Sixty years after the fourth James Bond movie was filmed in The Bahamas, some evidence of “Thunderball” still remains for fans to discover. Sean Connery was so enamoured with Nassau-Paradise Island (NPI) after the shoot that he bought a villa in an exclusive gated community at the western end of New Providence.
With the popularity of river cruising unabated in 2025, Avalon Waterways recently sampled nearly 10,000 of its passengers to compile a deep-dive look at where they are planning to, and want to, go this year, and how they expect to do it.
Canada’s first Hard Rock hotel is ready to roll, opening reservations for June 1. Located within 100 Kellogg Lane, Hard Rock Hotel London, Ontario, is part of Canada’s largest indoor entertainment complex, including The Factory, and sits in the heart the city’s vibrant Old East Village.
Huntington Travel Group has launched a cruise product line and named industry veteran Christabel Sundram as cruise product manager to lead the division. The company says its new product offering expansion marks a significant milestone in its commitment to providing comprehensive travel products.
From food to film, events to star-gazing, and social media to AI, clients’ travel choices continue to be shaped by a wide range of – and sometimes new or nontraditional – influences. A new study by the Trip.com Group asked thousands of its users what’s fuelling their travel ambitions, both now and for the future.
The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) is putting forward an amendment that would allow it to fine airline customers who breach confidentiality regarding complaints they file with the regulator – and passenger rights advocates are not amused.
The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) is trialling a new customized screening line, designed so that airports with limited space can employ advanced technology and equipment while speeding passenger checks. Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB) is the first airport in Canada to trial the new line.
Intrepid Travel has overhauled its agent discount program, offering more savings and greater flexibility to encourage agents to discover the company’s small-group adventures. In what it calls “a commitment to empowering the travel agent community,” the vast majority of Intrepid trips are now 50% off for agents – no matter the trip length or how far in advance the booking is made.
An expansive new resort destination opens today in Orlando. Encompassing 32 hectares on International Drive near Universal Orlando and the convention centre, Villatel Orlando Resort will offer two distinct ways to stay: The Villas and the nation’s first Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy Resort. There will also be a full-scale water park.
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.
WestJet has announced what it is calling “the most significant improvement to WestJet Rewards in the program’s 15-year history” with changes – set to take effect April 30 – designed to make it easier for members to earn, redeem and achieve status.
With an increasing number of Canadians considering holidaying at home this summer due to a depleted dollar and negative sentiment towards the US, Adventure Canada says it is giving Canadian residents the option to receive expedition pricing in Canadian dollars, rather than the industry standard USD.
When Shanghai-based designer Guo Qingshan posted a vacation photo on Valentine’s Day and captioned it “Puppy Mountain,” it became a sensation in China and even created a tourist destination.
A satellite company owned by Elon Musk has the inside track to potentially take over a large federal contract to modernize the US’s air traffic communications system. Equipment from Musk’s Starlink has been installed in Federal Aviation Administration facilities as a prelude to a takeover of a $2 billion contract held by Verizon, according to government employees, contractors and people familiar with the work.
A number of recent airline incidents – including a Delta Air Lines plane flipping completely upside down while landing at Toronto Pearson on Feb. 17 – has put the safety of the global airline industry in the spotlight. But how often do aircraft actually have accidents, whether in the sky, or on the ground?
New research from Contiki has zeroed in on the travel preferences of the Gen Z generation, which, amongst other revelations, suggests that the current age 12 to 27 cohort prefers travel advisors to book their trips.
A small group of foreign tourists has visited North Korea in the past week, making them the first international travellers to enter the country in five years except for a group of Russian tourists who went to the North last year.
Once coveted as a Canadian province (how does that feel now?), Turks and Caicos bears no ill will. Quite the opposite in fact, as Canada rates as the Caribbean islands’ second largest market after this country’s current would-be colonizers, the US.
Britian’s Royal Collection Trust has announced its program of group visits and private tours at the official residences of King Charles III – Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, and Holyroodhouse (Scotland) – for 2025.
The historic, aging ocean liner that a Florida county plans to turn into the world’s largest artificial reef departed from south Philadelphia’s Delaware River waterfront last week, marking the opening segment of its final voyage.
Expert advice, saving time, or something else? New research from Expedia Group provides deep dive insights into the preferences, values, and planning habits of travellers – including why Canadians choose to use a travel agent.
The crash landing of a Delta Air Lines flight in Toronto last week highlighted the potential dangers of flying with a young child sitting on an adult’s lap. The plane flipped over, which would make holding onto a baby extremely difficult. Authorities haven’t said whether the 18-month-old child who was injured in the crash was riding on a parent’s lap, but young children have died in previous crashes.
A Winnipeg firm that owns several northern airlines has announced plans to buy Canadian North, the airline that serves the Arctic. Exchange Income Corp. said it made a deal to buy Bradley Air Services Ltd., which operates as Canadian North, for $205 million from the two Inuit organizations that own the airline.
This week, plenty of news from Travel Masters, Transat Distribution, Ensemble, Virtuoso, Exotic Journeys, Collette, Embratur, and Air Canada Vacations.
Air Canada Vacations is expanding its South America program with new guided tours to Chile that will complement extended multi-country options in South America that include destinations like Peru and Colombia, as well as existing ePackages (Flight & Hotel) and Flight & Cruise vacation offerings.
A new Ritz-Carlton has debuted in Bangkok. Part of the Luxury Group portfolio by Marriott International, the hotel is set in a 216-m. high tower at One Bangkok business and lifestyle destination in the heart of Bangkok with a mandate to “blend Thai tradition seamlessly with global influence” while reflecting the dynamism of the Thai capital.
On an average day, approximately 47% of Air Canada’s flights and 46% of its customers pass through Toronto Pearson – the airline’s global hub. Because many of its aircraft and customers connect through Toronto at some point in the day, the airline says a disruption at Pearson can impact flights elsewhere in the system, creating a domino effect that can also affect flights not immediately travelling to or from Toronto.
2025 is shaking up travel amid persistent financial pressures, geopolitical uncertainty and rising over-tourism and climate change concerns, says a new study by Blue Cross. But Canadian travellers are adapting their habits to consider such external factors, while a new generation of adventure lovers is driving change towards a more conscious future of travel, the report adds.
As the snow was piling up at home, even in the torrential rain California was a more desirable place to be than Canada. Such was the case earlier this month as Visit California and some 35 destination partners hosted a couple of dozen members of the Canadian trade for a reverse mission in San Diego, followed by post conference FAMs throughout the state.
Amid declining safety ratings for Canada, the country’s air traffic controllers and airline pilots are calling on governments to take decisive action to prioritize and strengthen – not roll back – critical safety protections for air travel in this country.