More Canadians are visiting Britain – and spending – than ever before, according to the latest official statistics highlighted by Britain’s national tourism agency, VisitBritain. Canada’s appetite for travel to Britain is surging with more than 1 million Canadian (1,003,000) visits in 2023, up 12% over 2022 and an increase of 15% since 2019, the year before the pandemic.
WestJet Airlines has plans to soon introduce a new cheaper fare category that would be available to travellers willing to fly without a carry-on bag. CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech says the new fare category will be introduced within “a couple of weeks.”
Virgin Voyages said it plans to crack down on predatory sales tactics being used by some of its ‘First Mate’ travel agent partners who are soliciting customers and offering misleading ‘discounts’ to boost their sales. North American sales VP John Diorio, said in an email to travel agent partners that this has become an ‘important and serious’ issue.
Travellers are prioritizing leisure trips more than ever, and the overwhelming majority of them consider travel experiences to be more important than material possessions, according to a survey of the world’s most experienced travellers. More than a third of travellers (39%) responding to the 2024 Spring Global Rescue Traveller Sentiment and Safety Survey said travel is a higher priority today than it was pre-pandemic.
Five new hires are selflessly roaming the halls of one of the world’s busiest transportation hubs, hoping to provide a paw-sitively stress-free travel experience for anxious passengers. Meet Istanbul Airport’s therapy dogs – always ready to offer support with snuggles, belly rubs and sloppy kisses.
Can the big wheels keep on turning? A well-known fleet of paddle-wheelers that evoke the Proud Marys and Showboats that plied the rivers of early America face being cut up for scrap after a bankruptcy sale that has the cruise industry abuzz.
The Blues Brothers movie from 1980 is one of my favourite movies, not least for its stellar list of iconic musical guests – Aretha Franklin, Cab Calloway, James Brown, and Ray Charles amongst them. And, of course, blues great John Lee Hooker, whose appearance qualifies as more of a cameo than a performance.
The WestJet Group has released ‘Soaring Together’ its first progress report highlighting the airline’s accomplishments across Canada since the launch of its growth strategy nearly two years ago.
A town in Japan has had enough of tourists. Fujikawaguchiko, which is known for a number of scenic photo spots that offer a near-perfect shot of Japan’s iconic Mount Fuji, has begun constructing a large black screen on a stretch of a sidewalk to block the view of the mountain. The reason: misbehaving foreign tourists.
Porter Airlines is expanding its Porter Pass program to reflect its growing North America network with new options making it simpler to customize, plan, and enjoy economy air travel. The pass gives frequent travellers on particular routes or within regions a simple and cost-effective way to purchase up to 100 flight credits at a set price, for travel over the course of one year.
WestJet is pushing back its planned integration of Sunwing Airlines, which the Calgary-based carrier acquired last year. In an email, WestJet said it will weave the discount airline’s fleet into its own by April 27, 2025, six months after the integration date initially set for this October.
In recognizing the importance for travellers to travel sustainably, The Travel Corporation (TTC) family of brands (among them Trafalgar, Insight and Contiki) has introduced a downloadable checklist designed to help clients (and those who book them) become more responsible travellers, ultimately helping to protect and make a positive impact on the planet, its people, and wildlife.
Carmen Riu has decided to retire as co-CEO of Spanish-based RIU Hotels & Resorts. Nearly 70, she will depart before summer, leaving her executive and institutional representation roles at company, where she currently shares her position with her brother Luis Riu, who will now continue as the company’s sole CEO.
A judge on Wednesday said Elvis Presley’s estate could be successful in arguing that a company’s attempt to auction Graceland is fraudulent as he halted a foreclosure sale of the beloved Memphis tourist attraction. Shelby County Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins issued a temporary injunction against the proposed auction that had been scheduled for Thursday. The injunction keeps in place a previous restraining order issued after Presley’s granddaughter Riley Keough filed a lawsuit to fight off what she said was a fraudulent scheme.
A Singapore Airlines flight hit severe turbulence over the Indian Ocean and descended 6,000 feet (around 1,800 meters) in a span of about three minutes, the carrier said Tuesday, leaving a British man dead and more than two dozen other passengers injured.
Transat’s newly launched Early Booking Bonus (EBB) is key opportunity that offers a wealth of advantages for both travel agents and vacationers. Transat Commercial Director Nicole Bursey explains why the promotion is not just a sales event but a strategic opportunity that significantly impacts annual revenue streams for travel agencies.
BermudAir launched service to Canada with its inaugural flight to Toronto Pearson last week (May 17) and will follow this week with Halifax service (May 25). The nation’s flagship airline will provide direct year-round service to YYZ three times a week – Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday – with a flight time of two and a half hours, and weekly YHZ flights on Saturdays.
Are you looking to recommend the perfect all-inclusive family resort for your clients’ next South vacations? Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, and even underrated Panama and Colombia are home to resorts that are ideal for families, ensuring a holiday packed with sun, fun, and cherished memories.
Via Rail notched a big jump in ridership last year, continuing a three-year trend ahead of an expected record number of customers in 2024. In its annual report last week, the Crown corporation said some 4.1 million passengers hopped aboard its trains in 2023, a one-quarter jump from the year before. The higher demand boosted revenues by 29 percent to $430.7 million.
What if there was a seamless and easy-going way to book your clients’ next vacation in Cuba? The answer is simple: with Melia properties at the forefront, Transat facilitates access to an exclusive supply chain that promises not just premium quality and variety but also complete peace of mind.
Well-known Canadian travel industry veteran Meg Murgatroyd has joined solo traveller specialist Just You as head of trade sales for North America in a move the company says reinforces its commitment to supporting the travel trade in Canada.
Canada’s tourism industry has rolled out a road map it hopes will attract visitors to Canada after the bruising it took during the COVID-19 pandemic. At Rendez-vous, the country’s largest annual tourism convention held in Edmonton last week, Destination Canada and the federal government unveiled a plan that aims to extend the travel season, increase the length of stays and attract more locals, foreigners and business travellers to a broader range of sites.
WestJet Group launched its first flight to Seoul from Calgary Friday, establishing a direct link between Alberta and South Korea. The nearly sold-out WestJet flight 86 marked the first of 140 flights between Calgary and Seoul this summer, with the 787 Dreamliner service operating three times per week through Oct. 27, returning again in Spring 2025.
Air Canada is significantly boosting its schedule serving Ottawa with year-round flights to Calgary and Winnipeg, increased flights to Halifax and Quebec City, and the addition of widebody service to Vancouver. Additional schedule improvements include more flights to Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Orlando, Cancun, and Punta Cana this winter.
As the global travel industry (including Travel Industry Today) gathers in Montego Bay this week for Caribbean Travel Marketplace, host country Jamaica reports that it has recorded an impressive 1.7 million visitors as of May 7 of this year – nearly five percent ahead of last year and putting the island on track to reach its goal of welcoming a whopping five million visitors by 2025.
The authority that runs Montreal’s international airport is going to court to stop an up-and-coming suburban airport from rebranding with the city’s name, arguing it will cause confusion among travellers. But the airport being taken to court is accusing the international airport of trying to protect a “monopoly.”
Five Americans are facing prison sentences of up to 12 years in the Turks and Caicos Islands on charges they illegally carried ammunition during recent trips to the Caribbean tourist destination. Three of the arrests have prompted pleas for mercy from the governors of Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, one of whom called the punishment “absurd.”
Quebec has a “new” tour operator with deep roots, and the “end of revenge (travel)” was officially declared. In other happenings last week, WestJet announced service to Iceland, Transat released its winter flight schedule, and France declared a state of emergency in New Caledonia.
Remember SARS? When misleading news coverage by CNN and other media seemingly convinced the entire world that the entire city of Toronto, and Canada by extension, in 2003 was afflicted and warranted aversion by travellers. Now it’s western wildfires.
Having operated for 106 years, Collette has stuck it’s toe into Canadian waters on plenty of occasions. But Wednesday’s visit seemed special as the Rhode Island-based tour operator gathered with close to 100 key members of the travel trade members in Toronto for the first time since the pandemic, and to be formally introduced to the company’s new CEO Jaclyn Leibl-Cote.