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THE WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL PASSPORTS: And where Canada ranks

Canadian passport holders can enter 187 of the world’s 227 destinations visa-free, placing this country in 7th place on the respected Henley Passport Index, which rates the world’s most powerful passports based on visa-free accessibility. Canada’s ranking edged ahead by one over 2023, when it ranked 8th on the list.

WESTJET TO OFFER FREE INTERNET

WestJet and TELUS have unveiled the first step in a multi-year strategic partnership that will be a “significant leap forward for the airline’s inflight connectivity.” At the heart of the deal is fast, free internet for WestJet Rewards onboard flights, beginning before the end of the year.

CARNIVAL THINKS BIG: Orders new 8,000-passenger ships and ‘doubles down’ on growth

With a capacity that would hold the entire current population of Goderich, Ont. – nearly 8,000 people – Carnival Cruise Line’s new ships will be the biggest in the world when they entire service in the summers of 2029, 2031 and 2033, respectively. The ships will be a new class of vessel and feature over 3,000 staterooms each.

ARAJET TO ADD PUNTA CANA OPTION FROM YYZ, YUL

Caribbean low-price airline Arajet is now selling routes connecting from Toronto and Montreal to Punta Cana, offering Canadian travellers a second destination and hub in the Dominican beyond the carrier’s Santo Domingo base. Service will begin Oct. 27 and onward connections to other destinations in the Caribbean and South and Central America will also be available.

OLYMPICS SPUR WAVE OF ENTHUSIASM FOR TAHITI

Canadian interest in The Islands of Tahiti and overall tourism to the destination from Canada has been surging in 2024, with visitations already up 6.3% YTD versus last year. And Tahiti Tourisme is expecting a further wave of enthusiasm as host of the Summer Olympics’ surfing competition.

QUARK EXPEDITIONS OFFERS ARCTIC ‘FAM OF A LIFETIME’

Polar adventures outfitter Quark Expeditions is offering travel advisors the chance to win an Arctic FAM of a lifetime. The ‘Ultimate Summer in The Arctic Sweepstakes’ will reward 10 agents, selected at random, with a spot on its a 13-day “Ultimate Arctic Voyage from Svalbard to Jan Mayen to Iceland,” hosted by one of the company’s Business Development Managers, in July 2025.

DID IT WORK? Venice tallies tourist tax

Venice officials say that the city’s new day-tripper tax netted 2.4 million euros ($3.6 million) during a test phase this summer, during which the 5-euro ($7.50) tax was paid 485,062 times over the 29 test days, mostly weekends and holidays, from April 25 to July 14. The final numbers included paper access tickets sold to bus tours, cruise ships and some tour operators, accounting for about 1,000 entrances on each of the test days.

THE TROUBLE WITH CHOICE: Travelport report says too much leaves travellers feeling overwhelmed

“Choice is a tax on time and attention,” says NYC professor of marketing and author Scott Galloway, who adds, “Consumers don’t want more choice, but more confidence in the choices presented.” It’s a sentiment embodied in Travelport’s just-released 2024 State of Modern Retailing Report, which concludes that a majority of travellers feel overwhelmed by too many choices when it comes to trip planning. And that presents an opportunity for travel agencies, it adds.

JASPER IN FLAMES – 25,00O FORCED TO FLEE

Multiple wildfires in the Canadian Rockies’ largest national park sent up to 25,000 visitors and residents fleeing west over the last open mountain road Tuesday, navigating through darkness and soot following a government alert during the area’s busiest tourist time of the year.

U.S. REVERSES RABIES DECISION AT BORDER

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control will not require onerous forms for dog owners crossing the border from Canada this summer. The agency had announced new rules in May that were aimed at keeping rabies out of the country. 

AGENT INCENTIVE: Going for the gold with AmaWaterways

Taking a page from the Olympics, AmaWaterways has launched its ‘Cruise for Gold’ travel advisor incentives, offering Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals to the three North American travel advisors who book the most river cruises to France with the company during the course of the Summer and Paralympic Games in Paris – July 26 to Sept. 8.

WALES, JUST FOR KICKS: Wrexham FC shines spotlight in Canada

Wales is in the spotlight this week in Canada as Wrexham FC arrives to play the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday (July 27). The team, co-owned by Vancouver-born actor Ryan Reynolds, and featured in the documentary series ‘Welcome to Wrexham,’ has become a global phenomenon as the team channels its Hollywood ownership with success on the field, rising from non-league football/soccer to Britain’s League One in just a couple of years.

CHAOS IN KENYA: Turmoil targets airport as a protesters clash

Anti-government protesters in Kenya’s capital clashed with an emerging pro-government group on Tuesday, escalating weeks of turmoil in East Africa’s economic hub that have led to dozens of deaths, the firing of most Cabinet members, and calls for President William Ruto’s resignation. The military made a rare deployment as the protests focused on the country’s main airport.

FLYING LOW: Southwest cuts it too close for comfort

US federal officials are investigating an incident in which a Southwest Airlines jet flew as low as 45 metres (150 feet) over water while it was still about 8 kilometers from its intended landing spot at the airport in Tampa, Florida. The pilots skipped over the Tampa airport and landed instead at Fort Lauderdale, 320 km away.

DELTA BLUES: Airline in meltdown after global tech outage

As other carriers returned to normal operations after Friday’s worldwide technology outage, Delta Air Lines said it was still struggling on Monday – suffering through a fourth straight day of cancellations and disruptions that have stranded tens of thousands of passengers.

INTREPID SUPPORTS GALAPAGOS FEE HIKE

On Aug. 1, tourists to the Galapagos Islands will be asked to pay twice as much in entry fees ($200) amid concerns that a rise in visitor numbers is putting pressure on the ecologically sensitive destination. But more than a cash grab, the move is an important reaction to a “deepening issue,” according to Intrepid Travel. 

ROLLING OUT ON A MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR

“Liverpool is the place that changed the face of music forever,” declared tour guide Jay as we rolled out on The Beatles-inspired Magical Mystery Tour to discover where the world’s most famous rock band first found fame. Boarding the technicolour tour bus at the city’s Albert Dock, a drumbeat signified the start of the two-hour tour and instantly put everyone into a Fab Four frame of mind.

AIR CANADA LOWERS 2024 FORECAST

Air Canada is lowering its 2024 forecast as it grapples with tough competition in international markets and its planes aren’t as full as it anticipated during the second half of the year. The airline says it now expects its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization for the year to be within $3.1 billion to $3.4 billion, down from its previous outlook of $3.7 billion to $4.2 billion.

CARIBBEAN BOOSTS DISASTER PREPAREDNESS, VISITOR SAFETY

Tourism partners in the Caribbean have come together to promote crisis protocols in the event of hurricanes, pandemics, or other natural disasters, with the aim of improving the safety and health of visitors, residents, and stakeholders.

BEYOND THE POLITICS: 10 things to do in D.C. this summer

Sure, Washington DC is the capital of the US, and its politics permeate every aspect of most people’s lives – even Canadians – but there’s so much more to the city that gives it its own unique charm that Canadian travellers may not be aware of. Here are 10 unique things that visitors can see and do in the District of Columbia that focus on the city’s vibrant blend of art, culture, food, and urban parks – all beyond the political façade.

WHAT’S NEXT AFTER FREAKY FRIDAY: Global glitch grounds flights, full recovery could take days

Travel and transport industries continued to get systems back online on the weekend after a widespread technology outage on Friday that threatened to cause travel delays for days, according to experts. Airlines were hardest hit by the global security outage, with thousands of flights cancelled on Friday, and many more passengers delayed or stranded into the weekend.

MIA EVACUATED AFTER STABBING

A man stabbed a woman at Miami International Airport Saturday night, setting off fears that an active shooter was in the terminal, and hundreds of other travellers were evacuated as a precaution, authorities said.

GERMANY GETS TOUGH WITH AIRPORT PROTESTORS

Germany’s Cabinet has approved legislation that would impose tougher penalties on people who break through airport perimeters, a response to incidents such as disruptive protests by climate activists. The move follows airport protests in recent years by that caused disruption to flights.

BATTLE OF THE GODS: Unusual statue making waves in Mexico

In a blow to selfie-inspired tourism, authorities in Mexico have slapped a “closure” order on a 3-metre aquatic statue of the Greek god of the sea Poseidon that was erected in May in the Gulf of Mexico just off the town of Progreso, Yucatan. In the few months it has been up, tourists have gathered to take pictures of themselves with it as a striking background.

RIU ARRIVES IN CHICAGO: Anticipated hotel expands brand’s urban roster

RIU Hotels and Resort has opened its much-anticipated hotel in the Windy City, the Riu Plaza Chicago. The newly built four-star 390-room establishment is strategically located in the heart of Magnificent Mile shopping district, and from September will also offer guests and visitors panoramic views of the city from the 27th floor of the building in the hotel’s bar, The Rooftop.

FANATICAL ABOUT PHILLY: New homeport highlights NCL 2026 SEASON

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has announced its 2026 spring/summer itineraries to the Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, Alaska, and Canada and New England, as well as a new season of voyages from the Port of Philadelphia (PhilaPort) for the first time in many years.

ROUND-UP: July 15-19, 2024

In this week’s round-up, there are ruff times ahead for Canadian dog owners travelling to the US; one of the world’s oldest family-owned travel companies is being sold; StatsCan confirmed that airfares are still going up; Sabre welcomed Air Canada full NDC content to its roster; ACV revealed its fall product launch dates; and a famous Las Vegas hotel-casino closed its doors for the final time.

CRUISE CONUNDRUM AS PROTESTS GROW

Cruise lines may be forced to start avoiding popular ports in Europe in the face of NIMBY-ism and growing protests by citizens opposed to overtourism – some of which have targeted cruise visitors, such as sightseers being sprayed by squirt guns in Barcelona – says CLIA.

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