The United Nations General Assembly has unanimously adopted a resolution to have Feb. 17 officially declared Global Tourism Resilience Day, which will be celebrated for the first time next week. Pioneered by Jamaica, the initiative was supported by over 90 countries.
The International Air Transport Association has issued new guidance to assist airlines and handling agents to transport mobility aids safely and efficiently and improve the travel experience for passengers with disabilities.
Marco Island is the most expensive destination in Florida for hotel stays, according to a new survey by CheapHotels.org, which compared hotel rates across 30 popular Florida destinations early this year – typically the high season for most destinations in the Sunshine State.
The US Congress began considering critical aviation legislation on Tuesday in the aftermath of recent close calls involving airline and cargo jets at airports in New York and Texas. Lawmakers celebrated the small number of deaths on airline flights in the United States since a 2009 crash that killed 50 people, but they noted the recent scary incidents.
Holland America Line has extended its “Culinary Cruise” program into 2023, whereby celebrity chefs share their expertise and kitchen secrets on select voyages, offering tips, tricks, and techniques to foodies, while sharing their passion for gastronomy.
The union representing WestJet pilots says contract negotiations with the airline have been unproductive and federal conciliation may be needed to avert a strike. ALPA Canada, which represents approximately 1,800 pilots at WestJet and its low-cost subsidiary Swoop, says it has been negotiating unsuccessfully with the Calgary-based company since September.
Disney’s government in Florida has been the envy of any private business, with its unprecedented powers in deciding what to build and how to build it at the Walt Disney World Resort. Those days are numbered as a new bill released this week puts the entertainment giant’s district firmly in the control of Florida’s governor and legislative leaders in what some see as punishment for Disney’s opposition to the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law championed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican-controlled Legislature.
The Los Cabos Tourism Board returned to the Canadian market last week heralding 2023 as the year of wellness, both physical and mental, in the Mexican resort destination, with platforms extending to luxury and sustainability.
Princess Cruises has revealed a first glimpse of the most contemporary and state-of-the-art designs imaged yet onboard Sun Princess – the cruise line’s newest and most innovative ship, which is scheduled to debut in early 2024.
With major cities welcoming travellers once again after the pandemic, Australia’s Travel & Tourism sector is at last getting back on track, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council.
As carriers worldwide try to lessen their carbon footprint, Emirates says it has successfully flown a test flight with one of its two engines entirely powered by so-called sustainable aviation fuel.
Crystal Cruises – a high profile victim of the pandemic – has officially relaunched under new ownership with the Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony vessels set to sail again beginning this summer.
A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked wide swaths of Turkey and neighbouring Syria on Monday, killing more than 5,000 people and injuring thousands more as it toppled thousands of buildings and trapped residents under mounds of rubble.
A New York congressman wants to add some Zoom to the sluggish effort to clear a bilateral backlog of NEXUS trusted-traveller applications. Rep. Brian Higgins, a frequent champion of streamlined travel between Canada and the US, has introduced legislation on Capitol Hill that, if passed, would require the Department of Homeland Security to deploy video conferencing to replace in-person interviews.
Banff tourism officials want to thin the herd – of people, not animals – joining the call for better management of visitor traffic in the most heavily visited parts of the national park – a situation that has resulted in not only damaging traffic bottlenecks, but also shocking amounts human waste left behind that is not “garbage.”
Vietnam, Spain, Borneo, and South Africa are fam destinations being offered by G Adventures in 2023. The trips are available to agents at a discounted rate and prospective participants must apply for the opportunity to take part by Feb. 13.
The UK Supreme Court has ruled that a viewing platform at London’s Tate Modern art gallery made residents of glass-walled luxury apartments next door feel like animals in a zoo, and impeded “the ordinary use and enjoyment” of their homes.
Canadians have always been ahead of the curve when it comes to travel to Britain, according to the country’s national tourism agency chief executive Patricia Yates.
A group of airlines including Air Canada and Porter is asking the Supreme Court of Canada to hear their case after a lower court largely upheld the validity of Canada’s air passenger bill of rights.
Air France is continuing to increase capacity to Canada – the carrier’s second largest long-haul market – including new service between Paris and Ottawa; the resumption of seasonal service to Quebec City, introduced last summer; and increased frequencies to other gateways.
Air Canada Vacations has unveiled its new Travel Agent Toolkit for Europe. The first-time brochure-style publication includes a planning guide, the most recent Air Canada winter flight schedule for winter, an overview of available tour and cruise packages, as well as special promotions and offers, including a trip for two to Italy prize for travel professionals.
Hong Kong is planning to give away air tickets and vouchers to woo tourists back to destination. In launching the “Hello Hong Kong” tourism campaign, Chief Executive John Lee said the city will offer 500,000 free air tickets to welcome tourists from around the world in what he called “probably the world’s biggest welcome ever.”
Turkey has slammed a group of Western countries that temporarily closed down their consulates in Istanbul late last week over security concerns, accusing them of waging “psychological warfare” and attempting to wreck Turkey’s tourism industry.
Amongst last week’s news, WestJet paused Europe flights from some Canadian gateways, while Canada Jetlines announced its first Mexico destination: Cancun; PCR testing requirements for travellers from China were extended; and Sunwing and Air Canada Vacations unveiled new promotions.
An Air Canada IT issue Thursday afternoon caused problems with flights at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. In a tweet around 1:30 p.m., the airport said Air Canada was “experiencing an intranet outage” that was impacting functions including check-in, baggage delivery and gating.
American President Joe Biden took swipes at airlines and hotels this week as he called on Congress to limit certain extra charges they impose on consumers. “These unfair fees add up,” he said, speaking just before a meeting of the White House Competition Committee.
Following two years of shortened lists due to cancellations and limited capacities, the 2022 Top 50 Fairs list boasts attendance numbers similar to, and at times surpassing, 2019 numbers. Several fairs – including notable events in Canada and California – returned after two years of not operating.
Paducah, Kentucky’s National Quilt Museum is a stitch in time, but not the time you might expect. Dedicated to advancing the work of modern quilters, elaborate artifacts on display in the venue are not your grandmother’s blankets.
This week’s weird and wacky includes DNA testing of Santa, pampered bunnies, dance drama in Sweden, and reveals the fate of a much-loved hot dog statue, “Weinerman.”
I have had a career as a travel writer for many years, yet, for no explicable reason, I have never written about my hometown. I was born, bred and educated in Toronto and I am justifiably proud of what is arguably the most vibrant multi-cultural metropolis in the world. Resulting from this merry melting pot of folks from all over the planet, Toronto offers up a smorgasbord of delights in its diversified ethnic neighbourhoods. You could start your day with a foamy cappuccino in Little Italy, head to one of our six Chinatown’s for dim sum and enjoy an authentic Indian vindaloo for dinner. There’s also a posh cosmopolitan side to Canada’s largest city where chic boutiques, Michelin-starred restaurants, luxurious hotels and spas will dazzle even the most demanding of patrons.