gem in the mid-Atlantic that boasts European culture and style, lush landscape with plentiful outdoor activity options, great food and wine, year-round moderate climate, and direct air service from Canada (with free stopovers!) – what’s not to love about Portugal’s amazing Azores islands?
The twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda has become the first Wellness Destination officially recognized by the Wellness Tourism Association (WTA), satisfying all nine of the WTA’s stringent criteria.
Travel advisors have been called therapists, curators, creators, and “architects of dreams.” Add another honorific: peacemakers. That’s according to Jamaica’s minister of tourism Edmund Bartlett, who spares no hyperbole in describing the important role travel agents play in the world.
The Ulmer Münster in southern Germany is the world’s tallest church. For now, anyway. The Gothic-style Lutheran church’s reign – begun on May 31, 1890 – could end in 2025, when La Sagrada Familia Basilica’s “Tower of Jesus Christ” in Spain is set to be completed.
Every Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, celebrations of Bahamian culture and history take place throughout the destination. Junkanoo, the national cultural festival and parade represents the rich heritage of the African diaspora and is a colourful tradition that speaks to the strength and resilience of the Bahamian people.
Antalya, Turkey, is known for its golden beaches and turquoise waters, but at this time of year, the destination takes on a different persona: the birthplace of Saint Nicholas, the real-life inspiration behind Santa Claus.
Cold temperatures and long nights have arrived in Quebec, but La Belle Province always manages to heat up with a plethora of dazzling festivals and unique opportunities to entice travellers seeking quintessential Canadian experiences during the winter.
Here’s a recipe as essential to Christmas in Britain as turkey, tinsel and mince pies. Mix a fairy-tale plot with topical references, slapstick, song, dance and double entendres. Drench in sequins and spangles, mix vigorously, add some noisy audience participation, and you have a panto.
A new modern art museum designed by American architect Thomas Phifer is now open in Warsaw. The minimalist light-filled structure in the Polish capital is meant to be a symbol of openness and tolerance as the city tries to free itself from its communist legacy.
Air Transat will fly to Berlin in 2025 with the non-stop route taking flight from Toronto on June 10 and operating Thursdays and Sundays on a seasonal basis through Oct. 24. The service will be the airline’s 36th non-stop routes between Canada and Europe or North Africa next year.
Princess Hotels & Hotels celebrated its official opening last weekend in Jamaica, marking the Spanish company’s first property in the country and the biggest hotel on the island in the past 15 years. Not by coincidence, the Jamaica Tourist Board’s (JTB) annual One Love Affair top travel advisor weekend – which included 15 Canadians (and Travel Industry Today) – aligned with the long-anticipated opening, which culminated with a spectacular fireworks display.
The Taiwan Tourism Administration (TTA) in has launched new tourism program designed help Canadian travel agencies working with Taiwanese tourism companies expand their group business to the Asian nation. The Accelerated and Expanded Inbound Tourism Promotion Program offers attractive subsidies to support group travel packages to Taiwan for non-Taiwanese tourists.
Following yesterday’s overview of Porto and the Douro Valley, Travel Industry Today continues its journey through Portugal’s north, which will be serviced by new Air Canada flights to Porto out of Montreal beginning next June. Here’s a quick guide on where to go, what to do, and where to stay in the captivating region.
Universal Orlando Resort has provided a preview of its new 500-room resort, the Universal Helios Grand Hotel, to be located at the Universal Epic Universe theme park, which will open on May 22, 2025. Managed by Loews, the property will have its own dedicated entrance to the park and brings UOR’s portfolio to a total of 11 hotels and 11,000 guest rooms.
“Architect of dreams, therapist, curator and creator…” – all of them rolled into one: travel advisor. And 50 of Jamaica’s best global agents were honoured by the island’s tourist board for being just so over the weekend at the brand-new Princess Grand resort during the Jamaica Tourist Board’s annual One Love Affair celebration and gala.
While many Canadians are familiar with Portugal’s Lisbon and Algarve regions, an amazing abundance of lesser-known tourism opportunities are about to open up in the country thanks to new upcoming Air Canada service from Montreal to Porto, starting in June and running through September.
Despite occasional media focus on disruptions and strikes, 19% of business travellers in North America and 58% in major European markets now opt for trains for domestic travel, according to a new survey. The trend is spurred by new routes, increased productivity and an increasing focus on reducing environmental impact.
Beyond the country itself, there are seven other places named Sweden: one in Indonesia and six across the United States alone. And although countries themselves cannot trademark their names, recognized travel destinations can. As such, Visit Sweden is now making an unprecedented, cheeky move by applying for the trademark “Sweden” through the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).
Curious travellers have been visiting Egypt over 5,000 years ago, inspired by a list of treasures that keeps growing, even today. Recently an extraordinary new statue of Ramses II has been unearthed, ancient tombs discovered, gold-tongued mummies brought to light, and an incredible 2,500-year-old funerary tunnel revealed.
Prague has banned organized nighttime pub crawls, which have caused misery for residents and authorities alike. The popular outings of tourist groups moving from bar to bar in the Czech capital’s historic district have been one of the outcomes of overtourism felt across Europe.
With over-tourism particularly acute in Greece in the summer, the country’s tourism sector is looking to pivot to a model that encourages and supports year-round options, coupled with a strong focus on sustainability.
Milan’s Pinacoteca di Brera museum, conceived under Napoleon as a “little Louvre,” is finally getting a modern art addition first envisioned more than 50 years ago with the opening of Palazzo Citterio, home to one of the world’s most important collections of 20th century Italian art.
It was neither Britain’s biggest tree nor its oldest. But the majestic sycamore tree that stood for 150 years along a stretch of Hadrian’s Wall in northern England was one of the most beloved.
The culture of the “Würstelstand” – Vienna’s humble sausage stand – has become one of the latest additions to the national list of intangible cultural heritage, overseen by the Austrian UNESCO Commission. It joins the Austrian capital’s distinctive wine taverns, or “Heurigen,” which have been listed since 2019, and the city’s famous coffee house culture, which was honored in 2011.
With Chicago primed to host US Travel’s premiere IPW trade event in 2024, the Windy City will garner the gaze of the global travel industry for almost a week next June. But Choose Chicago’s chief marketing officer Lisa Nucci says her job is to ensure Chicago remains top of mind year-round – especially for Canadians.
Tourism Ireland is hailing a re-established air link between Newfoundland and Ireland – two regions with strong historical and cultural ties. The non-stop route between St. John’s and Dublin being flown by WestJet will start in summer 2025.
During the month of December travel advisors can take advantage of special hotel rates and exclusive offers from the city’s hospitality community, through New Orleans & Company’s Holiday Travel Advisors independent familiarization trip.
Spain’s tourist office in Canada is welcoming new Air Transat flights from Montreal to Valencia starting next summer, sentiment that was shared at an event last week in Toronto hosted by the country’s new Consul for Tourism affairs, Isabel Martin.