ECLIPSE WON’T AFFECT FLIGHTS
Despite an advisory for pilots, Canadian airlines say travellers won’t see their flight times affected by Monday’s total solar eclipse, though passengers should protect their eyes during the astronomical event.
News
GETTING IN THE SWING OF SLINGS: Air Canada arrives in Singapore
Air Canada’s inaugural Singapore flight (from Vancouver) – which landed Thursday morning – is the airline’s longest flight measured by distance (12,818 km) with a flying time of up to 16 hours and five minutes.
THE MORE THINGS CHANGE: TravelBrands still devoted to travel agents
Remember the old days? Get to the Sunquest launch before all the roast beef sandwiches (or Jamaican patties) are gone was the common refrain. How things have changed.
HOTELS THAT PLAY BALL FOR SPORTS FANS, AND OTHER ROAD TRIP TIPS
Baseball’s back! And for some, that means summer road trips to fun cities or famous diamonds like Fenway Park or Wrigley Stadium, sometimes paired with following their favourite teams, or perhaps just the love of the game. After all, sports and travel go together like peanuts and Cracker Jack.
BEHIND THE WAX: Who’s hot at Madame Tussauds
It’s a long way from Queen Victoria to Doja Cat (a rapper), but Madame Tussauds is pulling back the curtain to provide a glimpse into the research process that may culminate in the iconic attractions’ next wax models.
MOVING ON UP: Fred Dixon named top dog at Brand USA
Satisfying nearly nine months of avid curiosity in the trade, Fred Dixon has emerged as the choice to be the new CEO of Brand USA, the US’s important destination marketing organization. Currently President and CEO of NYC Tourism + Conventions, the well-known Dixon will succeed Chris Thompson on July 15.
THE PLANE TRUTH: Really? Dulles to Donald
A group of U.S. House Republicans wants to rename Washington Dulles International Airport after Donald Trump. The airport is currently named for John Foster Dulles, a former Secretary of State who fought against communism during the early stages of the Cold War.
AIR CANADA SPOTLIGHTS ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE
Coinciding with Earth Month in April, Air Canada is raising awareness about the illegal wildlife trade (IWT) and its impact on global biodiversity. Building on its partnership with the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada (JGIC), the campaign is featuring on the airline’s in-flight entertainment and social media and Aeroplan will launch a points match week in support of the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada from April 22 to 28.
SEVENTH HEAVEN: MSC Cruises reveals latest World America details
With MSC Cruises’ new vessel ‘World America’ scheduled to set sail from its homeport in Miami in April 2025, and cruises already available to book, MSC continues to reveal detail of its new flagship.
DUTY OF CARE: Employer responsibility lacking as business travel resurges
Business travel is back. The days of travelling long distances for one meeting with one person could be gone forever, but people will travel for business at scale into perpetuity. New data plainly shows that business travel continues to increase post-pandemic, while virtual meetings are losing dominance.
THE PRICE OF BORDER BLISS SET TO RISE: Apply now to beat NEXUS price hike
Most NEXUS members in Canada will say the fast-track trusted traveller program is the best $50 they ever spent. (Many others lament they just haven’t gotten around to it yet). But after 20 years of border bliss without a price hike, the cost of the card is set to more than double effective Oct. 1.
WESTJET ENCORE PILOTS AUTHORIZE STRIKE
Pilots at WestJet regional carrier Encore have voted 97 percent in favour of strike authorization after contract talks around pay and career progression came to a “near standstill,” says the Air Line Pilots Association. A strike could commence as soon as April 17.
TROPICANA CHECKS OUT: Famed Vegas resort closes for good
From its lavish opening in 1957 on a Las Vegas Boulevard surrounded by wide-open desert, to its sleepier years amid a boom in megaresorts, the Tropicana Las Vegas has been a familiar landmark in Las Vegas. Now the Strip’s third-oldest casino, the famed resort shut its doors for good at noon Tuesday, with demolition slated for October.
A RESPONSIBLE PARTNERSHIP
VisitScotland has launched an innovative new partnership The Travel Corporation (TTC) and the Travel Foundation designed to inspire and support climate action within Scotland’s tourism industry and drive change with businesses, visitors, and destinations.
KORE VALUES: Education program to enlist and train new wave of agents
Citing a gap in the marketplace and projected growth of the travel and tourism industry in Canada to $16.92 billion by 2028, TRAVELSAVERS Canada is launching KORE, a new education program designed to enhance how the industry enlists and trains the next wave of travel advisors.
AVALON BOOGIES IN PORTUGAL WITH FIRST DOURO SHIP
To the beat of KC and the Sunshine Band’s 1975 hit “Boogie Shoes,” Avalon Waterways christened its 15th Suite Ship in Pinhão, Portugal, late last week with actress Cheri Oteri (‘Saturday Night Live’) doing the honours and serving as Godmother.
FACING THE MUSIC: Mexican beach bands cause brouhaha in Mazatlan
Bands who play the thumping tuba-and-drums songs of northern Mexico on beaches in the resort city of Mazatlan appear to have emerged victorious after noise complaints from foreign tourists who like to observe the resort’s sunsets in peace – or with a bit of soft music – had threatened to silence them.
BUG OFF: U.S. set to experience biggest cicada emergence in centuries
Pack your earplugs. Trillions of evolution’s bizarro wonders, red-eyed periodical cicadas that have pumps in their heads and jet-like muscles in their rears, are about to emerge in numbers in part of the United State not seen in decades and possibly centuries.
BERMUDAIR TO SERVE TORONTO, HALIFAX
Upstart airline BermudAir, which began flying to the US from Bermuda last September, has announced it will add Toronto and Halifax to its growing list of gateways (now seven) starting in May. Starting May 17, the airline will begin operations between Bermuda’s L.F. Wade International Airport (BDA) and Toronto Pearson (Tues-Fri-Sunday), with flights to Halifax Stanfield (Sat.) commencing on May 25.
PLANE SHORTAGE HAMPERS UNITED
United Airlines is asking its pilots to take time off in May because of delays in receiving new planes that the airline ordered from Boeing, which is struggling with production due to manufacturing problems.
SCHENGEN STATUS A BOOST TO ROMANIA, BULGARIA TRAVELLERS
In move that will benefit millions of travellers annually, Romania and Bulgaria partially joined Europe’s ID-check-free travel zone on Sunday, marking a new step in the two countries’ integration with the European Union.
ANOTHER FINE PICKLE: It’s game on in Antigua-Barbuda
Is it the most queried question in travel? “Do they have pickleball?” With this in mind, the Antigua and Barbuda has served up a list of places in the twin Caribbean island nation where visitors can grab a paddle and have a “slamming good time with the warm sun shining down and the gentle Caribbean breeze on your face.”
PARIS PREPARING FOR INVADER: He comes, he glues, and disappears into the night
For the Paris Olympics, it could almost be a new sport: Score points by hunting down mosaics that a mystery artist who calls himself “Invader” has cemented to walls across France’s capital, the world, and even had carried aloft to the International Space Station.
‘ALL HANDS ON DECK’: Niagara braces for eclipse throng
Niagara Falls is bracing for its largest influx of tourists in its history with more than a million people expected to flock to the city for next week’s total solar eclipse. A state of emergency has already been declared for Niagara Region on April 8, though Niagara Falls’ mayor is urging visitors to prepare for, not avoid, the spectacle.
AMERICAN AIRLINES EASES PET POLICY
American Airlines is relaxing part of its pet policy to let owners bring their companion and a full-size carry-on bag into the cabin. Until last week, people who carried a pet into the cabin – which involves paying a $150 fee – could only have one other small item that fit under the seat.
DUBAI: Lifestyles for the rich and famous, and everyone else
Dubai welcomed more tourists than ever before in 2023, attracting 17.15 million international overnight visitors. And they weren’t all rich and famous – a perception that Visit Dubai is eager to dispel, urging the trade to consider that “If you think you know Dubai, think again!”
THE SERIOUS DEBATE OVER DAVID’S DOODLE
Michelangelo’s David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue’s religious and political significance is being diminished by the thousands of refrigerator magnets and other souvenirs sold around Florence focusing on David’s genitalia.
UNITED BOOSTS PILOT PROGRAM TO FILL INDUSTRY NEED
As the aviation industry grapples with a shortage of pilots, United has opened a new, 14,000-sq.-m. building at its Flight Training Center in Denver – already the largest facility of its kind in the world – that has the potential to trains 240 more aviators per day. The new building gives the airline the capability to add 12 more advanced full-motion flight simulators to the facility, six of which have already been delivered.
ROUND-UP: March 25-29, 2024
A short week due to Easter, but plenty of news nonetheless, including a major purchase by Amex GBT; a much-anticipated Sandals opening; a TICO reminder; promising Air Canada and Toronto Pearson passenger barometers; a Viking float-out; and a big reveal from G Adventures/Planeterra.
PLANNING, SURVIVING AND THRIVING ON A MULTI-GEN TRIP
For the past 11 years, Kathy Sudeikis has planned a yearly family reunion. Called “Nanapalooza,” the tradition began as a way to bring her six siblings and their families – including “Ted Lasso” star Jason Sudeikis – together to honour the memory of their mother.