Back for the 12th time, Goway will host its gala Africa and Middle East event in Toronto on Oct. 24 and agents are being invited to save the date. The event will feature close to 30 suppliers from across all of Africa and the Middle East for a full-day of training, events, meals, cocktails, and a free-flow trade show.

Ensemble top performers experienced the Explora 1 cruise ship, Direct Travel unveiled enhanced tech capabilities, and Virtuoso tipped its top cruise lines at the network’s annual Travel Week in Las Vegas in this week’s round-up.

Amidst the “immense and unprecedented” devastation caused by the wildfires in Lahaina and West Maui (including Napili, Kaanapali and Kapalua), all non-essential travel to the region continues to be strongly discouraged through the month of August, says Hawaii’s governor.

With its new Sun brochure now out there in the ether and product launches pending in five Canadian cities in September, Air Canada Vacations says it is also implementing a new commission policy designed to offer agents enhanced financial protection and stability.

Railbookers is registering a spike in demand for travel in the latter half of 2023, with more than half of all bookings in the last six weeks departing before the end of December, reports the rail specialist tour operator.

A “perfect storm” of problems lies behind Air Canada’s wave of flight delays over the summer, its CEO said, even as the country’s largest airline roars back to profitability.

A judge has sanctioned Southwest Airlines, writing that the airline twisted his words and disregarded his order in the case of a flight attendant who claimed that she was fired for expressing her opposition to abortion.

The composition of Travel Industry Association of Ontario’s (TICO) board is changing – news that officially filtered out late Friday afternoon and garnered industry reaction over the weekend (see following link). And while the letter from Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery Kaleed Rasheed made it clear that province’s travel industry will have less representation – and input – on the board, many questions remained unclear. We put some of them to TICO CEO Richard Smart. Here’s his reply.

The government of Mexico says it plans to revive the Mexicana name for its new airline, which will be controversially run by the country’s military starting in September. The administration of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has also put trains, law enforcement, tourism and infrastructure projects under the army’s command, including one tourist ferry line serving the Isla Marias islands that is manned by navy personnel.

A 13-year-old North Dakota boy has survived a fall of nearly 30 metres at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon during a family trip. Authorities said it took emergency crews two hours to rescue Wyatt Kauffman after he slipped on a cliff Tuesday and plunged the nearly 100 feet (30 meters) at the Bright Angel Point trail.

The wildfire that has brought sheer devastation to Maui is especially heartbreaking for Hawaii because it struck one of its most historic towns and the onetime capital of the former kingdom.

On Friday afternoon an email from TICO stated CEO Richard Smart had received a letter from the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery, Kaleed Rasheed, outlining changes to the Board of Directors. One of those directives is to decrease the Board members from 11 to 9 and to ensure that no more than 34% of Board members, “are drawn from the travel agent and travel wholesaler industry.” ACTA president Wendy Paradis issued a response to the announcement stressing the importance of a strong industry voice and making other salient points.

New flights to Peru and resumption of service to Cozumel, Mexico, this winter will help Transat capitalize on the growth of tourism to Latin/South America, says the company.

Club Med will debut Club Med Kirora Grand, its newest Japan ski resort, in December, adding to the chain’s roster of 20 mountain resorts throughout the Alps, Canada, and Asia.

Last week, devastating wildfires in Maui dominated the late week news. Other things: China snubbed Canada in blow to inbound tourism, IATA reported the air sector has nearly reached pre-pandemic levels, Virgin Galactic got its first tourist to space, and Europe forecast a dramatic shift in future tourism patterns as global warming continues to take effect.

Canada is advising people not to travel to the Hawaiian island of Maui after a devastating wildfire largely destroyed the town of Lahaina, killing at least 53 people.