In a move the company’s CEO calls a “game changer,” the Expedia Group is set to launch a rewards program that will tie together its disparate brands including Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo, which competes with Airbnb.
A new pilot project from Destination Canada is creating new tourism routes across the country with the aim of focussing visitor interest in distinct aspects of the Canadian experience and giving both international and domestic tourists “more reasons to travel” here.
United Nations cultural and scientific agency UNESCO, which notably administers the World Heritage program – a significant driver of tourism interest – announced Monday that the United States plans to rejoin, and pay more than US$600 million in back dues.
Marriott International is developing its first-ever Marriott-branded all-inclusive property at the site of the former Marriott Cancun Resort, which closed its doors last March to undergo an extensive renovation for its conversion.
The Travel Industry Council of Ontario is advising that its annual meeting of members will take place virtually on Sept. 26 at 5 p.m.
The WestJet Group today announced Michael (Mike) Scott to the role of WestJet Group Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer. The 30-year aviation industry veteran will start with the airline’s executive team on June 13.
Jerusalem’s iconic citadel has opened its revamped museum after a three-year, US$50-million makeover that included a restoration of its signature minaret. The Tower of David, the ancient fortress on the western edge of the Old City, contains remnants of successive fortifications built one atop the other dating back over two millennia.
WestJet will wind down its Swoop subsidiary by late October as it integrates the budget carrier’s operations into its main banner, the airline said Friday. The move comes after pilots with the two airlines ratified a new collective agreement that brings them onto a level pay scale.
Air Canada says it made a mistake in rejecting some compensation claims from the thousands of travellers affected by delayed flights due to computer malfunctions. In messages to some customers, the airline initially said the information technology fumble was out of its hands, relieving it of obligations to pay them compensation.
Security guards at London’s Heathrow Airport will escalate their strike action over wages into the busy summer months, the UK’s largest trade union has warned. Fortunately, Canadians flying on Air Canada and WestJet appear poised to avoid the disruptions.
With Air Canada flying three times weekly to Saint Lucia this summer, there’s no time like the present for Canadians to take advantage of the amenities of the island’s sibling resorts, Coconut Bay Beach Resort and Spa and Serenity, travel agents were told at a Toronto event Friday.
With 20 years of helping promote and facilitate “a better kind of travel,” Planeterra is launching a new campaign to raise funds in support of another “20 years of impact.”
Hawaii tourism officials are urging tourists to be respectful when flocking to a national park on the Big Island to get a glimpse of the latest eruption of Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes.
Last week, in a case of battling acronyms, ACTA and CATO were miffed at TICO; Canada also eased visa restrictions on 13 countries, Air Canada doubled its dose for a Caribbean island, Marriott boosted agent incentives, and Mexico welcomed a new adults-only all-inclusive.
On air quality maps, purple signifies the worst of it. In reality, it’s a thick, hazardous haze that’s disrupting daily life, including travel, for millions of people across Canada and the US, blotting out skylines and turning skies orange.
Fearing additional financial burdens on travel agencies and other registrants in Ontario, ACTA and Canadian Association of Tour Operators say they are largely being “kept in the dark” over the Travel Industry Council of Ontario’s ongoing review of its funding framework and fee structure, which TICO earlier this year called the largest since its inception.
Transat AT Inc. saw revenues double – and losses shrink by more than two-thirds – in its latest quarter amid a major sales boost propelled by solid leisure travel demand on top of higher prices.
The immense success of the series “Emily in Paris” has transformed a quiet, untouched square in the French capital into a tourist magnet. For diehard, beret-wearing fans of the show, Place de l’Estrapade has become a landmark of its own, igniting a new passion for Paris.
Travel brand loyalty is nothing new. Ever since Texas International Airlines and American Airlines created the first frequent-flyer programs in the late 1970s and early 1980s, travellers have been racking up miles, seeking elite status and pouring their airfare dollars into brands that offer the most perks.
A ship designed for exploration of the seas was christened by the first woman to walk in space. Accompanied by Scenic Group owners Glen and Karen Moroney, NASA Astronaut Dr. Kathryn Sullivan christened one of the world’s most technologically advanced ultra-luxury yachts, Scenic Eclipse II in Málaga, Spain.
With a nod to today’s lead story, we had a hankerin’ for a little Hendrix this week, and specifically the guitar god’s classic “Purple Haze.”
The latest European Travel Commission Long-Haul Travel Barometer sheds light on the travel intentions in key overseas markets – including Canada – for the summer. The Coles Notes on Canadians: We’re into culture and history, travel in summer, stay for more than a week, have a fondness for France, and – surprise! – spend the least on a daily basis amongst the six markets analysed.
Quebec’s massive forest fires have forced most of the province’s wilderness outfitters to shut down during one of their busiest seasons. While some have been closed due to active fires, dozens of others have been forced to cancel reservations by a government order limiting access to forests in much of the province.
It’s the most iconic landmark in Texas, but for many, initial impressions prompt the question: “Is that it?” After all, the historic site – famed site of the Battle of The Alamo in 1836, where Davy Crockett and others lost their lives fighting in the Texas Revolution – is squeezed into a downtown square in San Antonio that lacks the epic scale of most other national moments in the US.
Kilauea, the second largest volcano in Hawaii, began erupting on Wednesday after a three-month pause. All activity is within a closed area of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Hawaii’s Big Island and has prompted the volcano’s alert level to be raised to warning status and the aviation colour code to go to red as scientists evaluate the eruption and associated hazards.
Viking named its newest ocean ship Viking Saturn Monday with a celebration in New York City. As part of the event, the ship’s ceremonial godmother, Ann Ziff, the Chairman of the Metropolitan Opera, a longtime Viking cultural partner, offered a blessing of good fortune and safe sailing for the ship – a maritime tradition that dates back thousands of years.
Since 2009, in more than 60 countries, the 580 member properties of Relais & Châteaux have been working together to raise awareness among their guests on the importance of sustainable seafood products. For the sixth straight year, Relais & Châteaux is celebrating World Oceans Day on June 8, in partnership with Ethic Ocean.
Tens of thousands of LGBTQ+ people flocked to central Florida on the weekend to go on theme park rides, mingle with costumed performers, dance at all-night parties and lounge poolside at hotels during Gay Days, even though Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida lawmakers have championed a slew of anti-LGBTQ laws that spurred the most prominent gay rights group in the US to issue a warning that the Sunshine State may no longer be safe.
Thirteen countries, ranging from Antigua to Uruguay, have been added to Canada’s electronic travel authorization (eTA) program, enabling eligible travellers from these countries who have either held a Canadian visa in the last 10 years, or who currently hold a valid United States non-immigrant visa, to now apply for an eTA instead of a visa when travelling to Canada by air.
With Pride Month being celebrated by (much of) the world, Booking.com has released its most extensive LGBTQ+ travel research to date, including Canadian-specific data. The reports shines a spotlight on the steady progress – as well as the recent setbacks – for these communities when it comes to travel, such as an increasing consideration for personal safety.