Organizers of the annual Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival in Vancouver say the event will be cancelled next year to make way for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after the city declined to provide permits for the festival.
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.
In move certain to annoy most members, Aeroplan is changing the way it allocates points. Starting Jan. 1, members will earn their loyalty points on eligible Air Canada flights based on dollars spent rather than the distance they travel. The company says the changes are designed to better recognize Aeroplan members who “spend more and travel more” with Air Canada and who actively engage across the program “while keeping Aeroplan Elite status truly special.”
Air Transat will offer non-stop service to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this winter from both Toronto and Montreal. The flights are part of a fortified 2025-26 winter program that includes a total of 14 new routes.
A disruption to a system housing United Airlines’ flight information that caused more than 1,000 delays has been resolved, but delays continued into Thursday as the carrier worked to restore normal operations.
Two Washington, D.C.-area statues commemorating the Confederacy will be restored and replaced, in line with President Donald Trump’s pushback on recent efforts to reframe America’s historical narrative.
Canadians renewing or applying for Nexus travel cards can no longer choose an X gender marker, following an executive order from U.S. President Donald Trump that said the American government will only recognize male or female.
In the shadow of ongoing cross-border travel woes and surging domestic tourism, Ontario’s tourism industry is stepping forward with what it says is a bold, sector-led plan to drive sustainable growth, attract investment, and unlock the full economic potential of the visitor economy and stakeholders – and stakeholders and those with vested interest are invited to “be part of the next chapter in Ontario’s tourism journey” via Zoom at the launch on Monday (Aug. 11, 10 a.m-12 pm. EST).
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.
With the reveal of Finnie – a Glaswegian unicorn – the countdown to the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games in Scotland has started. Appearing at the top of the city’s famous Finnieston Crane, which is also her namesake, the “hooved-hypemaster” mascot could be seen alongside a special banner on top of the Clydeside landmark to announce her arrival and symbolically mark 365 days to go until the Games.
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.
Forbes Travel Guide – the only independent, global rating system for luxury hotels, restaurants, spas, ocean cruises and ocean cruise restaurants – has announced it will begin rating river cruises, a cruise industry first. The inaugural river cruise ratings will be released in 2027, when the respected publisher unveils its annual Star Ratings in more than 100 countries.
David Sun-Miyashiro was at home on the 31st floor of a Honolulu apartment building last week, when his phone alerted him to a possible tsunami from a massive earthquake far across the Pacific Ocean. High above the danger and with plenty of time to spare before any surging waters might possibly reach Hawaii.
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.
Air Canada is expanding its multi-modal Landline service to Kingston, enabling customers at Kingston Norman Rogers Airport (YGK) to seamlessly connect with Toronto Pearson. The service adds a third Air Canada Landline service in southern Ontario, following successful launches in Hamilton and Waterloo.
Authorities in Scotland cancelled trains, closed parks and warned people to tie down backyard trampolines as an unusually strong summer storm toppled trees, felled power lines and disrupted travel across northern Britain. The wind and heavy rain hit at the busiest time of year for tourism, with hundreds of thousands of people flocking to the Edinburgh Fringe and other arts festivals.
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.
Bright colourful rides, skill-testing games with a stuffed animal prize, and copious amounts of sticky cotton candy are all hallmarks of the travelling carnival circuit and are deeply rooted in the imagination of Quebecers – and visitors – who’ve been able to experience them.
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.
Porter Airlines continues expanding its network at Hamilton International Airport (YHM) with new routes to Orlando International Airport (MCO) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) beginning in December. Flights to Orlando begin Dec. 12, and Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 13, both with three weekly roundtrips.
Hotel restaurants are experiencing a revival among diners, evolving from convenient and comfortable options to refined dining destinations, as 61% of Canadians believe hotels have gotten better restaurant offerings in recent years.
In news that’s sure to make every Swiftie’s wildest dreams come true, Madame Tussauds has unveiled its biggest figure launch to date, creating 13 brand new Taylor Swift wax figures. The figures will appear in 13 cities across four continents with the simultaneous multi-figure launch marking the most ambitious in Madame Tussauds’ 250-year history.
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.
With passenger revenues from the airline’s U.S. transborder segment dropping 11% during the second quarter, Air Canada says it made the right call to shift capacity toward high-demand international markets as Canadians’ appetite for cross-border travel lagged.
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.