News

News nuggets, airlines, hotels/resorts, cruising, tours, events, FAMS/incentives, deals, destinations and more are covered in our weekly round-up of travel industry news you may have missed.

Brand USA, which saw its funding cut by 80% earlier this summer, has received a possible lifeline with the introduction of the VISIT USA Act, a bipartisan effort designed to fully fund the nation’s public-private destination marketing organization, thereby restoring its capacity to attract international visitors.

From travel choices to tech trends and bold sacrifices, Contiki’s just-released ‘Voice of a Generation 2025’ survey breaks down the unique travel behaviours of young travellers shaping travel in 2026.

Forgetting to renew one’s passport before travelling may just be the ultimate faux pas before heading off on holiday. But according to travel search engine and fare aggregator Skyscanner, this is just one of many passport problems Canadians have experienced – often turning travel excitement into last-minute stress. 

It depends on how you look at it: According to a new survey from Snowbird Advisor, the number of Canadians who intend to head stateside this year fell 12% from 2024. On the other hand, some seven in 10 respondents still expect to go to the U.S., which represents a much smaller decline than other travel segments to the U.S. have reported.

As Black Friday approaches, travel companies continue to drop their annual sales events, most of which extend to dates both before and after the actual day. Here are some of the latest and ongoing offers. New entries include ACTA, Sunwing, Transat, Collette, Expedia TAAP, Hyatt, and more.

Hundreds of Air Transat pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), conducted informational picketing Monday in three key locations, the same day that the pilots began voting on a strike authorization ballot. 

Cities are seeing particularly strong growth for international tourism – reversing a shift to more rural destinations during and following the pandemic, says a new report released at WTM London (World Travel Market).

According to the latest Longwoods International tracking study of Canadian travellers, while 56% of them do not intend to travel to the U.S. in the next 12 months, that figure is down from 61% in April.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration lifted all restrictions on commercial flights that were imposed at 40 major airports during the country’s longest government shutdown. The unprecedented order, which had been in place since Nov. 7 and had affected thousands of flights across the country, went into effect Monday.

London has been ranked the ‘World’s Best City’ for the 11th year in new research released at WTM London (World Travel Market). The World’s Best Cities 2026 report scores global cities for their liveability, loveability and prosperity. Toronto topped out five Canadian entries in the top 100 at No. 17.

With less than 100 days to go until the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, new data from Visa Consulting & Analytics (VCA) finds a surge in flight bookings and ticket purchases for the Winter Games (Feb. 6-22) made with Visa across Italy’s host regions.

Travellers in 2026 will put their passions first, according to a survey of affiliated advisors conducted by TRAVELSAVERS Canada, whether it’s bucket-list adventures, all-inclusive luxury, or immersive journeys. From Europe to Asia, clients are pursuing purposeful trips in far-flung destinations, treating themselves to upscale, personalized experiences that provide deeper meaning in their travels.

News nuggets, airlines, hotels/resorts, cruising, tours, events, FAMS/incentives, deals, destinations and more are covered in our weekly round-up of travel industry news you may have missed.

Citing “43 days of chaos” that resulted in more than $6 billion in lost travel spending and unnecessary pain for travellers and federal workers, U.S. Travel blasted Congress for its “self-inflicted crisis” and “foolish path” in sustaining the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

Flight reductions at 40 major U.S. airports will remain at 6% – albeit instead of rising to an “extraordinary” 10% – by the end of the week because more air traffic controllers are coming to work, U.S. officials said as Congress took steps to end the longest American government shutdown in history after the president signed a funding bill to end the closure.