To promote its new tourism branding initiative “TAIWAN – Waves of Wonder,” a Taiwan Tourism Administration roadshow literally rolled through Toronto last week with TTA execs and partners for a gala trade event that included unveiling the linchpin of the campaign – a branded streetcar that will cross the city hourly for the next six weeks promoting the destination.
While Greenland is experiencing a surge in global interest – no doubt due to the prominent takeover ambitions of Donald Trump – the real transformation of the northern destination is happening through tourism, claims Intrepid Travel, which says it has seen enquiries about the autonomous territory of Denmark jump 94% in recent weeks.
Mark the calendar, Vancouver will welcome a Le Germain Hotel to the heart of city in 2029.
Few are as intimate with the names of hurricanes than those in the travel industry – except, of course, those afflicted by them. Nevertheless, both groups will no doubt be pleased to know that the names Beryl, Helene, and Milton – all of them particularly nasty storms – are being retired and won’t be used again.
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/ Virgin Atlantic celebrated its arrival in Toronto on Thursday with its founder Sir Richard Branson at Toronto Pearson International Airport. The route marks Virgin Atlantic’s return to Canada after more than a decade, linking Toronto and London. It is also the third attempt by the British carrier to fly the lucrative YYZ-LHR route.
In the northwest corner of Washington state lies a quirky US exclave so dependent on Canada’s goodwill – and vacation home residents – that the strain of President Donald Trump’s tariff war is inescapable, including in the sole grocery store, at any of the three eateries, and for the many residents who never voted for him.
Nestled among tulip fields not far from Amsterdam, the world-famous Keukenhof garden has opened for the spring, welcoming camera-wielding visitors to its increasingly selfie-friendly grounds. On a sunny day, the paths, park benches and cafés are crowded with tourists taking photos and selfies with one of the Netherlands’ most iconic products – the tulip.
Anger over the Trump administration’s tariffs and rhetoric will likely cause international travel to the U.S. to fall even further than expected this year, an influential travel forecasting company says. Tourism Economics said this week it expects the number of people arriving in the U.S. from abroad to decline by 9.4% this year. That’s almost twice the 5% drop the company forecast at the end of February.
After gathering data and insights from its network of travel advisors, preferred partners and high-net-worth clientele, Virtuoso says it has its finger on the pulse of what’s cool and emerging in travel for the remainder of the year. From the “White Lotus Effect,” to travelling with the pooch, and summer’s hottest destinations, here are some key insights shaping the industry.
Service to Air Canada’s newest destination in Asia – Manila – took flight Wednesday from Vancouver, marking the start of three times weekly year-round service (increasing to four times weekly on May 1) linking Canada and the Philippines.
Tyra the Tyrannosaurus, the lovable landmark that towers over the Drumheller skyline in the heart of the Canadian Badlands, is facing an extinction-level event. The 25-metre-high attraction – billed as the World’s Largest Dinosaur, and the backdrop to hundreds of thousands of tourist photos over a quarter of a century – is set to become history by 2029.
Universal Orlando Resort has shared an official first look inside Universal Epic Universe – the destination’s fourth theme park, which will celebrate its grand opening on May 22, 2025. The attraction will feature five distinct worlds: Celestial Park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, and Dark Universe, each designed to spark guest’s “wildest imaginations.”
When travelling the world, oftentimes the most authentic experiences are found through food. Aruba is a beautiful melting pot of over 100 nationalities whose culinary scene reflects its rich cultural diversity, making it one of the most dynamic in the Caribbean.
On a day that Air Canada celebrated the resumption of flights between Ottawa and London Heathrow, the carrier confirmed that its cross-border flight bookings for the next six months have decreased about 10% – though considerably less than some industry suggestions that traffic has dropped by up to 70 percent.
A volcano began erupting again in southwestern Iceland again, just hours after authorities evacuated a nearby community and a geothermal spa, one of Iceland’s biggest tourist attractions. Flames and smoke shot through the air as the volcanic fissure opened near the town of Grindavik.
Canada is forecast to be Asia-Pacific’s sixth largest source market in the next three years, according to the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), which is forecasting a strong travel rebound and growth in the region through 2027.
This week: Transat Distribution Canada, Nexion, Expedia TAAP, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, Virtuoso-Allianz, and Zebrano Travel.
No, Air Transat hasn’t changed the name of the Atlantic Ocean to the Canadien Ocean. But with a nod and a wink to the potus across the border, the company said it was unilaterally changing the name and announced as much in onboard announcements across its network yesterday – April 1.
Iberostar Hotels & Resorts Cuba is in the Sunwing spotlight in April as the tour company’s partner of the month. Travel advisors booking their clients by April 30 (for travel by Oct. 31) will be able to take advantage of special limited-time offerings, as well as earning up to up to 3X STAR Points themselves.
Claiming “Our goal is to fly where our customers want to travel,” Porter Airlines is adding more Canada to its summer schedule. The carrier says domestic flying will comprise 80% of its total network capacity, up from 75% in its original seasonal plan.
Université de Montréal has issued a series of guidelines to students and staff who will be travelling to the United States for academic purposes amid what it described as growing anxiety among members of the community.
Air Canada is adding a new route and boosting frequencies to popular Europe destinations for the summer, highlighted by new service from Montreal to Edinburgh, Scotland. The carrier is also adding close to 1,300 weekly seats to Paris and Athens, and is also extending its peak Toronto to Rome schedule until October.
With 75% of Ontario consumers who are aware of the protection available to them more likely to book at a TICO-registered businesses compared to only 43% who don’t, the province’s regulatory body has added new resources to its Registrants Toolkit, which is designed to enable travel professionals to highlight the benefits of booking with a TICO-registered business to current and prospective clients.
In a digital age where screens compete for our attention, finding time to truly disconnect and immerse in the present moment is more important than ever. And with white-sand beaches, turquoise waters, and slower-paced island life, there is no better place to do so than Nassau & Paradise Island, says the Bahamian destination’s promotion board.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the State Department will re-evaluate its travel warnings for Jamaica and other countries to ensure they reflect real conditions on the ground. As part of a tour of the Caribbean last week, Rubio heard complaints from Jamaican officials about the warning for their country, which is heavily dependent on tourism.
Tourism operators in Ontario’s hot spots have been bracing for the fallout of U.S.-Canada tensions but instead are seeing an uptick in demand that some attribute to Canadian staycationers. Still, experts say a booming summer travel season is not a guarantee across the province amid ongoing economic uncertainty.
Intrepid Travel has launched an emergency appeal to help victims of Friday’s devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar, which caused widespread damage across the country and parts of Thailand. All funds raised will go directly towards providing medical support and aid to communities through Intrepid’s trusted local NGO partner in Myanmar. The Intrepid Foundation will match all donations up to AUD$100,000.
A mixed reaction from Canadians has greeted the launch of WestJet’s on-board Wi-Fi service powered by Starlink – the satellite internet technology made by Elon Musk’s rocket company, SpaceX. Activated in March, the service now offers free Wi-Fi on 16 of the carrier’s nearly 140 planes, with the airline expecting to complete hardware installations on its narrow-body fleet by the end of this year and on its wide-body aircraft before 2027.
A new Corporate Traveller (CT) survey conducted by YouGov reveals that while 75% of small and mid-market enterprises (SMEs) are adopting artificial tools for travel management, only one in six fully trust it. But while the trust gap poses a challenge for corporate travel managers, CT warns that with AI adoption accelerating, early adopters could gain a competitive edge – while skeptics risk falling behind.