Even as Christmas week approaches, there was no let up in travel news heading into the holidays, as a host of new flights took place, appointments were made and destinations and suppliers looked ahead to 2024 – all detailed in this week’s round-up of last week.
In a dramatic improvement over last year’s results, Transat AT Inc. showed a profit in its latest quarter, as the travel company continues to ramp up flights. CEO Annick Guerard said consumers show little sign of travel wariness, but increased competition and customer financial strain have begun to thin out profit margins even as the travel company guns for major growth next year.
There’s a little-known option for snowbirds looking to buy travel insurance that covers them for medical emergencies while they are away over the winter that could save them a significant amount of money and provide better coverage. Yet few are aware of the personalized travel insurance coverage option that can do just that.
Earthquakes can strike without warning, and no one can predict them. No scientist has ever predicted a major earthquake, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), which states, “We do not know how, and we do not expect to know how (to predict a major earthquake) any time in the foreseeable future. USGS scientists can only calculate the probability that a significant earthquake will occur in a specific area within a certain number of years.”
Tourists at the Acropolis can witness the resolution of one of the world’s most heated debates on cultural heritage. All they need is a smartphone to pinch and zoom their way around the ancient Greek site, with a digital overlay showing how it once looked. That includes a collection of sculptures called the Elgin Marbles, removed from the Parthenon more than 200 years ago that are now on display at the British Museum in London and which Greece wants back.
Recently we reported that Barcelona bar Sips was named the “World’s Best Bar” for 2023 in the annual 50 Best ranking sponsored by Perrier. But with 49 other entries and a host of other unique cocktail-related categories, there is plenty more to tell, such as which establishment finished second.
For the first time, luxury river cruise line AmaWaterways will begin its European river cruising season in February, with two ships on the Danube and Rhine rivers. It’s a direct response to the increased demand for new off-season travel options, but it’s only part of a significant evolution of river cruising preferences, the company that’s had record results for 2023 says.
Can you believe its been 50 years since the release of “Band on the Run,” Paul McCartney’s best post-Beatles album, which not surprisingly was the top-selling album in Canada (amongst other places) in 1974?
Once a niche market for frugal, globetrotting young people, hostels are becoming a popular form of alternative lodging. No longer just rows of bunk beds, some hostels now offer private rooms and amenities like rooftop pools and spas.
Fewer planes and helicopters will be flying tourists over Mount Rushmore and other US national monuments and parks as new regulations take effect that are intended to protect the serenity of some of the most beloved natural areas in the United States. The air tours have pitted tour operators against visitors frustrated with the noise for decades, but it has come to a head as new management plans are rolled out at nearly two dozen national parks and monuments.
Travel Edge has announced the appointment of Andrew Pilkington as President. Pilkington will oversee Travel Edge’s three divisions: Travel Edge Network, a luxury host agency; Travel Edge Retail; and Travel Edge Corporate.
Myrtle Beach used to be the place where four golf-deprived guy hackers headed for a week of 36 holes a day, fast food, and a fridge full of beer. Downtown “Myrtle” (as the locals call it) was an unpretentious mishmash of all-you-can-eat buffets, discount beach stores, mini-putts, and girlie joints – not exactly the vibe
City officials in Bologna are committing €4.3 million ($6.3 million) to shore up the leaning Garisenda tower, one of the so-called Two Towers that look out over the northern Italian city that have provided inspiration over the centuries to painters and poets and a lookout spot during conflicts.
Porter Airlines and Alaska Airlines have announced a broad partnership, taking advantage of Porter’s presence across Eastern Canada and Alaska’s well-established US West Coast links to provide passengers more flight options and better service from coast to coast.
Admitting that last year’s busy holiday season “highlighted several weak spots across Canada’s aviation ecosystem,” WestJet says it is gearing up across all touchpoints of its operations this year to ensure smooth travel for customers and avoid a repeat of the well-publicized delays that cast Canada’s airlines and airports in a negative light.
A Delta Airlines Flight left Amsterdam at 1.15pm on Sunday and was due to land in Detroit nine hours later. Instead it was forced to make an emergency landing at a Canadian military base in Goose Bay Newfoundland – a town of just 8,000 – causing over 270 passengers to be stranded on the plane for hours, before spending the night in the remote military base until a replacement flight could be arranged reportedly almost 24 hours later.
Motivated by crossing items off their to-do lists, travellers will roam the world in 2024, prioritizing authentic, customized experiences in off-the-beaten-path locales, according to a new survey from TRAVELSAVERS Canada, which asked its advisors to forecast the top travel destinations and trends for next year, as well as recommended must-have experiences.
Boeing has promoted the head of its services business to chief operating officer, putting the female executive in discussion as a potential heir apparent to CEO David Calhoun in a male-dominated industry. Boeing said Monday that Stephanie Pope’s elevation to the job, which includes the title of executive vice president, takes effect Jan. 1.
Following its success in Montreal two years ago, Club Med has opened its second Canadian travel agency – in downtown Toronto. The venue, the company says, represents its commitment to its growing the Canadian market, which includes the opening of its first resort in this country, Club Med Charlevoix, Quebec, in 2021.
Marking a historic milestone in its 75-year history, Inuit-owned airline Canadian North named its first Inuk president & CEO, Shelly De Caria, who had been serving in an interim capacity for the carrier, which connects remote and northern communities in Canada’s Arctic.
With the closing of 2023 just around the corner, one message is clear: Don’t let the holiday season be a signal to wind down PR efforts. Instead of succumbing to the temptation of festive relaxation, seize the opportunity to set the stage for a successful 2024. During the holidays, winding down pitching efforts is a mistake.
A new study says leisure travel will be “robust” for at least the next decade – including forecasted outbound spending and growth from Canada by the year 2033. And while that’s good news for the travel industry, the Oxford Tourism Economics study portends changes in global patterns and holiday destinations that are already starting to take shape now.
Airfares look set to stabilize across key routes around the world during 2024, according to a new forecast from American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT), which predicts in its Air Monitor 2024 report that there will be marginal price rises on some regional and international business travel routes, but decreases on others.
Citing strong East Coast demand, Porter Airlines is increasing capacity on three Halifax routes. Beginning March 31, the Halifax-Ottawa route will have three daily, roundtrip flights, while St. John’s and Montreal will operate with two daily roundtrips, increasing to three daily in May – all operated by larger Embraer E195-E2 aircraft.
Calling it an industry first, TTC Tour Brands, the collection of tour brands from The Travel Corporation that includes Trafalgar, Contiki, Luxury Gold, Insight Vacations, Brendan Vacations and Costsaver, says it will no longer be ordering branded merchandise for gifting. In its place, the money that would have been spent will be repurposed to projects that fight climate change.
The Bahamas has surpassed eight million visitors this year, a record-breaking achievement that the ministry of tourism attributes to the natural charm of the islands, but also effective tourism strategies of stakeholders, including the ongoing enhancement and regeneration of tourism products such as Nassau’s new cruise port.
With two of the travel industry’s foremost trade shows – WTM London and ITB Berlin – fixed in place, trade members who attend such events eagerly anticipate the rotating roster of US Travel’s signature show, IPW (formerly International Pow Wow), typically set some years in advance.
An influencer who staged a California plane crash in 2021 to make a YouTube video of himself parachuting to safety – dubbed “I Crashed My Airplane” – has been sentenced to six months in a US federal prison for obstructing the investigation by destroying the wreckage.
With the recent “value for money” audit of the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario calling into question the efficiency, effectiveness, and even existence of the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO), the province’s tour operators say any changes to travel industry regulation in Ontario must be “realistic” and not simply be repealed, like in Australia.
Canada has received a C grade on flight safety and oversight – down from an A+ and far below most of its peers – according to a draft report from a United Nations agency. The confidential audit from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) says the country has fallen precipitously to a score of 64 out of 100. Canada’s score topped 95% in the UN body’s previous report in 2005.