Booking.com’s annual Traveller Review Awards recognize 1.36 million travel providers from across 220 countries and territories for their commitment to providing consistently excellent – aka “welcoming” – service and hospitality over the course of the year. That’s a lot to list, so let’s simply break out the Canadian winners, plus offer a taste of the global top 10s as well.
It may not be as recognizable a name yet as the Cotswolds or Yorkshire, but England’s Great West Way tourism route – which runs west from London to Bristol and the Welsh border – already encompasses many of the country’s must-see sights, including Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, and Bath, as well as attractions like Hampton Court Palace and Highclere Castle (aka Downton Abbey), and Kew Gardens.
Tens of thousands of revellers danced in the streets of Cologne, Duesseldorf, Bonn and other cities and towns across the Rhineland Thursday as they celebrated the traditional start of Carnival in Germany. Dressed up in bright colours and creative costumes, they sang loudly and swayed to familiar tunes of brass bands and folklore music, and drank lots of beer.
Approximately 40 percent of pet owners include their pets in travel plans – and that number is growing, having doubled in the last decade, according to the recent American Pet Products Association’s ‘National Pet Owner’ survey. But flying with Fido doesn’t come without considerable circumstance and planning.
From a criminal with a conscience to a German ballet director without one, and weird Valentine’s pronouncements in India to a surprising revelation from Chick-fil-A, not to mention rare Dennis the Menace news, it was just another normal, wacky week.
I’m writing this from a padded lounge chair in The Sanctuary, a personal hideaway at the top of Sky Princess. On a ship that can carry more than 3,600 passengers, two attendants are at my beck and call and there are no other guests in sight.
It’s a shame that ABBA never sang “The Time Warp” as it would be the perfect intro to the “ABBA Voyage” show now playing in London – a concert performance that transports concertgoers back to the 1970s via incredible avatars that are indistinguishable from the real members of the Swedish pop super troopers.
The head of the US Federal Aviation Administration says he has taken steps to avoid a repeat of the technology failure last month that briefly halted all flights in the United States from taking off.
Germany’s air traffic control agency said Wednesday that it is diverting all flights away from the country’s busiest airport, Frankfurt, after a problem with Lufthansa’s computer systems caused major disruption at the German airline.
Machu Picchu has reopened after being closed nearly a month ago amid antigovernment protests. The move on Wednesday came after agreements between authorities in Peru with social groups and the local tourism industry to guarantee the security of the famed tourist attraction and transport services.
While nine in 10 Canadians are eager to take a vacation this year, 40 percent of them say that the stress of travel is discouraging them from doing so, according to a new survey from Blue Cross. And many others are taking measures to mitigate the risk.
ACTA reports it held its first meeting this week with its newly appointed 2023 Independent Travel Agent Advisory Group (ITAAG), a body tasked with advising ACTA on advocacy issues specific to independent travel agents.
Unique Vacations Canada is introducing another avenue for travel advisors learn more about Sandals and Beaches resorts with “The Sandals Scoop,” a new series of brief, casual one-on-one chats with various general managers across the chains. from Sandals and Beaches Resorts. Created exclusively for the Canadian market, the series debuts Tuesday, Feb. 21.
Transat A.T. inc. has announced the appointment of Julie Lamontagne as Chief People, Sustainability and Communications Officer of Transat. She will be responsible for developing and deploying initiatives in corporate culture, labour relations and talent attraction, retention, and mobilization. She will also oversee corporate responsibility programs as well as internal and external communications. She will begin her new role on March 13.
ACTA is asking travel agents again to send letters to their Member of Parliament in support of its recommendations on the federal Tourism Growth Strategy (TSG). The initiative is part of a wider effort by the travel industry in Canada to ensure that its concerns are top of mind as the government prepares its upcoming 2023 budget.
A national state of emergency was declared in New Zealand Tuesday after Cyclone Gabrielle battered the country’s north in what officials described as the nation’s most severe weather event in years. The emergency declaration was only the third in the country’s history.
As the tourism sector across the Caribbean registers strong post-pandemic results, the 25-member Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) is resuming several hallmark activities and events this year to help strengthen the region’s position as the world’s leading warm-weather destination.
Whether travellers are looking for new places to stay, visiting iconic theme parks, returning to favourite haunts, or discovering a part of the state they may not have known, there is never a shortage of new experiences and opportunities in Florida. Here is a just a small sampling of some of what’s brightening the tourism scene in the Sunshine State in 2023.
Air India is placing orders for 470 Boeing and Airbus aircraft to keep up with surging demand for increased mobility in a nation with a swelling middle class. It is Boeing’s third largest sale of all time, in dollar value, and its second of all time in quantity, and has India’s prime minister predicting that the country will soon be the third largest aviation market in the world.
In 2024, Adventures by Disney guests will have more opportunities to explore Antarctica, the Arctic, and the Galapagos Islands with added expedition cruises to the destinations, plus, for the first time, the chance to discover the Adriatic Sea.
With just 15 luxury tents surrounded by 19 forested hectares on the edge of a private peninsula in Punta Mita, Mexico, Four Seasons’ new adults-only Naviva resort is now welcoming guests with the promise of a personalized retreat that “awakens the intrinsic bond that humans have with nature.”
Earlier this year four of us – old friends (in both senses!) – arrived in Bocas del Toro, a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea off the far western shores of Panama. We had been tossing around the idea of a winter getaway for several weeks but found a decision difficult. City or somewhere quiet? Beach or countryside? Hotel or self-catered? We each had different ideas, but had agreed that it should be a destination none of us had visited before. Then came an inspired suggestion … Panama! A ‘first’ for each of us. And we could spend a relaxing week in the tropical islands of Bocas and a busy week in Panama City. All our boxes were ticked!
The charm of the Caribbean is undeniable. The gorgeous tropical landscape makes this region an appealing choice for a stunning ceremony venue. Sandals® Resorts calls the Caribbean home for the same reason — we can’t deny the magic of this place. When guests have started newly engaged life, Sandals Resorts would be their best choice to explore a venue. From the lush jungle scenery to the powdery white-sand beaches, our resorts have several distinct locations to select from. Couples can also customize their passionate getaway whichever way they wish. There’s no end to the ways to create perfect Caribbean escape.
The first couple married at Sandals Montego Bay in 1981 made their way back to renew their vows after a health challenge proved that through sickness and in health, Love Is All You Need.
Political turmoil is nothing new in Peru, which has seen six presidents in the last five years. But the scale of violence following President Pedro Castillo’s Dec. 7 impeachment and arrest for a clumsy effort to shutter Congress – unrest that has left 57 people dead and hundreds more injured – has revived class and racial divisions and thrown a wrench into Peru’s important tourism industry.
WestJet has unveiled 20 new routes and three new destinations – Minneapolis, Detroit and Washington DC (Dulles) – to the airline’s summer schedule, which features what the carrier calls its “largest expansion in history” out of Edmonton. At the same time, Porter is launching Ottawa-Charlottetown service in May.
A senior executive of Southwest Airlines apologized to a US Senate committee late last week for a December meltdown and said the airline is upgrading software to help fix its inability to reassign crews after the winter storm. The president of the Southwest pilots’ union told senators that airline leaders ignored calls to improve technology for years, then botched the recovery from the storm – losing track of employees and operating more than 500 empty flights while passengers were stuck on the ground over the holidays.
Following strong annual percentage increases in international visitor arrivals (IVAs) to Asia in 2022, predictions now are for a return to pre-COVID levels this year, with growth momentum slowly moderating in strength to 2025 as pent-up demand gradually eases.
Sandals Resorts has earned a worldwide reputation for providing two people in love with the most romantic all-inclusive vacation experience in the Caribbean. For over four decades, couples from around the globe have flocked to 17 resorts in Jamaica, Antigua, Saint Lucia, Bahamas, Grenada, Barbados and Curaçao to enjoy the very best in luxurious accommodations, delicious 5-Star Global Gourmet™ dining, impeccable 5-Star Service from friendly and attentive staff and so much more.
The union that represents pilots at WestJet says it is asking for federal assistance after months of failing to reach a contract agreement with the airline. The official request begins a process that could result in a strike, or lockout, if the impasse is not resolved.