The Pyramids, the Great Wall, female genitalia. If the International Solidarity Foundation (ISF) is successful, the latter will uniquely join the former, and over 1,200 other natural and cultural places, that are designated by UNESCO as deserving of protection for future generations. More specifically, the bid is a continuation of the ISF’s fight against the “international problem” of female genital mutilation (FGM).

Transat AT’s chief financial offer Patrick Bui is leaving the company to pursue another career opportunity. The move will take effect on Dec. 15 and Transat says it has started a formal search for a replacement.

The Hard Rock Casino Vancouver is in for a rebranding. Effective December, the Coquitlam venue will become Great Canadian Casino Vancouver, according to owners, Great Canadian Entertainment. Along with the name change, the casino will welcome a Gordon Ramsay Burger restaurant and offered enhanced entertainment options with Live Nation.

Canada got going on a new high-speed rail link, but has fallen behind on producing sustainable jet fuel. Other round-up highlights include Canadian air news about Peru and Panama; a partnership between Air Miles and Expedia; a new Margaritaville in Belize; and festival fever in a several interesting destinations.

As 2023 nears an end and 2024 optimistically appears on the horizon, many Canadians have emotionally checked out of the news agenda and events at home in order to take a much-needed breather. Where in years past travel has been a means to escape life, new research shows that travel is life with three quarters (74%) of Canadian travellers revealing that they feel more alive than ever when they are on vacation, and 64% wanting to be more like their vacation self in their day-to-day life back home.

Australia’s iconic Sydney Opera House (SOH) is celebrating its 50th anniversary this weekend (Oct. 21-22). Following a month-long celebration of special events, the iconic 22-storey structure overlooking Sydney Harbour is embarking on a “decade of renewal,” with extensive plans and ambitious global goals set for the future, spanning restoration, sustainability, accessibility, environmental, Indigenous heritage, economic, and educational sectors.

Our apologies to our readers. We have just spent two days fixing a hack that prevented us from delivering the news to you. What do these people get from doing this? Our site contains nothing that would be of use to a hacker – unless they really really need to understand travel and tourism. Perhaps they do. Anyway, we’re glad to be back and we hope you are too.

The Palace of Versailles and three airports in cities across France were evacuated and temporarily closed Wednesday, the latest in a spate of evacuations in the past five days around France. The former royal chateau of Versailles apologized to visitors for forcing them to evacuate from the sumptuous 17th-century palace “for security reasons.”

Canada and Quebec have launched an RFP for the High Frequency Rail project, which will be the largest Canadian infrastructure project in generations. Once operational, the “transformational” rail line will span the Québec City to Toronto corridor with dedicated passenger tracks.

Starting Dec. 16, English Canada will at last have direct access to Martinique – previously the preserve of French Canadians (or those traveling through Montreal) alone. The Air Canada service builds on 14 years of flights from YUL and marks the first-ever flights from YYZ to the magnificent Caribbean island, which is an overseas territory of France.

Canada possesses the key factors to place it at the cutting edge of sustainable jet fuel, making it all the more “bizarre” that Canada lags behind the United States and Europe on the green-flying front, says Airbus Canada’s chief executive.

With increased traffic to Virtuoso.com from Canadians resulting in 227% more page views this year over last, the global network specializing in luxury and experiential travel crunched its latest numbers to produce a festive travel trends report that breaks down the travel habits of Canadians heading into the holiday season and into 2024.

‘Tis the season for FAMs, and Canadian travel advisors have been hitting the road (and air and waves), according, from destinations as remote as Croatia, and as familiar as Kissimmee. Here’s a quick look at some of the journeys undertaken, including agents from CAA, WestWorld Tours, and Voyages en Direct.

Philippine Airlines (PAL), the national flag carrier of the Philippines, has launched PAL Holidays, a one-stop travel website that offers a seamless and comprehensive platform for booking travel to the southeast Asian country, and beyond. The new site is now live in Canada and elsewhere.

With the outbreak of violence in Israel and Gaza, the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) says travel sellers in the province have certain obligations to clients, from issuing travel warnings to possible refunds. To that end, and in light of federal government advisories advising against travelling to region, the provincial regulator has issued a special bulletin designed to answer questions about registrants’ responsibilities under the Travel Industry Act and Ontario Regulation 26/05.  

With the launch of year-round flights to Peru in December from Toronto and Montreal, Transat is adding packages, excursions, and à la carte hotels to its offering, making it easier for both clients and travel advisors to book a trip to the South American destination.