BLUE DIAMOND OPENS FIFTH JAMAICAN RESORT

Jamaica’s hotel boom continues with the official opening of Hideaway at Royalton Blue Waters, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort, an adults-only resort located in the heart of Montego Bay.

SADDLE UP: Horse hijinks disrupt flight over Atlantic

A cargo jet headed to Belgium from New York had to turn around mid-flight last week after a horse escaped its stall and got loose in the hold, according to air traffic control audio. The Boeing 747 operated by Air Atlanta Icelandic had just started its flight across the Atlantic Ocean when the pilot radioed air traffic control in Boston and said that a horse on board had escaped its stall.

ROUND-UP: Nov. 13-17, 2023

Is travel demand softening? And other headlines from last week: The Israel-Hamas war is having a global effect; Air Canada and WestJet are both boosting international flights; Sunwing is flying high at the start of the winter season; ACTA is urging a last call in its fight for TICO reform; G Adventure has a new luxe line of tours; and meet Canada’s new Canadian director for VisitBritain.

DIFFERING OPINIONS: Is the air travel market levelling off?

Demand for air travel may be levelling off after soaring to pre-pandemic levels over the summer, says FlightHub’s CEO. Christopher Cave said airline ticket sales dropped from September to October, when they typically rise ahead of the holiday season. However, Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau said last month that demand remains “very stable,” with advance ticket sales in its third quarter up 55% year-over-year.

WINTER IS COMING: And Sunwing says it’s ready

Sunwing is reporting strong results early in its winter season (starting Nov. 1), in part reflecting key measures designed to “bolster operational readiness” for the peak season to come. The airline says it has already carried nearly 100,000 customers on 600 flights to destinations throughout the tropics – and all of them “successfully completed.”

BAG AND BAGGAGE: Handy hacks to beat overweight baggage fees

Overpacking can be bad for the back (hauling around heavy bags), but also worrisome for the wallet as extra fees are now standard fare – including some cruise lines, but especially low-cost airlines, which are notorious for stinging passengers who exceed the suitcase or hand luggage allowance with large fees.

A BUBBLY CHECK-IN

This is a ship that runs on Champagne. Just kidding. But the corks keep popping from the moment you step on board Explora Journeys’ new ship Explora 1. After a smooth check-in at the Port of Miami, where attendants took care of getting our bags on the ship, we’re greeted at the gangway by smiling staff offering trays covered with flutes of complimentary Moet & Chandon Champagne and mimosas.

TO INFINITY AND BEYOND: Plea for pets to travel to space too

Earlier this week, a message expressing pets’ space exploration dreams appeared on the large billboard in New York Times Square. The video was displayed on the 61-metre-long Times Square screen, showing scenes of SpaceX Starship launch along with the message: “Hi, Elon! Let’s send our beloved XOOX pets in the Starship to Mars to make history. Together, we can make this dream come true!”

LISTENING IN: The Beatles’ ‘grand finale’

Have you heard the “new” Beatles song yet? Sixty years after the onset of Beatlemania and with two of the quartet now dead, artificial intelligence has enabled the release of what is promised to be the last “new” Beatles song.

BACK IN BLACK: The latest Black Friday travel offers

Black Friday – the day after US Thanksgiving – has become arguably the biggest shopping day of the year (surpassing Boxing Day), and many travel suppliers are eager to hop on the bandwagon (or airplane, coach, or cruise ship) too with a host of great deals for consumers, some just for the day, others a little longer. (Some even open to agents early). Here’s a round-up of some of the offers we’ve found to make wading through the bargain bin next Friday (November 24) a little easier.

‘SHOCK DECISION’ SEES SCHIPHOL CUTS SHELVED

The Dutch government says it has abandoned, for now, plans to rein in flights at Amsterdam’s busy Schiphol Airport following protests from countries including the United States and warnings that the move could breach European law and aviation agreements.

WHERE TO PINCH PESOS AND SPLURGE IN MAZATLAN, PEARL OF THE PACIFIC

‘No jacket, no tie, no attitude,’ might well be the motto for unpretentious Mazatlan’s terrific beach, bar and culture scene. Sometimes, when planning your holidays, you have to make a decision: sun and sand or culture and history? Mazatlan has the distinction of offering the best of both worlds.

FINE-ALLY!: Passenger pays huge price for inflight tantrum

A Hawaiian woman has been ordered to pay nearly US$39,000 in restitution to American Airlines for interfering with a crew on a flight last year. The woman was also sentenced to more than three months of time served in connection with her actions plus three years of supervised probation.

MSC CONTINUES JOURNEY TO ENERGY EFFICIENCY

MSC Cruises has confirmed the order of two liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered vessels with French ship builder Chantiers de l’Atlantique. The two new ordered vessels – currently referred to as World Class 3 and 4 – will be delivered in 2026 and 2027.

RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES: WTM report assesses prospects for travel industry

Rising travel and holiday costs have yet to dampen demand among consumers – mainly because the ‘revenge travel’ trend is still in full swing – but higher prices have been identified as one of the key challenges the industry faces, according to WTM Global Travel Report.

AIR CANADA SET TO BOOST ASIA CAPACITY IN DECEMBER

With travel to and from Asia on the upswing following the region’s late emergence from pandemic, Air Canada says it is boosting its Asia-Pacific network beginning in mid-December, through to the end of summer 2024.

DISNEY UNVEILS NEW SOUTH FLORIDA CRUISE TERMINAL

Disney Cruise Line has opened a new dedicated cruise terminal in Port Everglades, Fla., marking the company’s second year-round homeport in the state and the start of the cruise line’s “largest expansion in history.” The Disney Dream will begin sailing from the Greater Fort Lauderdale-area facility on Nov. 20, to be followed by the Disney Magic on May 9, 2024.

SUMMER NO BUMMER IN MONTREAL

Tourisme Montréal reports that its summer season surpassed it pre-pandemic performance in 2019, with an increase of 15% in international visitations. Among the positive trends was an average hotel occupancy rate of 80% and overall revenues higher than those of 2022. Business conferences were also on the upswing with major events experiencing an in-person participation rate of 72%, 2% more than last year.

EUROPEAN HOTEL GROUP ON ITS WAY TO JAMAICA

Lopesan, a major international hotel group with over 17,000 hotel rooms across Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean, has eyes for Jamaica, telling the country’ tourism minister at World Travel Market in London last week that it is urgently seeking to develop a 1,000-room luxury resort on the island.

FIDDLE ME THIS: Future Four Seasons Rome finds elusive Nero Theatre

Rome’s next luxury hotel has some very good bones: Archaeologists say that the ruins of Nero’s Theatre, an imperial theatre referred to in ancient Roman texts but never found, have been discovered under the garden of a future Four Seasons Hotel steps from the Vatican.

GOWAY PLANS UNIQUE BEACH VACATIONS TO THAILAND

Few things beat a warm, sunny beach in the midst of winter, but your clients shouldn’t go just anywhere warm when the weather gets cool at home. Thailand offers sandy beaches and a friendly welcome, as well as the opportunity to transform a beach escape into an unforgettable dream vacation. It’s about the beach and so much more.
Goway has been planning tailor-made trips for globetrotters since 1970. Goway’s team of Destination Specialists are the experts on all-things Thailand, from the best way to plan an itinerary to insider advice on great places to eat or hidden gems to add to the trip. If your clients want to head on a beach escape to Thailand, plan with Goway. Learn more on Goway’s website

DISCOVER THE HISTORY & CULTURE OF THAILAND WITH GOWAY

Thailand is known as the Land of Smiles. It’s one of the friendliest and most welcoming countries in the world. It’s also a place of vast history and exciting cultural opportunities. If your clients want to discover ancient history, meet friendly people, and savour some of the best food in the world, they should plan a tailor-made trip to Thailand.

ACTA PLEA TO ONT. AGENTS – USE YOUR WORDS!

ACTA says it is meeting with Ontario government officials on Nov. 30 to make its case for reform of the funding framework for the Travel Industry Council of Ontario, and member fees in the province. But in the meantime, the association is urging members to make their voices heard – no later than Mon. Nov. 27 – over changes to a model it says is inherently broken.

SAVOUR THE FLAVOURS OF THAILAND WITH GOWAY

Thai cuisine is one of the most succulent, delectable, all-around delicious cuisines in the world. Feasting on pad thai, khao soi, satay, and other Thai treats is one of the highlights of a trip to Thailand. But these dishes are only the first course of flavour that a traveller can enjoy in Thailand.

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