News

As Cupid readies his arrows, a recent Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) survey conducted by YouGov, reveals that Canadian Zillennials – a blend of Gen Z and Millennials – are charting a new course for romance this Valentine’s Day.

A woman suffered serious leg injuries after being attacked last week by a suspected bull shark in Sydney Harbour. The victim, a woman reported to be in her late 20s, was bitten on the right leg as she swam at Elizabeth Bay in Sydney’s east at about 8 p.m.

This year’s hotspots are looking a lot cooler with the rise of Northern Lights tourism, spurred by reports that the astronomical phenomenon will be extraordinarily visible in 2024. According to a survey commissioned by Expedia, searches by Aurora Borealis hunters are up by triple digits and almost three-quarters of Canadians (71%) says the aspire to see the Northern Lights in their lifetime but haven’t yet crossed the item off their bucket-list.

Ensemble jams with Jamaica, TDC is cruising to success with Celebrity, and Amex GBT is fighting fraud with Expedia in our weekly round-up of travel agency news.

Solidifying its reputation as the leading provider of all-inclusive mountain resorts, Club Med has unveiled its latest property in Hokkaido, Japan. Club Med Kiroro Grand is the company’s fourth resort on the northern island – an internationally renowned ski destination – and is located only a three-minute gondola ride from its sister resort, Club Med Kiroro Peak.

Mexico’s government has acknowledged that at least two well-known Mayan ruin sites in the southern part of the country are unreachable by visitors because of a toxic mix of cartel violence and land disputes.

Ihsan Abdul Salam describes himself as a “loyal” customer of Flight Centre, booking tickets with the international travel company since 1995. But when he went to a Vancouver branch of the firm to pick up tickets to Brazil he had booked through a consultant online, he was in for a shock – the $2,280 booking didn’t exist.

Starting April 1, the Travel Industry Council of Ontario will introduce a new fee structure that it says is more equitable for registrants across the board, but which will see rates for members increase 3.4 percent on average (based on 2019-20 sales). Notably, the new funding model for TICO and the provincial Compensation Fund will not include a consumer pay option.

Laser strikes aimed at aircraft – including airline planes – surged 41% in the US last year to a record high, according to federal officials. The Federal Aviation Administration says it received 13,304 reports from pilots, who can be blinded by the lights, about laser strikes last year, erasing a record set in 2021.

G Adventures’ popular ‘Change Makers’ travel advisor reward program is returning with 15 Canadian agents eligible to earn a space at the community tourism pioneer’s third Change Makers GX Summit later this year. To be held at yet-to-be-revealed destination, the event will include 75 winners from around the globe, brought together to celebrate the impact of community tourism.

Air Transat flight attendants rejected a tentative deal with the company raising fears of a future job action, while the world’s largest cruise ship made its maiden voyage from Miami. In other Round-Up highlights, France was tipped to retain top global tourism status, while Whistler, BC, was named Canada’s “most welcoming destination.”

Days after Maui’s wildfires killed scores of people and destroyed thousands of homes last August, a shocking claim spread with alarming speed on YouTube and TikTok: The blaze on the Hawaiian island was set deliberately, using futuristic energy weapons developed by the US military.

Booking.com has opened its very big envelope to reveal the 2024 winners of its 12th annual Traveller Review Awards. Based on more than 309 million verified customer reviews, and in recognition of delivering consistently excellent service and hospitality, a record 1.48 million travel partners received a Booking.com Traveller Review Award 2024, including 7,725 in Canada.

The spotlight will be on Gobbler’s Knob in western Pennsylvania early Friday morning, when handlers of a groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil will announce whether he saw his own shadow and predicts six more weeks of winter or an early spring. Thousands are expected to attend the annual event that exploded in popularity after the 1993 Bill Murray movie, “Groundhog Day.”