A blackout hit the western half of Cuba on Wednesday, leaving millions of people in Havana and beyond without power in the latest outage to affect an island struggling with dwindling oil reserves and a crumbling electric grid. At the same time, another critical international airline said it was suspending service to the beleaguered island.
Spain set a new tourism record in 2025 when it welcomed 96.8 million foreign visitors, according to figures released by the National Statistics Institute. The number of international visitors increased 3.2% compared to 2024, when there were 94 million tourists.
Trinidad and Tobago declared a new state of emergency Tuesday, only about a month after the end of the previous one, as authorities in the Caribbean nation continue to grapple with high levels of violent crime.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says she has asked Oman for use of its airspace “if necessary, for Canadian citizens to get out” of the Middle East. But Anand’s office said yesterday the minister is urging Canadians to leave the region by their own means, and that there is no current plan for Ottawa to co-ordinate evacuations.
The World Travel Agents Associations Alliance is alerting the global travel agency community to a sophisticated fraud scheme involving the unauthorized use of agency IATA accreditation numbers to obtain airline NDC access and issue fraudulent tickets. The world body (of which ACTA is a member) says travel agencies should review NDC registrations and closely monitor accreditation activity following confirmed incidents across multiple markets, including North America.
Media magnate Pierre Karl Péladeau has failed to convince a pair of leading proxy advisory firms to back his bid to overhaul the board at Transat A.T. Inc. and seize effective control of the travel company.
This week: ACTA announced regional chairs and vice chairs, and promotes a key exec; a first for Marlin Travel; TTAND signs new luxury suppliers; Ensemble has a new cruise partner; and Direct Travel launches a host luxury division
In the lead-up to St. Patrick’s Day (March 17), Tourism Ireland is celebrating Irish Heritage Month with a comprehensive activation at the Toronto Eaton Centre, with both travel advisors and their clients invited to drop by a little inspiration and hopefully to engage in some on-the-spot trip planning.
Building respectful, mutually beneficial relationships with Indigenous communities and advancing tourism systems that are owned, guided and governed by Indigenous Peoples is the objective of a new trade toolkit unveiled at the recent 2026 International Indigenous Tourism Conference in Edmonton.
Several international airlines cautiously resumed a small number of flights from the United Arab Emirates on Monday, offering some relief for travellers stranded by sweeping airspace closures after the U.S. and Israel bombarded Iran, and Iran struck back at targets across the Middle East.
Remember Cuba, last week’s centre of attention? Lost in the fear and loathing of war in the middle east over the weekend was Donald Trump’s declaration Friday that the U.S. is in talks with Havana and the suggestion of the possibility of a “friendly takeover of Cuba.”
ITB Berlin has seen a lot in its 60-year history. Indeed, the world’s largest travel show was born in the middle of the Vietnam War. This year, thousands of delegates scrambled to get to the show (if they could get there at all) due to the sudden outbreak of a new war in Iran and the Middle East
The United Arab Emirates has sold itself to foreigners for years as a sunny, safe, tax-free oasis.
Goway is celebrating women and marking International Women’s Month with an exclusive incentive for travel advisors booking solo women travel. Throughout March “every travel advisor who helps women discover their passions in far-flung destinations” by booking a solo women travel tour with Goway will earn $100 with the GowayPro Loyalty Program.
Hundreds of thousands of stranded travellers scrambled to make new connections and get through to airlines on jammed phone lines Sunday after the attack on Iran by the United States and Israel shut down much of the Middle East to air travel. Iran’s retaliatory strikes directly hit several airports in the region, which resulted in at least five deaths and more injuries.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said he supports the U.S. action in Iran, but Canada will not get directly involved in the conflict after American and Israeli militaries launched an attack on the Middle Eastern country that left its leader dead.
With the launch of operation “Roaring Lion” against Iran, and with explosions rocking Jerusalem on Sunday night as Iranian missiles attempted landfall, Israel’s Ministry of Tourism said it is operating in emergency mode, providing accommodation to residents evacuated from their homes and assisting tourists currently staying in Israel with departing from the country.
The World Trade Center’s final office tower will start construction as soon as this spring and become the new headquarters of American Express, marking a milestone nearly 25 years after the Sept. 11 attacks destroyed the New York site.
The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) welcomed 64 members of the Canadian travel Friday at the Vancouver edition of “Japan: Delve Deeper.” The event, hosted at Vancouver’s Fairmont Waterfront Hotel, brought together a cosmopolitan group of Japan’s top travel suppliers and partners for a compelling mini trade show.
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.
A long-running air traffic controllers shortage has aviation experts warning of a perfect storm of delays for travellers in Canada this summer when the FIFA World Cup of soccer kicks off.
Global Affairs Canada/Affaires Mondiales Canada was suddenly thrust into the spotlight this week as it supported Canadians caught up in the eruption of violence in Mexico’s Jalisco state (including Puerto Vallarta) after a leading cartel figure was killed by Mexican government forces. But what exactly does/can Global Affairs really do?
Louise MacKinnon and her family have become accustomed to visiting Cuba in March, but plans to return this year fell through when Canadian carriers were forced to suspend service to the island due to a fuel shortage caused by the U.S. oil blockade.
British tourism is experiencing a “Bridgerton”-fuelled surge, according to leading tour operator Evan Evans, which says the demand for the series’ UK filming locations has resulted in a staggering 276% increase in website visits for its Stonehenge & Bath private tours, while online searches for the Hampton Court & Windsor tours have climbed 140%.
According to the latest Longwoods International tracking study, 59% of Canadian travellers say U.S. government policies, trade practices and political statements make them less likely to travel to the U.S. in the next 12 months – up from 53% last October, but down from a peak of 63% in July 2025. At the same time, 45% say they plan to visit the U.S. in 2026 with 23% of those undeterred at all by politics.
Canada is sending $8 million in food aid to people in Cuba, where a U.S. oil blockade has triggered a humanitarian crisis. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and MP Randeep Sarai, secretary of state for international development, say the funding is aimed at addressing urgent needs.
The federal government is advising First Nations people to carry a passport in addition to a secure status card when crossing the border to the United States. The updated advisory comes as one First Nation chief says his members are already hesitant about travelling south.
Calling it ‘a new era of long-haul’ travel, Air Canada has announced the next phase of its fleet modernization program with the purchase of the Airbus A350-1000 widebody aircraft. The airline will add eight of the aircraft to its fleet and has rights to buy eight more with deliveries scheduled to begin in the second half of 2030.
In an era of constant notifications, endless scrolling and always-on schedules, travellers are redefining the meaning of luxury, says the Globus family of brands. Citing new research from MMGY Travel Intelligence, GFOB says, “It’s no longer about planning more – or even escaping to a beach to do nothing at all. Increasingly, the ultimate indulgence is being fully present: immersed in culture, connected to place and free from the distractions that pull attention away from the moment.”
Take a cruise, one travel advisor suggested, as cancelled flights in and out of Puerto Vallarta emerged as the latest obstacle in a rocky season for Canadian travellers – and the travel advisors who book (and sometimes must help retrieve) them – with Mexico joining troubled Cuba and muted interest in the U.S. in a perfect storm of uncertainty when it comes to travel ahead of March break and beyond.