Antigua is known for its 365 beaches – one for each day of the year, they say. As such there is no shortage of hotels and resorts on the island, and neighbouring Barbuda, where visitors can spread out their beach towels or find a shady spot under a sun umbrella. Here is some of the latest news from the islands’ accommodation sector heading into a new winter season.
A fiery crash at the border, the re-instatement of Indian visas, and a government tourism investment program highlighted last weeks news. Other items included StatsCan’s suggestion that airfares are dropping, new trans-border flights from WestJet and Porter, and a new Disney milestone in Hong Kong.
Despite concerns over the war in neighbouring Israel-Gaza, Egypt’s tourism and antiquities minister believes the middle eastern country is just scratching the surface of its tourism potential. Ahmed Issa that his country is poised to reach 15 million visitors this year, having already posted record numbers in the first half of the year.
The FBI has ended its investigation of a fiery car wreck that killed two people at a New York-Ontario border checkpoint in Niagara Falls after finding no evidence that it was a terror attack, easing a tense period of high tensions as Americans headed into the Thanksgiving holiday, but leaving the bridge closed to traffic on Thursday.
Venice authorities on Thursday unveiled a pilot program to charge day-trippers 5 euros ($7.45) apiece to enter the fragile lagoon city on peak weekends next year in an effort to reduce crowds, encourage longer visits and improve the quality of life for residents.
A T-shirt or trinket just isn’t enough to encapsulate a visit to Aruba, believes the island’s board authority. With this in mind, the Aruba Tourism Authority (ATA) is introducing the “Tattoovenir,” a free souvenir designed to be a permanent reminder of one’s holiday on the southern Caribbean island.
The World’s 50 Best Bars 2023 List is out and Barcelona bar Sips has taken top honours. It’s the second time an establishment from Spanish city has taken the top spot in as many years, following Paradiso’s triumph in 2022.
A vehicle exploded at a checkpoint on the American side of a US-Canada bridge in Niagara Falls Wednesday, leaving two people dead and prompting the closing of four border crossings in the area. There was no immediate information the cause of the explosion, but it raised concerns on both sides of the border.
Nazir Karnai woke up on Wednesday to the news he’s been waiting two months to hear: Canadians can apply online for tourist visas to India once again. India’s high commission in Ottawa confirmed on social media that the decision took effect as of Wednesday.
Friday – Black Friday – is now considered the biggest shopping day of the year (ahead of Boxing Day), and it’s hard to find a travel supplier that isn’t eager to try to make the most of the extravaganza. Last week, we published of some of this year’s best travel deals – some having offered
Passenger numbers at Dubai International Airport (DXB) this year will eclipse the pre-pandemic passenger figures in 2019, showing the strong rebound in travel after the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns that grounded aircraft worldwide.
UNESCO is urging Cambodian authorities not to carry out forced evictions at the renowned Angkor Wat temple complex, after Amnesty International detailed the impact on evicted residents and accused the UN cultural agency of failing to challenge the Cambodian government over the issue.
Direct Travel Canada’s corporate travel division recently held its first corporate travel symposium. Held in Fort Lauderdale, the event was designed as an opportunity for senior executives, managers and advisors to connect and learn about developments in the sphere or business travel.
Statistics Canada says airfares have plummeted over the past year, as airlines shore up capacity, even while consumers think twice about travelling in a world of higher costs. In its consumer price index (CPI) Tuesday, the agency said the price of air transportation dropped 19.4 percent last month compared with October 2022.
A parliamentary committee is launching an investigation into accessibility at Canadian airlines, with a focus on the country’s two largest carriers. Following a motion put forward on Monday by NDP lawmaker Taylor Bachrach, the federal transport committee voted to undertake a study on the state of accessible transportation for Canadians living with disabilities as well as the regulatory regime surrounding it.
The way Valerie Damaseau sees it, the reason for her recent visit to Canada was simple: “To bring some sunshine into your lives!” And while she may have been speaking hypothetically, as president of the tourist office of sunny St. Martin, it didn’t seem out of the realm of possibility.
With Amex’s 2023 Global Travel Trends reporting that 86% of Canadians want to travel to a place they’ve never been before and 73% wanting to explore lesser-known destinations, American Express Travel’s just-released 2024 trending report leans into the non-traditional, going beyond well-known vacation spots to uncover hidden gems and new experiences that travellers, particularly Millennials and Gen-Z, are looking for.
Hong Kong Disneyland opened its first ‘Frozen’-themed attraction on Monday, with thousands of eager visitors turning up to experience the new rides, some lining up for hours to get an early start. The opening comes after Disney announced in September a US$60-billion expansion of its parks and cruises over about a decade.
Travel industry leaders Roger Dow, former president and CEO of the US Travel Association, Elliott L. Ferguson, II, president and CEO of Destination DC, and Peter F. Herschend, co-founder of Herschend Enterprises, were inducted into the US Travel Association Hall of Leaders at a ceremony last week. Dow was the 2022 inductee while Ferguson and Herschend were the 2023 honorees.
Webinars have been around for a while and have become an essential communication tool for disseminating knowledge, promoting products, or connecting with a wider audience. What makes them great, due to their digital nature, is accessibility, cost-efficiency, and above all, interactivity.
A new report says the country’s two biggest airlines ranked last for on-time performance among large North American carriers last month. But it’s getting better.
With tourism to this country projected to grow significantly in the coming years, the federal government has launched an investment program that will provide $108 million over the next three years to support tourism projects across the country to help meet the goal of attracting 40% more visitors by the end of the decade.
WestJet has announced new, year-round, daily service connecting Regina and Minneapolis – service the airline says reflects its ongoing commitment to providing connectivity to Saskatchewan and further enhancing Regina’s air access to popular destinations. The flights will begin April 28, 2024.
With its latest launches to Florida over the weekend, low-cast Lynx says it is well on its way to its goal of offering nearly 10,000 seats in and out of the Sunshine State per week by December. On Saturday, the carrier took flight from Vancouver to Orlando, while on Friday Tampa service began from Montreal.
Ensemble recently hosted its annual Horizons conference in Las Vegas with more than 800 owners, managers, and advisors, as well as preferred partners, in attendance for the “human centric” extravaganza. It was the first time the entire consortium has been together since an acquisition and rehaul of the brand.
The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) recently brought the spirit of the island to Canadian travel advisors and consumers during Canada Trade Week – a cross-country promotional campaign that included travel agent engagement events in Calgary, Montreal, and Toronto, followed by the first-ever Jamaica Travel Expo consumer event at the Pearson Convention Centre in Toronto.
The keyboard and drums from a musical show thump just yards from a mountain of storm debris and fractured hotels left by Hurricane Otis a month ago. On the northern end of Acapulco Bay, hairdressers and masseuses sweep branches from a beach as across the Pacific resort of Acapulco, residents work with a singular purpose: to restart the tourism engine of the city of one million people as soon as possible.
Canadian snowbirds are increasingly spreading their wings. According to a recent survey conducted by Snowbird Advisor, the US is still the top destination by a wide margin for the lucky cohort who can escape a Canadian winter, but interest in international destinations is growing, particularly among newer snowbirds.
Most major travel markets in the Americas – including Canada – have recovered from the pandemic, apart from the US which is due to get back to 2019 levels next year, according to new research conducted by World Travel Market.
The Cuba Tourist Board thanked its agent partners for helping make Canada the country’s No. 1 market at a gala event late last week at Toronto’s Palais Royale – a glittering venue that Canadian tourist board director Lessner Gomez likened to Havana’s famed Tropicana cabaret, even if the weather outside wasn’t quite the same as on the Caribbean island.