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THE WORLD ACCORDING TO ACTA: Lively Summit series kicks off in Toronto

The Association of Canadian Travel Agencies and Travel Advisors (ACTA) kicked off its fall Summit series with a full day session in Toronto Thursday, with more than 700 attendees on hand to get the latest industry trends and association news, engage in professional development, connect with peers and industry executives, and meet key suppliers at an extensive trade show, which included the largest delegation ever from Brand USA.

WHICH U.S. AIRLINE MISHANDLES THE MOST LUGGAGE?

Everyone’s worst travel nightmare is arriving at destination only to find their baggage didn’t travel with them. In the US alone, over 7 million pieces of luggage were reported as mishandled from 2021 to 2024, with American Airlines being the company with the most luggage mishandled.  

CANADA’S 30 BEST NEW RESTAURANTS

Air Canada has revealed the 30 nominees for Air Canada’s Best New Restaurants 2024 rankings, which has been celebrating the country’s distinct culinary scene since 2022. The Top 10 restaurant finalists will be announced on Nov. 4, 2024

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Business travel recovery gaining momentum

Global companies plan spend more in the coming year on business travel than in recent years, according to Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG)’ first-ever ‘State of the Market’ report, which reveals insights from a global survey designed to uncover the latest insights and trends driving the behaviours and preferences of today’s business traveller and shaping the future of the industry.

WERE THE OLYMPICS A SUCCESS FOR FRENCH TOURISM?: It depends on who you ask

A surge of tourists for the Paris Olympics (including Paralympics) this summer has put France on the path to achieving record tourist numbers in 2024. According to government data released last week, some 1.7 million international visitors came during the Olympic period, up 13% compared with the previous year, and another 1.4 million French tourists visited the capital, up 26%. In addition, the Olympics drew millions more visitors who travelled to Paris for the day.

VIENNA VIEW: Austrian city a ‘powerhouse’ of arts and culture

Vienna, home of Johann Strauss, whose 200th birthday is being celebrated in 2025, serenaded the Canadian trade with news from the Austrian capital on Tuesday in Toronto. Accompanied by a classical music duo, and colourful montage artist, the city tourist board’s market manager for Canada Elke Bachner said Canadian visits to the city are surging, not least due to ample lift from Air Canada’s courtesy of its year-round direct flights from Toronto and Montreal.

CHEERS TO 30 YEARS: Maureen Barnes-Smith marks milestone with Sandals

Maureen Barnes-Smith, the face of Sandals/Beaches resorts in Canada, is marking a career milestone – 30 years with the company’s affiliate Unique Vacations Canada Inc. Now VP Sales & Marketing, Canada, the affable Smith joined the UVC team in September 1994 as the first office manager in the Canadian office.

A RIU ‘REVOLUTION’ IN PUNTA CANA

RIU Hotels & Resorts has announced the reopening of the Riu Palace Bavaro, in Punta Cana, after what it says is nothing less than a “watershed refurbishment” in terms of what the chain offers in the destination and around the world.

WORKERS PROTEST GROUNDS PLANES IN KENYA

Hundreds of workers at Kenya’s main international airport in Nairobi demonstrated on Wednesday against a planned deal between the government and a foreign investor. Planes have remained grounded, with hundreds of passengers stranded at the airport.

‘WE JUST HIT SOMETHING ON THE RUNWAY’:  Two Delta planes collide in Atlanta

Two Delta Air Lines planes collided on a taxiway at Atlanta’s airport Tuesday morning, with a larger plane knocking over the tail of a smaller regional jet. The airline said the wing of a Delta Airbus A350 jet that was bound for Tokyo hit the tail of a smaller Bombardier CRJ-900 that was on an adjacent taxiway. The smaller plane, operated by Delta subsidiary Endeavor Air, was preparing to take off for Lafayette, Louisiana.

IN THE EYE OF THE STORM: Louisiana braces for Francine

Louisiana is bracing for Francine today (Wednesday), a storm that was expected to achieve hurricane status overnight before barreling into a coastline that has yet to fully recover since hurricanes Laura and Delta decimated Lake Charles in 2020, followed a year later by Hurricane Ida.

GREECE TO IMPLEMENT CRUISE PAX FEE

Cruise passengers arriving in Santorini and Mykonos will soon be expected pay a little more for the privilege of visiting the popular Greek islands with the introduction of new fee likely to be implemented by next summer. The Greek government announced the €20 (approximately $30) levy as a means to help manage the strain on the destinations due to a surge in visitors.

EARN A TRIP TO ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA: Inaugural event celebrates top Canadian producers

The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority is set to honour its top producing travel professionals – including 25 Canadians – at a gala event on island in December. The inaugural Antigua and Barbuda Black Pineapple Awards will celebrate “the outstanding achievements of hard-working travel agents from around the world,” culminating in a gala black-tie dinner and awards ceremony. 

SAVE WITH EXPEDIA TAAP AUTUMN SALE

Expedia’s TAAP Autumn Sale is back, offering travel agents the opportunity to secure at least 25% off thousands of hotels worldwide. This deal is now available for bookings made through Oct. 13, for travel until March 31, 2025. 

REEFER MADNESS: Major Florida tourism project hits a snag

A Florida county is in talks to acquire a storied but aging ocean liner in a proposed deal that could create the largest artificial reef in the world. But the plan has hit a snag, after local officials in coastal Okaloosa County in the Florida panhandle postponed a vote on the plan to buy and purposefully sink the SS United States.

IMPACT AND OPTIONS – BREAKING DOWN AIR CANADA’S ‘MANAGED SHUTDOWN’ 

While many experts consider it requisite posturing during a labour negotiation – and an outcome too dire to ultimately be allowed to happen – Air Canada says it is working on contingency plans that would see it suspend most of its operations in the event that an agreement with its pilots union is not reached by Sunday (Sept. 15) when a 72-hour strike or lock-out notice could be triggered.

TAKE A FLYING LEAP: Pilots union fires back at Air Canada

The union representing Air Canada pilots says the company’s “corporate greed” is what’s holding up successful contract negotiations between the two sides, with the Air Line Pilots Association claiming Monday that Air Canada “continues to post record profits while expecting pilots to accept below-market compensation.”

THE GROWING TREND OF ‘GENERATION-CATIONS’

Like everything else, the traditional family holiday is changing, not least due to the pandemic, and Beaches Resorts polled more than 1,000 North American families with respondents ages 25-45, to find out how.

TRAVEL LEADERS NETWORK ANNOUNCES ‘PEAK’ DATES

Travel Leaders Network has announced the dates of its fall regional dates, featuring three events across the country. Registration is now open for member advisors in Vancouver (Oct. 8), Calgary (Oct. 10), and Toronto (Oct. 17).

CARIBBEAN TRAVEL MARKET: Antigua-Barbuda primed for annual CHTA spotlight

The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) has selected Antigua and Barbuda as the host destination for its next Caribbean Travel Marketplace (CTM). Scheduled for May 18-22, 2025, the 43rd annual event is the region’s signature travel trade event, attracting major global buyers, regional suppliers and media. This year’s event was hosted by Jamaica.

PLANNING IS HALF THE FUN: And agents play an integral part

New data shows that travel experts double the pre-trip excitement for Canadians, long before takeoff. The new study from Flight Centre Canada (based on data collected by YouGov) reveals that 25% of Canadians feel that their holiday starts during the planning and booking stage, with those who use travel agents being almost twice as likely to experience this early surge of excitement compared to their DIY counterparts.

‘SLOTH FEVER’ ON THE RISE, FEDS WARN

Canada has updated its health advisory on Oropouche virus disease (OVD) – otherwise known as “sloth fever” – amidst an increase of outbreaks in the Americas, including Brazil, Bolivia, and Cuba. The update further warns that outbreaks have been spreading to regions where the midge and mosquito-borne disease hasn’t been seen before.

TRAVELBRANDS CHARITY GOLF CLASSIC SURPASSES GOAL

More than a hundred golfers turned out last Thursday to help TravelBrands raise funds for The Hospital for Sick Children at the company’s 9th Annual Charity Golf Classic, held just north of Toronto. The picture-perfect day at Eagles Nest Golf Club was eclipsed only by the $308,000 raised at the event – funds earmarked for the SickKids Foundation to help fuel vital research, clinical care, and new initiatives at the hospital.

CRUISE PAX HAVE UNEXPECTED WILDLIFE ENCOUNTER

Passengers and crew from a cruise ship had an unexpected encounter with a polar bear on Sept. 2. that led to a quick retreat back on board the vessel while it was stopped at Alexandra Fjord on the eastern coast of Ellesmere Island. Seventy passengers and 14 employees were ashore at the time, but all got back safely on board.

THE FUTURE OF ADVENTURE TRAVEL

The world’s biggest event of the year for adventure travel professionals – The 2024 Adventure Travel World Summit – is set to place Oct. 7-10 in Panama City, Panama, with registration now open until Sept. 13. This year, the Summit celebrates its 20th anniversary, while promising to look ahead to the next 20 years of the adventure travel industry.  

ROUND-UP: Sept. 2-6, 2024

ACTA called for help from the federal government to head off the potential Air Canada pilot strike; WestJet ordered three new planes; New Zealand tripled its tourism tax; and Sunwing revealed its annual ‘Best of the Best’ list. All this and more in last week’s round-up.

THE WORLD’S UNLUCKIEST TRAVELLER: Travel Guard offers $10,000 prize

Did you, or someone you know, endure a 22-hour flight seated next to a Tasmanian devil? Did your luggage go on a separate vacation? Spend half the week in the hospital after a “dining adventure?” Leading travel insurance provider Travel Guard says it has heard almost every conceivable travel nightmare. But this fall, they’re hosting a contest and sweepstakes to identify the all-time worst.  

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