As U.S. Democrats and Republicans continue to wrangle over critical funding, the U.S. Travel Association warned Wednesday that a U.S. federal government shutdown could cost the U.S. travel and tourism industry $1 billion per week and that travellers could expect to face longer TSA lines, increased flight cancellations, and deteriorating conditions at national parks.
Porter Airlines is announcing a significant expansion of its 2025-26 winter schedule, increasing flights to southern destinations by up to 25% during peak travel periods and unveiling four new routes, including its first transborder service from Vancouver (to Phoenix).
With year-end arrivals projected at 4.5 million – comprising 3.1 million stopover visitors and 1.4 million cruise passengers – Jamaica has secured its position as the Caribbean’s most connected destination, achieving record-breaking global linkages while advancing an ambitious agenda for inclusive and sustainable tourism growth.
Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts have unveiled a new eco-chic wedding inspiration for 2026. “Nature’s Vow” is rooted in the spirit of the Caribbean with a design that blends sustainable elements with elevated style, promising “a trend-forward way to honour love, nature, and purpose, surrounded by friends and family.
Citing the “profound changes” brought about by digitization and artificial intelligence, Lufthansa Group says it will shed 4,000 jobs by 2030 – even as the company is reporting strong demand for air travel and predicted stronger profits in years ahead.
Marriott International has introduced a new digital platform that enables travellers to discover and book their next trip based not only where they want to go, but what they love to do. Through Marriott Bonvoy Outdoors, travellers can now search across 450-plus hotels, 50,000 Homes & Villas, and curated Tours & Activities that offer immediate access to activities across several categories: Ski & Snowboard, Hike & Glamp, Bike, Scuba & Snorkel, Surf, Fish, and Paddle.
Boeing is getting back the ability to perform final safety inspections on 737 Max jetliners and certify them for flight more than six years after crashes of the then-new model killed 346 people.
This week: TRAVELSAVERS Canada is headed to San Antonio in 2026; Marco Pozzobon is moving on up at ACTA; Nexion names its award winners for the year; a Groups and Charters module has been added to Quark Expeditions’ learning platform for travel advisors; and Britain’s The Great West Way touring route has released a helpful, new trade directory.
Philadelphia is extending its brotherly love to Canadians and urging them to visit the city at the time when they “might need extra encouragement to return to the U.S.” by utilizing an impressive lineup of Canadians who know the city well – because they have made it their home.
Authorities in the Bahamas closed most schools Monday as Tropical Storm Imelda dropped heavy rain in the northern Caribbean. Flights to and from the islands in the Bahamas were cancelled, with airports expected to reopen after weather conditions improve.
American Airlines and Porter Airlines are teaming up on a new codeshare partnership to give customers more options for cross-border travel. Porter will place its code on select American transborder and domestic flights, giving passengers seamless access to more destinations when travelling from Canada.
Sunwing Vacations Group (SVG) has integrated the NexusTours Agent Portal into all three of its brands’ travel agent portals: Sunwing Vacations, WestJet Vacations, and WestJet Vacations Quebec. The integration creates a new earning opportunity for travel advisors, with 10% commission available on all excursion bookings and, in October, agent are being offered a chance to win a trip to Mexico.
Statistics Canada says total tourism spending in the country in the second quarter totalled $26.5 billion, marking a marginal 0.9% increase based on a rise in domestic travel that was offset in part by fewer visitors from the U.S.
Intrepid Travel has promoted Caroline Tinsley to the newly created role of Head of Partnerships, Canada, marking a key strategic investment in the company’s growth across the Canadian market.
U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra says the administration might have to “take a look at” customs preclearance at Canadian airports for U.S.-bound travellers, given the drop in cross-border visitors. Preclearance, which has been in place since 1952, enables travellers to be inspected before their departing flights, bypassing officers at their U.S. destination.
With the travel industry preparing to mark World Tourism Day on Saturday (Sept. 27), it was fitting that just a couple of days prior, the Tourist Office of Spain welcomed close to 75 tourism leaders and members of the Canadian trade to “Spain Talks” in Toronto – a thought-provoking exploration of contemporary challenges and innovative solutions in sustainable tourism.
Copa Airlines, in partnership with Visit Panama, took part in a two-city roadshow in Toronto and Montreal last week, showcasing Panama´s unique tourism offerings and stopover program to the Canadian travel trade. The roadshow featured over 17 key Panamanian suppliers, including hotels, DMCs, rental car companies, and attractions.
RIU Hotels & Resorts has opened its first hotel in Canada: the Riu Plaza Toronto. The newly built four-star hotel has 352 rooms and is located at 30 Widmer St. in the bustling Entertainment District, walking distance from the Rogers Centre and other downtown attractions.
Air Canada Vacations newly released 2025/2026 Sun Toolkit features more than 620 hotels, including 41 brand-new Sun properties and 32 additions across the United States. The collection also expanded to 64 destinations with five newcomers: Cartagena (Colombia), Miches (Dominican Republic), Palm Springs and Napa Valley (California), and San Juan (Puerto Rico).
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.
The world, and its travel industry, are set to celebrate World Tourism Day Saturday, held on Sept. 27 each year since 1980. This year’s theme is “Tourism and Sustainable Transformation” with a call to action to unlock the benefits of tourism, balanced with checking its negative impacts.
Recent volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, travel sentiment is merely shaken, not stirred, according to the Global Rescue Summer 2025 Traveller Safety and Sentiment Survey. Regardless of age, gender, or nationality, the overwhelming majority of travellers surveyed remain unfazed by natural disasters – although a cautious minority is selectively avoiding certain high-risk destinations.
WestJet celebrated Hope Air’s annual Haul for Hope in Calgary Sept. 24 with a record number of all-WestJet employee teams competing to haul a 67,000-pound Q400 aircraft to raise money for Hope Air. Of the total teams in Calgary competing, 10 were comprised of WestJet employees from across all areas of the business, signifying care and commitment to community investment.
News of a sick or injured mountain gorilla can worry local residents in mountainous area of Uganda that’s home to the endangered species. That’s partly because most of the gorillas have been given names, allowing rangers and others to humanize the animal’s suffering. But widespread interest in protecting mountain gorillas also comes from the economic benefits of tourism that have turned poachers into conservationists, married women into porters and rangers into eloquent spokespeople for the great apes.
Jane August had what seemed like a straightforward plan: She would travel to every single museum in the city, producing a short video log of each one. She figured it would take three years at most. But with 136 museums documented since 2021, she still has about 64 to go by her estimation. Here’s what she’s found, so far.
With Canadians in the midst of a trillion-dollar wealth transfer, baby boomers are rewriting the rules of inheritance. A survey from Flight Centre conducted by YouGov reveals that some grandparents aren’t waiting to pass along financial assets; instead, they’re creating a living legacy by funding multi-generational vacations.
Adam Stewart, Executive Chairman of Sandals and Beaches Resorts, returned to the stage at the Skift Global Forum last week, sharing his vision for the future of all-inclusive hospitality with an audience of industry leaders, innovators, and travel executives from around the world.
In a world where everything seems to be going up in price, Contiki says it is “flipping the script” to offer its 18-to-35 clientele lower tour costs, plus other benefits on its Europe 2026 roster of trips. The “bold new global pricing model” is designed to make travel more affordable, transparent, and accessible, says the company.
This week: WestJet Vacations and Las Vegas hit a home run with TRAVELSAVERS Canada advisors at the Rogers Centre (even if the Jays didn’t win); Aqua Expeditions has introduced a new loyalty program for the travel trade; and there’s still time to register for Antigua’s Black Pineapple Awards.
It’s going to be a case of Jailhouse Rock for a Missouri woman has been sentenced to more than four years in federal prison for scheming to defraud Elvis Presley’s family by trying to auction off his Graceland home and property before a judge halted the brazen foreclosure sale.