FLYING THE FLAG AT IPW
From Air Canada to Keanu, Canadians feel the love in La-la Land
Close to 150 Canadians may have been a drop in the bucket amongst the 5,700 attendees at IPW – US Travel’s signature international trade show – in Los Angeles this week, but the delegation had an outsized presence and proudly waved the flag as befits the US’s top international market. MORE
‘MAKING HISTORY’
Canada posts record-breaking Orlando visits
Canada “made history” in Orlando in 2023, sending more than 1.2 million visitors to the theme park capital, according to Visit Orlando, which revealed the “big announcement” at the IPW US travel trade show in Los Angeles this week. The record-breaking numbers also ensured that Canada remained the destination’s No. 1 market ahead of the UK (877,000) and Brazil (696,000). MORE
Overpacking is by far the biggest traveller mistake, according to some of the world’s most experienced travellers responding to the 2024 Winter Global Rescue Traveller Sentiment and Safety Survey. More than a third of respondents (35%) said overpacking was their biggest boo-boo, along with flying with connections and overly ambitious itineraries. MORE
PORTER PLANS LARGEST SUMMER SEASON FROM TORONTO
With up to 176 daily flights to 27 destinations from the city’s two airports, Porter Airlines is promising its most substantial summer schedule to date from Toronto. And by August, the carrier says it will be the third-largest carrier flying from Toronto Pearson International Airport, with up to 74 daily flights to 16 destinations across Canada and the United States. MORE
‘AI-CONIC’
Finnish coffee culture takes a techno twist
An artisan roastery based in the Helsinki has introduced a coffee blend that has been developed by artificial intelligence in a trial in which it’s hoped that technology can ease the workload in a sector that traditionally prides itself on manual work. It is only apt that Kaffa Roastery’s “AI-conic” blend was launched in Finland, a Nordic nation of 5.6 million that consumes the most coffee in the world at 12 kg per capita annually, according to the International Coffee Organization. MORE
WHY AFRICA’S THE NEXT HOT CRUISE DESTINATON
Quick: where’s Banjul? How about Cotonou or Lome? Suddenly, places along the west and east coasts of Africa that are likely to have even veteran travellers doing where in the world? Google searches are being asked to quickly arrange docks and shore excursions for multiple cruise ships. MORE
LISTENING IN
Ziggy Marley irie at IPW
Sorry, Diana Ross. You too, Keanu Reeves (who sidelines as a bass player in the band Dogstar when not cracking skulls as John Wick). The star performer at this year's edition of the US travel trade show IPW, held in Los Angeles this week, was Ziggy Marley. MORE
CHECK OUT OUR SPECIAL INFOCUS EDITIONS:
JUST IN CASE YOU MISSED YESTERDAY’s STORIES:
‘TOUR TOURISM’ – IS IT REALLY A THING?
Swifties head for Europe
Thousands of ride-or-die Taylor Swift fans who missed out on her US concert tour last year or didn't want to buy exorbitantly priced tickets to see her again found an out-of-the-way solution: Fly to Europe. The pop star is scheduled to kick off the 18-city Europe leg of her record-setting Eras Tour in Paris on Thursday, and planeloads of Swifties plan to follow her across the pond in the coming weeks. MORE
AFRICA’S RISING STAR
Zambia, I presume
Hosting the world’s largest mammal migration, hippo population, man-made lake, and second largest wildebeest migration – not to mention one of the world’s most famous waterfalls – Zambia is gaining an increasing profile among North American travellers seeking travel authenticity. MORE
WYNDHAM MOVES INTO UPSCALE EXTENDED STAYS WITH WATERWALK
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is expanding into the upscale extended stay segment, launching a strategic relationship with industry innovator WaterWalk. The deal adds 11 hotels and over 1,500 rooms to the Wyndham ecosystem, rebranding them under the newly created WaterWalk Extended Stay by Wyndham brand, the 25th in Wyndham's portfolio. MORE
CRUISE SHIP WORKER ACCUSED OF STABBING 3 PEOPLE WITH SCISSORS
A cruise ship worker from South Africa was arrested Tuesday in Juneau, Alaska, accused of attacking a woman and two security guards with scissors. The suspect, from South Africa, was recently hired by Norwegian and boarded its Encore cruise ship in Seattle on Sunday. The ship left that day for a weeklong, round-trip excursion to Alaska with stops including Glacier Bay National Park and Victoria, British Columbia. MORE
CAYO LARGO – WHERE EVERYONE IS FAMILY
Prior to the 1980s, Cayo Largo was less frequently visited and, in fact, was not a home to permanent residents at the time, but the tides turned quickly when it became a sought-after destination for many all-inclusive resorts and earned its rightful place as one of the sunniest and most beautiful Cuban destinations for tropical vacations. MORE
CRUISE SHIP SAILS INTO NYC PORT WITH DEAD WHALE ACROSS ITS BOW
A cruise ship sailed into a New York City port with a 44-foot (13-meter) dead whale across its bow, marine authorities said. The whale, identified as an endangered sei whale, was caught on the ship's bow when it arrived at the Port of Brooklyn on Saturday, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries spokesperson Andrea Gomez said. MORE
TÜRKİYE’S DIGITAL NOMAD VISA PLATFORM NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE
It is now easier than ever for Canadian digital nomads to work remotely from Türkiye. With the new Digital Nomad Pre-Application platform Digital Nomad GoTürkiye, digital nomads can now easily initiate their application process online. Gaining popularity following the COVID-19 pandemic, digital nomads capitalize on remote work by travelling the world and logging on wherever they have an internet connection. MORE