Carnival Cruise Line has announced an announced an enriched Learn & Earn training platform as part of its Loyalty Rocks! program for travel advisors. Travel advisors will now have new curriculum options, as well as access to more than 50 video-based courses designed to sharpen expertise on a variety of Carnival topics, including ship overviews, industry trends, and tools like social media training.
The United States has fined German airline Lufthansa $4 million for its treatment of a group of Jewish passengers who were denied boarding a 2022 flight in Frankfurt after they had flown to Germany from New York.
An annual event involving dirt, beer and cash once again drew dozens of eager competitors to a ski resort in Maine last weekend. More than 30 couples competed in the North American Wife Carrying Championship, a 254-metre race during which contestants splash through water, leap over logs and trudge through mud – all while
With an increasing number of newbies joining the ranks of travel advisors in Canada, it’s critical that the wisdom and experience of veteran agents be passed on to ensure their success and the continued success of the industry, says ACTA. With this in mind, at its recent Summit event in Toronto the association enlisted a panel of prominent travel sellers and career coaches to share some “actionable insights and proven strategies to help make their journeys a success.”
From to ‘F–k-it Lists’ to ‘Silver Bullet Wellness’ and ‘Raceteering,’ Virtuoso has revealed the latest surprising luxury trends based on a survey of its high-net-worth/ultra-high-net-worth clientele. Conducted in partnership with travel trend forecasting agency, Globetreder and referencing data from its 2024 Brand & Travel Tracker Survey, the network’s ‘Luxury Travel Trend Watch: 2025’ identifies seven trends that it says will shape the luxury travel landscape in the new year and beyond.
To encourage Taylor Swift fans and visitors to explore deeper throughout the city during the entertainer’s upcoming series of concerts in the city in November, Destination Toronto has created a website ‘Taylor Swift in Toronto’ web site designed to help fans make the most of their time in town – and leverage its moment in the singer’s spotlight.
The Grand Egyptian Museum will partially open its main galleries today (Wednesday) including 12 halls that exhibit aspects of ancient Egypt, as part of a trial run. The museum, a mega-project near the famed Giza Pyramids in Cairo, which has cost well over $1 billion so far, will open the halls for 4,000 visitors as a trial run until the official opening date, which is yet to be announced.
Entry and arrival in St. Maarten is now easier for visitors with the launch of a new a new Digital Embarkation/ Disembarkation (ED) Form and the opening this week of a new arrivals hall at Princess Juliana International Airport.
Small-ship cruise line Azamara has launched a revamped global reservation system aimed at enhancing the booking experience for travel advisors. Dubbed RezA, the new system is part of Azamara’s broader commitment to improving relationships with its travel partners through its “Listening, Learning, and Linking” initiative.
When Julie Riddell and her husband, Gerry, bought their Fort Myers, Fla., vacation property in 2009, it didn’t cross their mind that they might be buying in a hurricane-prone area. “But for at least eight years, we’ve been seeing a lot more action and more frequency (of storms),” the Toronto resident said.
The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reports it intercepted 5,028 firearms at airport security checkpoints during the first nine months of 2024. The total represents an average of 18.3 firearms detected per day at TSA checkpoints, more than 93% of which were loaded.
The meetings and events industry is projected to flourish in 2025, with meeting professionals expressing confidence in its future and noting planned increases in meetings budgets, according to Amex GBT Meetings & Events in newly released 14th Annual ‘Global Meetings and Events Forecast.’
Barbuda has a brand-new international airport, signalling the start of a new chapter for the island’s connectivity, tourism, and economic growth by offering direct connections to global destinations without a stop in neighbouring Antigua first.
With more than 50 percent of its global travellers opting to join a small group adventure on their own, G Adventures says it is taking its solo offering to the next level with the launch of ‘Solo-ish Adventures,’ the tour company’s first travel style created exclusively for solo travellers.
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.
Air Canada pilots have given a green light to a tentative agreement with the airline, easing any fears of a future strike. The Air Line Pilots Association says its 5,200 members voted 67 percent in favour of the contract, which provides a cumulative wage hike of nearly 42% over four years and goes into effect immediately.
A Canadian meteorologist with The Weather Network says it’s possible more extreme weather could come in the wake of Hurricane Milton’s devastation, and Canadians still in Florida should “take these storms seriously.”
Hong Kong has welcomed a new pair of giant pandas gifted by Beijing – the third pair of giant pandas to be sent to the city from mainland China since the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Tourism industry representatives are optimistic about the potential impact of housing six pandas, hoping it will boost visitor numbers in Hong Kong.
The setting sun backlights a pristine panoply of pines of different sizes and species. Far northern Canadian countryside rolls by at a leisurely pace of a train ride, viewed through an upper deck glass-enclosed of a special observation car. Waves of green and brown in slightly varying shades sweep by.
Explosively intensifying Hurricane Milton is the latest freaky system to come out of what veteran hurricane scientists call the weirdest storm season of their lives. Before this Atlantic hurricane season started, forecasters said everything lined up to be a monster busy year, and it began that way when Beryl was the earliest storm to reach Category 5 on record. Then, nothing.
A Turkish Airlines jetliner headed from Seattle to Istanbul made an emergency landing in New York on Wednesday after the pilot died on board. Pilot İlçehin Pehlivan, 59, lost consciousness at some point after Flight TK204 took off from Seattle Tuesday night, Turkish Airlines spokesperson Yahya Üstün said in a statement.
In contrast to returning to near pre-pandemic levels of activity in the industry, global emissions from Travel & Tourism dropped in 2023, marking an “important achievement” with the sector’s economic contribution growing faster than its environmental impact, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council.
Qantas Airways has drawn up a stir after broadcasting a slightly racy movie across an entire flight. And the Australian carrier now is apologizing to customers.
Toronto-based Kensington has announced the rebranding of its core businesses. As part of the transformation, Kensington will be the main brand offering several sub-brands featuring a portfolio of luxury experiences: Kensington Tours, Kensington Villas, Kensington Cruise, Kensington Air, and Kensington Private Jet, with plans to explore additional categories in luxury travel.
Grand Palladium Hotels & Resorts is known for its luxury accommodations, pristine resort grounds and on-site entertainment and activities that provide every member of the family unforgettable vacation experiences, says Sunwing Vacations.
Toronto Pearson airport ranks a lowly 19th out of 20 in the newly released 2024 J.D. Power North America Airport Satisfaction Study, scoring a lowly 559 on a 1,000-point scale, and below the 595-point media. Pearson was listed in the study’s “mega” airport category, defined as facilities with 33 million or more passengers per year.
Orlando’s tourism machine began grinding to a halt Tuesday with at least three major theme parks and the main airport announcing closures ahead of Hurricane Milton ’s expected hit as a major storm in Florida.
With the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games firmly in the rearview mirror, Britain’s West Midlands region is still building on the legacy of the Games with new tourism product and itineraries, not least when it comes to leisure tourism, which has typically lagged behind business tourism in the region.
The Anguilla Tourist Board (ATB) returned to the Canadian market last week, meeting with travel trade industry representatives and media. Stacey Liburd, Anguilla’s Director of Tourism, and Kohn Richardson, Co-ordinator of International Markets, visited Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec City where shared record-breaking arrival numbers, led by visitors from the island’s top markets, Canada and the US.
The Taiwan Tourism Administration (MOTC) celebrated the grand opening of the Taiwan Tourism Information Centre in Vancouver last week, reflecting a significant step in promoting Taiwan to the Canadian market and liaising with the travel trade.