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THOUSANDS CELEBRATE SUMMER SOLSTICE AT STONEHENGE

Around 8,000 revellers – Druids, pagans, hippies, local residents and tourists –gathered around Stonehenge in southern England this week to express their devotion to the sun, or to have some communal fun.

LISTENING IN: Matchbox 20 still strikes a chord

Mention Matchbox 20 and the band is usually greeted with an “Oh, I love them.” It is entirely fair to say they are beloved, not least thanks to charismatic frontman Rob Thomas and not just by women (my wife included). A few years ago, Thomas, performing solo, blew the audience away at the annual IPW U.S. travel trade show.

THE WORLD’S BEST AIRLINE: And major awards for Air Canada, Transat

It what is widely regarded as ‘the Oscars of the aviation industry,’ Singapore Airlines has been voted the World’s Best Airline at the 2023 World Airline Awards, the fifth time that the airline has scooped the Airline of the Year title in the 23-year history of the prestigious annual Skytrax rankings.

LEADERSHIP CHANGE AT TRAVELBRANDS

HIS Japan has announced a leadership change at TravelBrands, Red Label Vacations, and Merit Travel. Nathalie Tanious will take charge of the companies following the decision of President and CEO Frank DeMarinis to step down from the organization, effective July 21.

FARES WON’T RISE DUE TO MERGER, SAYS WESTJET BOSS

WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech says bringing Swoop and Sunwing Airlines under its banner won’t lead to higher airfares, since integrating the discount carriers will also tamp down costs.

VIRGINIA TOWN IS QUIRKY – AND PROUD OF IT

There’s no place like Wytheville. Literally. Unlike Washington or ubiquitous Springfield (notably home of everyman family the Simpsons), the southwest Virginia town is the only place in the US with that name (and the entire world, they claim).

CARIBBEAN KALEIDOSCOPE: This week’s eye on the islands

From Carnival in Antigua and Barbuda to new properties in the US Virgin Islands, record tourist arrivals in Jamaica and the Barbados Food & Rum festival, here’s the some of the latest news from the Caribbean that has caught our eye.

SANDALS GUARANTEES ‘STELLAR’ STAY

Guests at Sandals Dunn’s River resort are guaranteed a “stellar” stay with the introduction of the luxury all-inclusive’s first “Stargazing Concierge,” part of a new and out-of-this world Celestial Experience at the newly re-imagined property in Jamaica.

DIRE STRAITS: TIAC warns half of Canadian tourism businesses could shutter

The head of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada says businesses are struggling to stay afloat under a pile of debt and a dearth of overseas visitors. In a poll of tourism operators, some 45 percent said they were likely or somewhat likely to shut down within three years unless the government steps in to adjust their loan conditions.

HURRICANE WATCH FOR EASTERN CARIBBEAN, D.R.

Tropical Storm Bret chugged toward the eastern Caribbean on Tuesday as forecasters warned it could strengthen into a hurricane before approaching a region rushing to prepare itself for an unusually early storm.

EXTREMIST PLOT FOILED: Trains, planes, airports targeted

Police arrested a Norwegian citizen in Hungary on suspicion that he was planning an extremist attack modeled after a 2011 massacre in Norway that killed 77 people, and would have taken place across airports, railway stations and on airplanes.

RETAIL ROUND-UP: TDC, TLN and TRAVELSAVERS

In our latest retail round-up, Transat agents sailed with Scenic, Crystal made waves with Travel Leaders Network, and TRAVELSAVERS Canada talks technology.

REGISTRATION OPENS FOR ACTA SUMMITS

Registration is now open for the ACTA Travel Industry Summits to be held in Toronto, Richmond, BC, and Laval, Que., in September. Travel advisors, managers, senior leaders, consortia, and host agency teams are all invited to attend.

SPANNER IN THE WORKS: Mechanic shortage another issue for airlines

Kwasi Bandoh, a senior recruiter for an airline, stood before a group of aviation mechanic students at their graduation ceremony last month and congratulated them for all having jobs. As some of the students began nudging each other, Bandoh realized that perhaps not every one of them had already been hired.

UP IN THE AIR: Healthy competition or higher fares

Experts seemingly disagree whether WestJet’s decision to shut down Sunwing Airlines and fold it into its main operations could mean less service and higher fares – or whether the Competition Bureau, competitors, and savvy consumers will ensure that fares stay competitive.

SEARCH UNDERWAY FOR MISSING SUB NEAR TITANIC WRECK

A rescue operation was underway deep in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland on Monday in search of a submarine that carries tourists to view the wreckage of the Titanic.

VANCOUVER VOTED TOP CANADIAN CITY BY AGENT GROUP

Vancouver ranks as the top domestic city being booked this year, according to new survey results released by First in Service Travel LTD (F1S) – one of North America’s largest independent travel agencies.

A ‘LOVE LETTER’ TO TRAVEL: New G Adventures campaign comes with agent toolkit

G Adventures has posted a new toolkit for travel counsellors to help promote its new brand campaign. Meant to be “part rally cry, part love-letter to real travel,” “Bring on the World” is designed to capture the type of travel the community tourism pioneer stands for: “unforgettable experiences, deep connections, and a world-changing ethos,” while at the same time “inspiring travellers to welcome whatever their adventure happens brings their way.”

TECH PROBLEM DOCKS PEI FERRY

Ferry travel between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia has been cancelled until at least Wednesday morning due to technical problems with the service’s sole vessel, the MV Confederation.

VICKI IOANNOU-THEOPHILOU JOINS JACTRAVEL

Canadian travel industry veteran Vicki Ioannou-Theophilou has joined JacTravel to boost the British-based destination management company’s presence in North America in the role of regional sales manager.

SUNWING PLANES ON WAY TO WESTJET

WestJet says it will wind down Sunwing Airlines and integrate the carrier into its mainline business within two years as part of a strategy to streamline operations.
However WestJet said its “immediate focus” remains on weaving Swoop into the company’s operations.

TRUST IN TRAVEL: More countries commit to protecting tourists

Cambodia, the Maldives, and Indonesia have become the newest signatories to UNWTO’s International Code for the Protection of Tourists. The Code is the first ever legal instrument designed to create internationally recognized standards for the protection of tourists at the international level.

THE GUGGENHEIM BILBAO: If you build it, they will come

A shiny red sightseeing bus, a common sight in most European cities, might have been an anomaly here in Old Bilbao if not for the reinvention of Spain’s largest Basque city as a mecca for art and culture.

WHERE ARE MILLENNIALS TRAVELLING THIS SUMMER?

Far-flung destinations, late-season travel, and a focus on in-depth exploration of a singular place, highlight this summer’s travel trends for Gen-Z and Millennials, according to new client booking data and new sentiment research of the demographic from Contiki.

MARRIOTT MULLS NEW BRAND IN CANADA, US

Marriott International, Inc. has plans to further expand in the affordable midscale lodging segment in Canada and the US with yet-to-be-named extended-stay brand intended to deliver reasonably priced modern comfort for guests seeking longer stay accommodations.

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