Effective today (April 23), Ritushri Dhankher officially begins her role as National Travel Trade & Aviation Manager – Canada for VisitBritain, based in Toronto. She replaces the retiring Lynda Falcone. Well known for her tenure as a member of the VisitBritain team in Canada, Dhankher’s promotion adds the aviation portfolio to the title.
Turkey has begun a new phase in sweeping restorations of the nearly 1,500-year-old Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, focusing on preserving the monument’s historic domes from the threat of earthquakes. Officials say the project will include reinforcing Hagia Sophia’s main dome and half domes, but will remain accessible to visitors during the work.
By Michael Baginski/ With tariffs, sovereignty threats, and fears over border privacy/security, the number of Canadians currently choosing to travel to the U.S. is clearly waning (by how much depends on the source, and mode of travel, i.e. air vs. car), however, one thing is certain according to a panel of top travel agents at a recent Virtuoso gathering in Toronto: travel advisors would be best advised to be like Switzerland and remain politically neutral on the matter when it comes to clients.
Jack Gurevitch is a Montreal Canadiens superfan and a proud Canadian who’s upset by United States President Donald Trump’s tariffs and threats to annex Canada, but he says he won’t let the political situation influence whether he travels to U.S. cities to support his team in the playoffs. Not everyone in his family agrees.
G Adventures has launched a new Rail Collection, featuring both popular and lesser-known routes across the globe. The collection of 60 trips across 20 countries celebrates the belief that “the journey is just as enriching as the destination, and offers so much more than just getting from A to B.”
The Ontario government is investing up to $50 million over three years to update and expand the McMichael Canadian Art Collection (McMichael) facility and grounds in Kleinburg, Ont. (just north of Toronto). The capital funding is dedicated to preserving one of the country’s largest collections of Canadian – including Group of Seven – and Indigenous art for future generations.
A federal judge on Friday partially blocked the Trump administration from enacting a policy that bans the use of “X” marker used by many nonbinary people on passports as well as the changing of gender markers.
Canadians need to “keep the pressure up” on the United States by buying local and avoiding travel there, despite a recent push from California to draw visitors from Canada, British Columbia’s premier says.
A 24-year-old American YouTuber (sigh) was arrested and detained in custody after visiting an off-limits island in the Indian Ocean with hopes of establishing contact with a reclusive tribe known for killing trespassers. He further left a can of Diet Coke and a coconut as offering for the tribe, which he ultimately failed to meet.
Venice began charging day-trippers to the famed canal city an arrivals tax for the second year on the weekend, a measure to combat the overtourism that officials say is putting the city’s UNESCO World Cultural Heritage status at risk. But opponents of the day-tripper fee say it has done nothing to discourage visits. Here’s a look at Venice’s battle with overtourism by the numbers.
ACTA is adding another experiential learning opportunity and has partnered with the Jamaica Tourist Board, Air Canada and Sandals Resorts to offer an Immersive Destination Experience to Sandals Dunns River Jamaica from Aug. 23 to 27.
Travel industry veteran Pat Brady has started a new position as Director, Commercial Operations with Sunwing Vacation Group. Brady left Transat after 30 years last November, having spent the past 10 years as national director of sales at Transat Tours Canada.
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.
Canadians got a break on inflation in March as gas prices fell and a slowdown in travel to the United States helped cool airfare costs, Statistics Canada said Tuesday. The annual rate of inflation slowed to 2.3% last month, down from 2.6% in February. Travel costs in the U.S. also declined.
Snowbird Advisor, a one-stop online resource for Canadian snowbirds, has released a guide to help Canadians visiting the U.S. for 30 days or more navigate the new registration requirements that came into effect on April 11, 2025.
Airbnb’s Spring 2025 Travel Trends Report has revealed a whopping 90% year-on-year increase in solo travel searches, with an average of 17 nights booked per solo spring trip. And female wanderers are leading the charge, making up nearly three-quarters (71%) of all solo travellers, according to Virtuoso.
You’d have to be living under a pretty big lotus leaf not to know that the hit HBO series “The White Lotus” is a travel phenomenon, attracting fans en masse to its seasonal settings – Sicily, Hawaii and Thailand. However, according to a new survey not only is the show driving increased consideration for trips to its shooting locations, but the hijinks of its characters are determining the types of experiences fans want to have on vacation.
With staycations increasingly on the agenda for many Canadians this summer, City Cruises Canada says there’s no better time to check out its offerings in Ontario, which feature sightseeing experiences in Niagara, Toronto, and along the St. Lawrence, including dining options and private event tours.
Before Swedish slow TV hit “The Great Moose Migration” began airing Tuesday, Ulla Malmgren stocked up on coffee and prepared meals so she doesn’t miss a moment of the 20-day, 24-hour event. “Sleep? Forget it. I don’t sleep,” she said.
The Canadian Association of University Teachers is warning its members against non-essential travel to the United States due to the “political landscape” created by the Trump administration and reports of some Canadians encountering difficulties while crossing the border.
By Michael Baginski/ With “passion, pride, and a whole heap of island magic,” the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) celebrated in true Jamaican fashion its 70th anniversary at a gala event in Toronto Monday night with 150 partners and “extended family” at a Harbourfront venue.
This week: Virtuoso is headed for Lake Louise; the Croatia National Tourist Board launched a specialist program; and incentives for Quark Expeditions and Serenity resort in Saint Lucia.
Explora Journeys, the luxury lifestyle ocean travel brand of the MSC Group, has unveiled Explora Club, its new guest loyalty program. Structured in five levels – Classic, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond – repeat guests can earn an incremental suite of benefits, ranging from priority access and bespoke events to personalized gifts and exclusive savings designed to enhance their time both on board and ashore.
The Northern Lights, Kenya safaris and the Galapagos Islands are leading dream destinations or attractions that travellers want to experience but haven’t, according to results of the Global Rescue 2025 Traveller Sentiment and Safety Survey. But what about the nightmares?
The U.S. expected 2025 to be a big travel year, but overseas visitors – angered by Trump – are heading elsewhere. The number of international visitors to the United States jumped in 2024, and some forecasts predicted arrivals from abroad this year would reach pre-COVID levels.
New research from Expedia reveals that sports tourism is transforming how people travel and, at the same time, creating massive opportunities for the travel industry. Indeed, the niche now represents 10% of global tourism spending and is projected to reach US$1.3 trillion by 2032; and six in 10 Canadians travel internationally to do so.
The Expo 2025 opened in Osaka, Japan, on Sunday with more than 10,000 people singing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony to celebrate the start of the six-month event that Japan hopes will unite the world divided by tensions and wars. Here is what to know about the Expo 2025 Osaka.
Looking to really, truly get away from it all in these turbulent times? Four space tourists who orbited the north and south poles did just that earlier this month before returning to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific to end their historic, privately funded polar tour.
Antigua and Barbuda launched a “modern” digital arrival and departure system designed to help visitors get from gate to beach faster when arriving in the Caribbean islands. Accessible through ArriveAntigua.com, the new protocols are in effect at V.C. Bird International Airport and will be expanded to seaports arrivals and private jets in the future.
Universal has chosen the homeland of Harry Potter to build its first theme park and resort in Europe, the entertainment company and British officials announced Wednesday. The studio and theme park operator that has drawn millions to its Potter-themed wizarding words and other attractions said it would begin construction next year just beyond the outskirts of London.