Breaking a bottle of Champagne against the hull, getting blessings from a godmother (or godfather) and making a gala sail-away. It seems there’s a new ship getting christened every few days lately. Here’s a look at some splashy namings in the news.
Despite claims of cruelty from opponents, Mexico’s Supreme Court has overturned a ban on bullfighting in Mexico City, opening the way for events to resume. The activity was banned in 2022 when it was ruled that bullfights violated city resident’s rights to a healthy environment free from violence.
Florida is getting set to stage a true only-in-Florida spectacle, popping the question in an unusual place, moose tracks and tarantula tales, plus the heist of a solid gold toilet from a British tourist attraction all rate in this month’s recounting of stories you may have missed that are truly “strange but true.”
Myles Goodwyn, the legendary Canadian musician and songwriter who shot to stardom as the lead singer of April Wine, died this week at age 75. The band, which still tours, has sold 10 million recordings worldwide and was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2010. The band was also added to Canada’s Walk of Fame this fall.
The cost of maintaining the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) may outweigh the provincial regulator’s benefits to consumers, says Ontario’s auditor general in it’s just-released “value for money” audit. The wide-ranging report extensively, though not exclusively, examined the province’s tourism sector (including government), providing third-party observations and suggested “actions.”
The US federal government says it will give more than $6 billion to a pair of high-speed electric rail routes in California – from Los Angeles to both Las Vegas and San Francisco – injecting new life into long-stalled projects hailed by supporters as the future of public transportation but bemoaned by critics for their high price tags and lengthy construction times.
Long time tour operator executive Maureen Maheu has joined Canada Jetlines as Director of Product USA/Cruises. Maheu who has considerable experience in product south of the border, will work with Canada Jetlines to expend their US product offerings.
ACTA members got the poop on Portugal on a recent FAM; Travel Edge Network introduced a new training program, Direct Travel rewarded top producers with an Ama river cruise; Flight Centre has a video YouTube video series; and F1S in Britain-bound.
rontier Airlines has settled a lawsuit filed by female pilots who accused the airline of discriminating against pregnant or breastfeeding employees. In the agreement announced Tuesday, Frontier will let pilots pump breast milk in the cockpit during “noncritical phases” of flights.
The quiet of Stanley Park’s forests has been splintered as chainsaws roar in a multi-year project to remove about one quarter of the trees that make up what’s considered a Vancouver jewel. On the road to Prospect Point a parking lot that in warmer months would be part of a picnic area, is now a work site where heavy machinery brings in large, cut sections of trees and crushes smaller branches.
Disney Cruise Line is polishing up its newest gem, the Disney treasure, which will set sail from Port Canaveral, Florida, a year from now, beginning December 2024. The ship will embark on a roster for cruises in both the Eastern and Western Caribbean.
Air Canada has introduced a new air-to-rail booking option that allows customers to seamlessly connect at European airports to their onward journeys. With the launch of the European intermodal initiative, travellers can now, while purchasing an Air Canada flight, at the same time book their rail travel as well.
Hawaii is ready for Canadians, and other visitors, to return – particularly to Maui, which suffered from devastating wildfires earlier this fall and is still on the road to recovery. But while the Hawaii Tourism Authority acknowledges that while many visitors “respectfully” stayed away from Hawaii in the aftermath of the calamity, the islands are now really ready for their return.
A lawyer for JetBlue Airways says that the biggest US airlines are using their size to cement their dominance in a post-pandemic world, making it critical that a federal judge allow JetBlue to buy Spirit Airlines. The lawyer, Ryan Shores, said JetBlue needs Spirit to be a “viable challenger” to the four airlines that control most of the domestic air-travel market.
Goway has introduced a new line of small group journeys, Odysseys by Goway. The curated collection of tours, guided by Goway, features longer stays and small group sizes while delivering unique experiences across 10 different countries.
Greece’s health ministry is seeking police help against hoaxers who tried to scare foreign tourists out of some Athens short-term rental apartments by inventing a bedbug crisis. A ministry statement Tuesday said the posters stuck up outside apartment buildings in the city centre, festooned with fake ministry and Athens municipality logos, were “absolutely false.”
Alaska Airlines has agreed to buy Hawaiian Airlines in a US$1.9 billion deal that officials of the airlines say would create a stronger company to compete with the nation’s Big Four: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines. It would also create a “clear leader” in the lucrative, $8 billion Hawaiian market, said Alaska CEO Ben Minicucci.
The family of a North Carolina teenager is suing American Airlines, saying that a flight attendant taped an iPhone to an airplane toilet to record her using the restroom during a September flight. Lawyers for the 14-year-old and her parents say that American “knew or should have known the flight attendant was a danger.”
With nearly a billion tourists having already travelled internationally in the first three-quarters of the year, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) says international tourism has almost completely recovered from the unprecedented crisis of COVID-19.
A picturesque panorama of surf, sand, and sunshine, where Caribbean culture and captivating history come together, Nassau Paradise Island is the perfect place to reinvigorate the spirit and reconnect with family, friends, and loved ones. And the Bahamas island is connected to Canada with convenient, non-stop flights, meaning less time travelling and more time enjoying the white-sand beaches, warm coastal waters, and welcoming resort communities.
Toronto Pearson International Airport says its ready for the busy winter and holiday travel season, having made a number of operational improvements at Canada’s largest airport. Among them are increased staffing, expanded de-icing capacity, newly commissioned advanced snowplows, and the implementation of cutting-edge predictive technologies for weather and delay forecasting.
Nassau Paradise Island’s stunning white sand beaches, cerulean blue waters, and Bahamian hospitality are the epitome of a calming, paradisiacal escape – ideal for a relaxing getaway. If it’s a laid-back, luxurious vacation you’re after, the Bahamas has all you need and more. From start to finish, here is everything required for a perfectly relaxing Bahamian getaway.
Airbus has announced that Air Canada has signed a contract for the airplane manufacturer’s carbon-removal initiative. Air Canada is the first North American airline to sign up for The Airbus Carbon Capture Offer, which uses Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage (DACCS) technology to offer airlines worldwide carbon removal credits to advance their decarbonisation goals.
Life is sweet while the sun is hanging high in the sky over the Bahamas, but when the moon starts to peak out over the horizon and the clear blue sky turns inky indigo, it’s time to bust out the dancing shoes and dinner attire and party late into the night. Visitors to Nassau Paradise Island can easily turn a relaxing day on the beach into a heart-pumping evening in Paradise. From nightclubs to casino floors, a night out in The Bahamas is not one to skip out on.
Aimed at promoting the Southeast European and Balkans – dubbed ‘the last exotic part of Europe” – and increasing tourism from North America, the New Deal Europe Virtual Marketplace will take place Dec. 12 and 13. Co-funded by the European Union, the event is the largest travel trade event focussed solely on the region.
WestJet is inviting Canadians to nominate a “holiday hero” – someone who will be working away from their loved ones – for the opportunity to reunite with them courtesy of the airline. The gesture is part of WestJet’s 11th annual ‘Christmas Miracle’ campaign, an initiative the company says is meant to “make the impossible possible.”
Air Canada has introduced a new feature to its mobile app that will enable customers travelling within Canada to track the progress of their baggage and mobility aid in real time at key points as it moves with them throughout their journey. The airline says the new tracking feature is designed to provide travellers with added confidence and improve the overall customer experience through greater convenience.
All flights were grounded at Munich’s airport Saturday after a winter storm dumped snow across southern Germany and parts of Austria, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic, affecting travel across the region. After initially announcing a halt in air traffic until noon on Saturday, the airport later announced flights would be cancelled until 6 a.m. Sunday. Other airports in the region, including in the Swiss financial capital, Zurich, also announced weather-related delays and cancellations.
A new team of BDMs for Canada, new and renovated resorts, plus new services – from elite amenities to foamy pool parties – highlight a busy year for RIU Hotels & Resorts, which celebrated the holiday season last week with Sunwing at the travel partners’ 10th annual trade lunch at a venue north of Toronto.
Viking’s newest ocean ship – the 998-guest Viking Vela – was “floated out” on Nov. 30 marking a major construction milestone and the first time the ship has touched water. Scheduled to debut in December 2024, the vessel will spend her inaugural season sailing voyages in the Mediterranean and in Northern Europe.