AA SUES TRAVEL WEBSITE OVER ‘SKIPLAGGING’

American Airlines is suing a travel website that sells tickets that let people save money by exploiting a quirk in airline pricing. American sued Skiplagged Inc. in US federal court in Fort Worth, Texas, accusing the website of deception. It threatened to cancel every ticket that Skiplagged has sold.

WHERE TO STAY TO ENJOY THE BEST BEACHES IN CUBA

If there’s one thing Cuba has got down, it’s delivering breathtaking beaches! With over 400 kilometres of pristine shores lining the island, it’s no wonder Canadians love to visit year after year. But, just as important as picking the right beach is finding the right resort to truly get the most out of a vacation.

SYSTEM ‘BROKEN,’ REQUESTS ‘IGNORED’: CATO campaign comes to a head

A “broken system” and “ignored” requests to the province to fix it are behind the Canadian Association of Tour Operators (CATO) campaign for a “more effective and fairer traveller protection system for Ontario’s travel industry,” which is set to come to a head at TICO’s upcoming annual general meeting in September.

‘AS LONG AS IT TAKES’: Biden vows to rebuild Maui

US President Joe Biden told survivors of Hawaii’s wildfires that the nation “grieves with you” and promised that the federal government will help “for as long as it takes” Maui to recover from damage caused by the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century.

ROAD TO PEGGY’S COVE REOPENS

The road to the iconic Nova Scotia tourist destination Peggy’s Cove has reopened after devastating floods last month. It’s welcome news for both visitors and a community hit hard by environmental disasters.

DESANTIS CONTINUES CRUSADE AGAINST DISNEY BACKERS

Already involved in two lawsuits with Disney, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ appointees to a board that oversees Disney World’s governing district launched a battle this week against the company on a new front – free passes and discounts for district employees.

SCOTTISH HOTEL SOARS TO INAUGURAL WORLD HOTEL AWARD

Historic Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland has been named the winner of the Art of Hospitality Award, the first category announced in advance of the inaugural The World’s 50 Best Hotels awards 2023.

CLUB MED APPOINTMENTS IN ONTARIO

Club Med has announced the appointments of Tyler Mattioli and Debbie Miller as Business Development Managers for Ontario.

TRAVEL BAN ANOTHER HIT FOR BC TOURISM

The central Okanagan is facing weeks without tourism during its peak season after British Columbia’s premier imposed bans on travel to wildfire zones. The ban, which was introduced Saturday under the provincial state of emergency, will be in place until Sept. 4 for hotels, motels, inns, bed and breakfasts, hostels, RV parks and campgrounds in Kelowna, West Kelowna, Kamloops, Oliver, Osoyoos, Penticton and Vernon.

HELLO HONG KONG: New attractions, timeless treasures welcome returning Canadians

It already seems like ages ago (March) that Hong Kong lifted its COVID mask mandate and Canada removed temporary pre-departure test requirements for air travellers from China, Hong Kong, and Macao. The double move eliminated two major obstacles for the return of travel to the favourite destination for Canadians and prompted the always industrious Hong Kong Tourism Board to ramp up operations to accommodate visitors ready (and able) to return after the long pandemic.

AIRLINES BULLISH ON RECOVERY

Building on strong bookings this summer, US airlines are already adding new routes later this year and next, underscoring the airline industry’s confidence that its strong recovery from the pandemic will continue and that planes will remain packed.

HONG KONG’S NEWEST MUST-SEES

While the world – and tourism – paused during the pandemic, Hong Kong used the unavoidable downtime to nevertheless continue developing its infrastructure and attractions for the day when tourism resumed. And that day has come.

CLIMATE CRISIS: Destruction on a planetary scale

This summer has proven how destructive climate change can be. We have been plagued by harrowing images of Maui, Hawaii in ashes, news about wildfires spreading smoke across Canada and the United States and record-breaking heat waves worldwide.

SPLASH AND DASH: Summer fun for the family in Hong Kong

From thrilling theme parks and vibrant art and cultural attractions to family-friendly hospitality options with easy access to the city’s must-see attractions, Hong Kong is an ideal destination for families.

HERE COMES THE SUN PRINCESS, LARGEST SHIP IN FLEET

Princess Cruises’ largest ship ever – Sun Princess – will make her US debut in October 2024. The ship is the first in the line’s new Sphere class, and will homeport at Port Everglades, Fla. for the winter, following a season of Mediterranean and Europe cruises when she launches in February.

STORM SLAMS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: Earthquake and flooding follows

Having made landfall on Mexico’s Baja California peninsula early Sunday, Tropical Storm Hilary drenched Southern California from the coast to inland mountains and deserts Sunday evening, prompting rescues from swollen rivers and forcing some of the nation’s largest school districts to cancel Monday classes. Millions braced for more flooding and mudslides, even as the storm began to weaken.

FLAIR AIMS TO FASTTRACK PILOT TRAINING

Flair Airlines says it is launching a unique pilot training program that will see applicants placed in the cockpit of one of the company’s Boeing 737 jets within 18 months.

KARISMA ENHANCES AUTISM PROGRAM

Karisma Hotels & Resorts, in partnership with Autism Double-Checked, has introduced what it says is the world’s first-ever Autism Concierge, providing a dedicated contact for all autism-related questions and serving as an extension of the Autism Double-Checked comprehensive three-part training program.

MISSING ARTIFACTS RATTLE BRITISH MUSEUM

The British Museum – a major tourist attraction in London – has dismissed a staff member after items dating back as far as the 15th century BC were found to be missing, stolen or damaged.

ROUND-UP: Aug. 14-18, 2023

The fight over passengers compensation continued last week, while in other weekly news, TICO issued an invitation for new directors; grim hurricane news hit the headlines; Transat introduced Peru; and TravelBrands’ committed a good deed.

TOURISTS EVACUATED: Fire threatens Spanish Canary island

As Yellowknife begins evacuation and Maui continues to cope with the aftermath of devastating wildfires, global attention has turned to the Spanish Canary island of Tenerife, a popular tourist destination where an out-of-control wildfire has burned thousands of hectares and affected nearly 8,000 people who are either evacuated or confined.

DRESS FOR SUCCESS: How not to look or act like a tourist

Do you look and act like a tourist? If so, it can produce assumptions that you are inexperienced, naive, lacking cultural awareness, and wealthy. Standing out as a tourist can make you appear vulnerable and an easy target for scams, pickpockets, and other types of crime.

STRANGE BUT TRUE: Tales of the weird and wacky

From Big Apple bodypainting to bizarre (and, frankly, macabre) Barbie mania in El Salvador, and a big peanut and bologna sandwich to zoo antics in China, it was another stellar week in our weird and wacky world.

INSIDER TIPS FOR SEEING ISTANBUL’S BIG 5 IN A SINGLE VISIT

Just scanning Istanbul’s minaret-studded skyline on the busy Bosphorus that divides Europe from Asia evokes images of genies and wizards and magical flying carpets. It’s Constantinople, the coveted city that inspired Crusades and Tales of Arabian Nights.

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