Andrea Nissen is trying to prepare her 65-year-old husband, who has Alzheimer’s disease, for a solo flight to visit family. She worries about travellers and airport officials misinterpreting his forgetfulness or habit of getting in people’s personal space, and feels guilty about not being able to accompany him.
Are you ready for an adventure that will make history? We’re about to sail across the top of the world, to explore the fabled Northwest Passage and set foot on places few people have ever been. For decades, Canada’s high Arctic remained terra incognita, a fascinatingly dangerous obsession that drove explorers to commit to three years of hardship on wooden ships with icy decks in an environment that could break ships as well as the resolve of even the most resolute sailors.
We’ve done this song before, but let’s be honest, you really can’t hear “Take Me Home Country Roads” too many times. Especially when it’s continually interpreted in so many amazing, creative (sometimes globalized) ways, not least from Izzy Kamakawiwo’ole’s Hawaiian take on a ukelele to Toots & the Maytals plaintiff “almost heaven, West Jamaica.”
WestJet is halting flights between Toronto and Montreal for the winter in a continuation of its retreat from short-haul routes in Eastern Canada to retrench in the West. The route will be suspended for six months, starting late October and resuming in late April.
On a day on which Ontario’s cottage country was actually hotter than Las Vegas, it seemed only fitting that a team of suppliers and tourism officials from the latter city met with a group of Canadian trade representatives in Muskoka to talk travel. The two-day retreat early this week at the JW Marriott on Lake Rosseau was also meant to symbolize Sin City’s current tagline: “Las Vegas Unplugged.”
Residents from fire-stricken Lahaina have asked Hawaii Governor Josh Green to delay plans to reopen a portion of West Maui, saying the grieving community is not ready to welcome back visitors. Tourists had been invited back starting this weekend (Oct. 8).
Unique Vacations Canada has announced the appointment of Jordon McGrowder to the position of Business Development Manager, Alberta, Manitoba, and Northwest Territories. He joins the Sandals/Beaches team as the second BDM in western Canada and replaces Donné Nixon, who is moving to Toronto to become Human Resources Manager at UVC headquarters.
The Travel Industry Council of Ontario has re-launched its industry director voting process with registrations required by Oct. 6 at 10 a.m. The re-vote follows a technical glitch at TICO’s recent Sept. 26 AGM that limited members ability to vote for two directors in the organization’s restructuring process.
United Airlines has agreed to improve air travel for passengers in wheelchairs after the US federal government investigated a complaint by a disability-rights advocate. United and the Transportation Department said last week that the airline will add a filter to the booking tool on its website to help consumers find flights on which the plane can more easily accommodate their wheelchairs.
Parents, teens, and kids alike can have the all-inclusive vacation of their dreams with Grand Palladium Hotels and Resorts, says Sunwing. Set on some of the most sought-after shores of the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Jamaica, the paradise destinations are simply a bonus – the real fun is found on site!
Following Transat Distribution Canada’s annual conference in Toronto, we had an opportunity to ask General Manager Karine Gagnon some questions about the company’s ongoing developments, operations, team, and outlook for the future.
Tropical storm Philippe dropped heavy rains in the northeast Caribbean on Tuesday, forcing governments to close schools in the region as forecasters warned of flash flooding. The storm was located about 70 miles (115 kilometers) northwest of Anguilla on Tuesday morning and had winds of up to 45 mph (75 kph). It was moving northwest at 10 mph (17 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
The United National World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has launched a new global initiative designed to unite and encourage nations, members of the tourism sector, and consumers to be more open-minded when choosing a travel destination.
Porter Airlines is launching its first two western US destinations in California with daily roundtrip service connecting Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ).
Egypt is seeking to double the number of visitors to the country in the next five years with a goal of reaching 30 million visitors by 2028, as its once-thriving tourism sector recovers from the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic and the grinding war in Europe following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Miami brought its new global marketing campaign to Toronto recently at a trade event designed to convey the South Florida city’s many faces and colours. Salsa dancers, cocktail making, and an artistic endeavour guided by a renowned graffiti artist from the city enlivened the event while giving hints of the “Find Your Miami” campaign.
The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) and Destination Canada have announced that they secured a significant US$100,000 investment from Expedia Group to help boost Indigenous tourism across Canada. The investment marks a major milestone in advancing Indigenous tourism in Canada and supporting Truth and Reconciliation Commission Call to Action #92, says Destination Canada.
Aviation companies are making the pitch to Ottawa that stricter rules designed to boost customer compensation and improve service could put passenger safety at risk – an argument consumer advocates reject. The push, made in regulatory submissions and meetings on Parliament Hill, comes on the heels of sweeping reforms to the passenger rights charter announced in April and currently being hashed out by Canada’s transport regulator before going into effect next year.
Jamaica’s Tourism Minister has high hopes for Canada – namely making the island the No. 1 destination in the Caribbean from this country, and with no less that a million visitors a year to boot. Currently boasting over 300,000 Canadian visitors a year, Edmund Bartlett has declared a goal of 500,000 annual visitors by 2025, which would eclipse the 400,000 high watermark in 2010.
Delta Air Lines says is rethinking changes it already announced to its loyalty program, with the airline’s CEO saying it went too far trying to address a surge in the ranks of elite frequent flyers. Delta said two weeks ago that starting in early 2025 it would base elite status purely on spending, instead of also counting flights, and limit airport club access for holders of Delta credit cards.
Toronto-based tour operator and community tourism pioneer G Adventures has launched “Trees for Days,” an initiative “bringing the protection of the environment and empowerment of local communities closer together to enact powerful change through travel and tourism,” while at the same time enabling clients to support tree planting in their most cherished destinations.
A seeming spot of skullduggery caused concern and delays for passengers at Salt Lake City Airport TSA screening. Checking a carry-on bag, officers found a skull containing a 9 volt battery and sensor, which, unsurprisingly, they found to be ‘suspicious.’
TTC Tour Brands North America is pleased has announced the appointment of Lora Hamre as the new Groups Business Development Manager, Canada effective immediately. A familiar face in the Canadian travel industry, Hamre brings over 20 years of sales experience – including an earlier position as BDM with Trafalgar, Costsaver, and Brendan Vacations – to the newly created role.
A senior Qatar Airways executive told an Australian Senate inquiry last week there would be no repeat of an incident at Doha’s international airport in 2020 in which female passengers were subjected to invasive gynecological examinations conducted at gunpoint by guards.
MSC Cruises celebrated its return to Canada after four years with a series of visits by travel advisors in Saint John, NB; Charlottetown; and Halifax last week as it heads into the fall season for a series of cruises in the Maritime region on return itineraries out of New York.
With planning and integration activities “well underway,” the WestJet Group says its goal is to complete the integration of Sunwing Airlines into its mainline business by October, 2024. The move would see all of the airlines’ 727 aircraft moved into the same AOC (air operator certificate) as well as a seamless transition of the company’s 2,000 employees.
Saudia, formerly known as Saudi Arabian Airlines, will fly three times a week between Jeddah and Toronto’s Pearson International Airport starting Dec. 2. Transport Canada says it’s the first time there have been direct routes between the two countries since 2018, when Saudi Arabia suspended flights as it protested the Canada’s loud condemnation of its human-rights record.
Goway’s groups department’s says its new “Journey to Success” platform makes booking 10 or more people “easier than ever,” with four exclusive tools and an elevated support that covers 115 destinations.
Citing growing demand for The Bahamas from the Canadian market, the Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board (NPIPB) has reinstated its partnership with Newmarket, Ont.-based Canlink Travel Representatives to expand its marketing and sales efforts in Canada.
A 16-year-old boy has been arrested in northern England in connection with what authorities described as the “deliberate” felling of a famous tree that had stood for nearly 200 years next to the Roman landmark Hadrian’s Wall. Photographs from the scene showed that the tree was cut down near the base of its trunk, with the rest of it lying on its side.