News

France’s biggest wildfire this summer is spreading quickly in a Mediterranean wine region near the Spanish border, having burned an area larger than Paris. French Prime Minister François Bayrou deplored a “disaster on an unprecedented scale” in the region.

This week: Ensemble members celebrate under a Tuscan sun; Virtuoso is set for top tech conference; and TRAVELSAVERS Canada honours own of its own.

As the economy goes, so goes travel (and other discretionary spending in general). So, the travel trade can exhale a little – at least for now – amidst emerging positive sentiment regarding Canada’s economy, including “surprising” resilience in the face of U.S. tariffs, improving consumer confidence, robust domestic travel, and diminishing fears of a recession.

It would seem the most straightforward of notions: A thing takes place, and it goes into the history books or is added to museum exhibits. But whether something even gets remembered and how – particularly when it comes to the history of a country and its leader – is often the furthest thing from simple.

TravelBrands has unveiled significant enhancements to its Loyalty Rewards Program, effective Aug. 1. They include a new sales-based tier structure, expanded redemption options, and elevated benefits across all product lines.

Government travel advisories are increasingly affecting the destination choices of global travellers, according to the Global Rescue Summer 2025 Traveller Safety and Sentiment Survey, which reveals that government-issued travel advisories significantly influence where people choose to go – and where they avoid. 

The US State Department is proposing requiring applicants for business and tourist visas to post a bond of up to $15,000 to enter the United States. In a notice to be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, the department said it would be starting a 12-month pilot program; however, it is not clear whether the action would affect Canadians.

Sunwing Vacations’ August Partner of the Month, Blue Diamond Resorts, is offering travel advisors special incentives throughout the month, as well discounted rates for clients at the brand’s collection of properties across Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Antigua, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Costa Rica.

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.

With many companies now requiring staff to be fully in office, a faceoff is setting up among workers who evidently prefer to stay at home, and employers who want them back on site. New data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds three-in-five Canadians (59%) saying they would prefer to spend the majority of their working time at home if it were possible.

With the support of international partners and $115 million in funding, the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO recently helped rebuild the Iraqi city of Mosul after it was devastated by the Islamic State group. The restoration of the historic city’s iconic Al-Nouri Mosque and Al-Hadba Minaret was just one of many programs run by the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, which is in the spotlight because the United States is leaving it once again.

Tripadvisor, the world’s largest travel guidance platform, has announced the winners of its annual 2025 Travelers’ Choice Awards: Best of the Best Things To Do. The awards highlight the highest rated attractions and experiences around the world based on Tripadvisor reviews.

More than half of travellers are unconcerned about natural disasters disrupting their travel plans, despite officials predicting up to five major hurricanes during the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season and nearly 40% of respondents to a new survey admit they’ve already experienced trips interrupted by extreme weather events in the past.

Demonstrators calling for an end to the war in Gaza protested the arrival of an Israeli cruise ship on another Greek island Tuesday – the third such protest on Greek islands in the last week.