A LASTING IMPRESSION: Air Canada worst in on-time performance

A new report says Air Canada ranked last in on-time performance among the 10 largest airlines in North America, as some carriers in Canada struggle to find their post-pandemic footing despite much better outcomes than the travel chaos of 2022.

CHINA SNUBS CANADA FOR TOURISM

China has increased the number of countries that its big-spending tourist groups can visit by more than 70 following the lifting of its last COVID-19 travel restrictions. But in a blow to this Canada’s tourism industry, this country was not among them.

VIRGIN FINALLY TAKES TOURISTS TO SPACE

Virgin Galactic rocketed to the edge of space with its first tourists Thursday, including a former British Olympian who bought his ticket 18 years ago and a mother-daughter duo from the Caribbean.

PUBS, PATIOS & BARS: The latest trend in drinking? Gourmet water!

First, it was the banana-randomberry-wheat grass smoothies. Then the cold brew, triple-shot, something-milk lattes; the German-word craft beers; and the small-batch, barrel-aged Prohibition cocktails. Now a new bar in Dubai, the Middle Eastern hub of all things cutting-edge, is serving “gourmet water.” Thirty varieties of it.

CUNARD REVEALS GOURMET ADDITIONS TO QUEEN ANNE

Double Michelin-starred chef, Michel Roux will set the tone for a pub on Cunard’s coming Queen Anne, as well as planning an exclusive gala menu for the Queen’s Grill. Roux will be working alongside Cunard’s culinary development chefs to create a new menu for the Golden Lion pub that will be rolled out fleet wide.

LISTENING IN: Remembering Robbie Robertson

Robbie Robertson, The Band’s lead guitarist and songwriter, who went on to become one of Canada’s most famous musicians, died Wednesday at age 80 after a long illness at his home in Los Angeles.

MAUI BURNING: Visitors asked to leave, stay away

A wildfire tore through the heart of Maui on Wednesday with alarming speed and ferocity, destroying homes and businesses in a historic tourist town, and forcing panicked people to jump into the ocean to flee the flames.

AIRLINE TRAFFIC NEARS FULL RECOVERY

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that the post-COVID recovery momentum continued in June for passenger markets with total traffic (measured in revenue passenger kilometres or RPKs) rising 31.0% compared to June 2022. Globally, traffic is now at 94.2% of pre-COVID levels.

SAILS FOR SALE: MSC opens book on 2024/25 season

MSC Cruises has opened sales for its winter 2024/25 season with more than 150 global sailings now available to book. Six ships will serve the Caribbean Sea, while the MSC World Europe will sail the Mediterranean, and MSC Euribia undertakes a new deployment in the Middle East.

BRITISH AIRWAYS NDC CONTENT NOW LIVE ON TRAVELPORT

New Distribution Capability content from British Airways is now live on the Travelport+ platform, enabling the carrier to give simplified access to NDC content to agents, so that travel retailers can easily book and service NDC offers for their customers.

MORE MINION MAYHEM AT UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT

Minion Land on Illumination Avenue will officially open to guests this week (Aug. 11) at Universal Studios Florida. Previously open in preview, the one-of-a-kind land expands upon the popular ‘Despicable Me Minion Mayhem’ attraction, bringing a new collection of humorous adventures inspired by the beloved Minions franchise.

WESTJET BOOSTS BC FLIGHTS TO MEXICO

WestJet is boosting flight service to Mexico this winter, boasting a 14% increase in capacity from Vancouver International Airport, as well as adding weekly non-stop service between Vancouver and Ixtapa.

RETAIL ROUND-UP: F1S, Ensemble advisors sailing to success

Canadians are booking cruises again at pre-pandemic levels according to First in Service, which is reporting that two-thirds of its advisors in a recent survey said that demand for the sector has bounced back. Data also reveals that the Mediterranean is top cruise itinerary booked and that luxury and small ship experiences are increasing in popularity.

PRINCESS SAYS YES TO ‘KING OF BRIDAL’ RANDY FENOLI

Twenty-five years after hosting the first modern wedding at sea, Princess Cruises has unveiled a new line-up of wedding packages and announced TV host and bridal designer Randy Fenoli as Brand Ambassador for Love and Romance, a role that includes hosting a bridal fashion themed cruise in December and developing a signature wedding package exclusive to The Love Boat.

SUPER COOL: Look what you made me do.

Depending on your point of view, this incident can be viewed as sweet, generous, surprising, ill advised, foolish, opening the door to inane passenger expectations – and that’s just looking at a few possibilities. What happened? A Taylor Swift fan asked a Southwest pilot to fly over the pop star’s concert in Los Angeles — and guess what – he obliged.

BLING BUST: Don’t leave home with it

Police in northeastern Spain arrested two men who allegedly stole carry-on luggage containing some $12.5 million worth of jewelry and cash from departing passengers at Barcelona’s airport.

BRUCE ALMIGHTY: Goway’s founder at 80, celebrates a not-boring life

Bruce Hodge is surely one of the most interesting men in the world, so it was only fitting that lightning flashed and thunder clapped during his remarks as the inimitable founder of Goway Travel celebrated his 80th birthday at his North Toronto home late last week.

WILDFIRES TAKE TOLL ON BC TOURISM

British Columbia’s record wildfire season has affected travel bookings in some areas, but the impact on tourism in the province varies by region, proximity, and visibility of flames

‘LIKE SWIMMING IN SOUP’: Florida water temperatures hit triple digits

In the sweltering summer heat, nobody tries to cool off by jumping into a hot tub. In parts of Florida, however, that’s what the ocean has felt like. Last week, sea surface temperatures reached as high as 101.2 degrees Fahrenheit (38.4 degrees Celsius) around the state’s southern tip in Manatee Bay, according to the US National Weather Service.

RIU MAKES LONDON DEBUT

Riu Hotels & Resorts has made its UK debut with the opening of the Riu Plaza London Victoria, a new four-star 435-room establishment located in the heart of Westminster near Buckingham Palace and Big Ben.

WORK ON THE WATER: AmaWaterways makes case for digital nomads

On the occasion of Digital Nomad Day today (Aug. 08), AmaWaterways is encouraging remote to “make the world their office.” And to do so, the luxury river cruise line has put a special focus on its 2024 early season cruises, starting in February on the Rhine and Danube rivers.

THAT’S A NEW ONE: Baghdad-bound bear escapes on plane

As if there aren’t enough reasons for planes to be delayed these days, a bear escaped from its crate in the cargo hold of an Iraqi aircraft as it was due to depart from Dubai airport, leaving passengers disgruntled over the delay and causing a stir on social media.

ROUND-UP: July 31-Aug. 04, 2023

Among the headlines last week, IATA took umbrage with the federal government, TICO forked out funds for a number of claims, Nicaragua finally dropped arrivals testing requirements, Crystal cruised again, a new low-cast Caribbean carrier revealed plans for Canada, and a surprising retirement announcement from south of the border.

VISITOR RESTRICTIONS IMPOSED AT ACROPOLIS

Visits to the Acropolis of Athens, Greece’s most popular archaeological site, will be capped starting next month at a maximum 20,000 daily and subject to varying hourly entry limits, the Greek government says. Similar caps will also be imposed for other popular archaeological sites.

PET PEEVES: Not all animals travel safely

As many Canadians continue packing their vehicles for a summer road trip, Allstate Insurance Company of Canada has launched a campaign to remind them how to safely travel with their precious furry cargo. In fact, a new survey commissioned by the insurance company points to potential safety issues for all vehicle occupants.

Scroll to Top