News

By Michael Baginski/    Holding to account “the big orange elephant in the room” and the “shameful way the current president has represented us on the national stage as of late,” Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker says matter of factly that he “doesn’t blame anyone from Canada whose appetite for visiting the U.S. might have soured.”

Travel to the United States took another hit in April as an “elbows up” attitude persists among Canadians, who eschewed the country amid anger over tariffs and annexation threats from the U.S. president. 

This week: Travel Leaders Network has host of new supplier partners; Trevello celebrated in Jamaica with Sandals; Brand USA announced its FAM contest winners; two top Virtuoso execs have been promoted; and St. Kitts has extended its SKY Travel Agent Program, offering exclusive incentives for travel advisors.

The Trump administration has proposed a multibillion-dollar overhaul of a U.S. air traffic control system that it said still relies on floppy disks and replacement parts found on eBay and has come under renewed scrutiny in the wake of recent deadly plane crashes and technical failures.

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.

By Michael Baginski/    Three members of Congress from across the U.S. political and geographical spectrum – one an avid supporter of Donald Trump; another a Republican who has been targeted by the POTUS; and an opposition Democrat – having come out in support of Canadian snowbirds, proposing that the reliable long-stay visitors be allowed to stay in U.S. even longer than is currently permitted.

India’s Civil Aviation Ministry late Thursday confirmed in a statement the temporary closure of 24 airports across northern and western regions of the country amid heightened tensions with Pakistan. In advisories to passengers, key domestic airlines said their flights would remain suspended from airports including Amritsar in northern Punjab and Srinagar in India-controlled Kashmir, bordering Pakistan.

According to a new Longwoods International study of Canadians, 60% of them say that current U.S policies, trade practices and political statements make them less likely to travel to the U.S. in the next 12 months. And 36% of them had planned to travel to the U.S. in the next year but have since cancelled those plans.

Most airports around the United States are said to have operated smoothly as new REAL ID requirements for passengers took effect because travellers without the updated document were still allowed to move through security easily.

With Travel Advisor Appreciation now in the books (May 6), travel agent “month” continues in full swing. Following our listing of a host of supplier incentives and news yesterday (see stories further down in the newsletter), here is a further sampling of relevant news and offers available for the trade in May, and, in some cases, beyond.

The other day was Star Wars day, but in the annals of national day lore, the first Wednesday of May is, more importantly, Travel Advisor Appreciation Day. The not-quite national holiday (it should be!) was consecrated in 2012 and has been steadily growing ever since, and in a typical year agents might celebrate with cake and balloons, while suppliers profess love and respect with kind words, and in many cases, special booking incentives – many lasting through “travel advisor month.” Here’s a sampling of some of those offers – and, btw, happy day!

In celebration of its milestone 50th anniversary this year, Air Canada Vacations is introducing two new initiatives designed to recognize and reward the company’s most dedicated travel partners: the Top 50 Ambassador Program and the inaugural ACV Agency Awards Program.

Expedia Group is celebrating Global Travel Advisor Day by hosting several events, including breakfasts, lunches and evening reception, across the world today – including Canada – to recognize and show appreciation for its Expedia TAAP travel agent partners and the vital role they play in the travel ecosystem.