SWISS is set to expand its route network in its 2024 summer schedules, adding two new long-haul destinations – including Toronto – to be served from Zurich. Its intercontinental network will also see the addition of Washington, DC, while its European network will feature new services to Košice in Slovakia and Cluj-Napoca in Romania.
The Travel Industry Council of Ontario says it will launch a broad and comprehensive consultation process with registrants and stakeholders in the coming weeks about its funding framework and fee model proposals, including the Compensation Fund.
Jamaica is having its best year ever in visitors arrivals, according to Jamaica’s tourism minister. Edmund Bartlett’s enthusiasm was shared as the island’s tourism sector celebrated the return of JAPEX, its first major travel tradeshow post-pandemic.
South Florida rail service Brightline has announced that its extension to Orlando International Airport will begin on Sept. 22. Passengers will be able to connect from/to Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and West Palm Beach.
Scott Beck leaving his post as President and CEO of Destination Toronto and heading south to take over a similar role with the San Francisco Travel Association. The move takes effect Oct. 28.
Canadian pilots are demanding better wages and benefits from their employers, raising financial pressure on airlines that are just starting to recover from the pandemic and creating “really tricky” conditions to keep them flying south for more lucrative jobs.
Beginning Dec. 15, WestJet, will again connect Kelowna, BC, and Las Vegas, reintroducing a popular transborder connection from the Okanagan, for the first time since 2020. The non-stop service will operate twice weekly.
With COVID-19 largely in the rearview mirror, Bermuda tourism is back in Canada, rectifying a state of enforced neglect caused by the global pandemic. To that end, a delegation of representatives from the island, led by newly appointed Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA) CEO Tracy Berkeley and VP of Sales and Development Devin Lewis, visited Toronto recently for a series of meetings with the trade, including a gala industry event at the Hotel X.
The Cuba Tourist Board in Canada is offering travel advisors the opportunity to take part in two special FAM group trips to the destination that will take place in October.
Following the recent appointment of Nathalie Tanious’ as President & Chief Executive Officer, H.I.S.-Red Label Vacations Inc. (RLV) has announced a further series of executive promotions.
Air Canada says it has repaid about $589 million in debt that it used to buy aircraft. The company says it repaid a $462-million loan from Canada’s Export Development Corp. that it used to pay for the purchase of 14 Airbus A220-300 aircraft.
Two new travel guides have been released by British tourism travel organizations with the aim of helping the trade plan and book travel to the UK by receiving information from and directly connecting with local suppliers. The guides – from England’s Historic Cities and the Great West Way – are excellent resources to destinations across Britain and can be accessed online.
Canadian arrivals into Britain are poised to set an all-time record this year. And with an expected 944,000 visitors from this country forecast to find their way to Old Blighty – significantly more than not only 2019 (874k), but also the previous high-water mark in 2017 (911k) – VisitBritain officials are eyeing the magic million mark in 2024.
MGM Resorts said in a statement Monday that it had “recently identified a cybersecurity issue affecting some of the Company’s systems.” The issue was not described, but the statement said efforts to protect data included “shutting down certain systems.” It said the investigation was continuing. By Monday evening, the websites for all MGM Resorts International were offline with only a post offering telephone contacts for the various resorts’ locations.
Last month, an alarming prospect dawned on Ben Birstonas ahead of a $14,000 all-inclusive getaway planned with his family for Bermuda. “As we’re approaching the departure date, we hear about hurricane Franklin,” recalled the 58-year-old information technology consultant in a phone interview.
A post-pandemic surge in car traffic at Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport this summer has led to frustration, confusion, and desperation. The city’s public transit authority has scrambled to find detours for the airport shuttle, and the company that manages the site has opened more free parking and added traffic-control staff. So far, it appears nothing has worked to ease the bottlenecks.
Airbnb has stopped accepting some reservations in New York City after new regulations on short-term rentals went into effect – leading to big changes for travellers hoping to avoid the high cost of a Big Apple hotel.
North America’s largest retail travel agency network amps up education, training and network opportunities this Fall with eleven more mixers across Canada. The Travel Leaders Network events which sold out across the country throughout the year offer a platform where top suppliers can personally interact with owners and managers, free of charge to the members.
Travellers to Greece’s popular island destinations will face disruptions on Wednesday because of a 24-hour strike by ferry crews who cite safety and labour concerns after a tardy passenger was pushed into the sea by a ferry crew member and drowned – a scandal that led to the resignation of Greece’s shipping minister on Monday.
Passengers aren’t the only ones feeling cramped these days. Though Canadian flights have long been dominated by Air Canada and WestJet, the emergence of newer carriers including Flair Airlines and Lynx Air has shaken up the sector, injecting fresh competition to a once-complacent market.
An aftershock rattled Moroccans on Sunday as they mourned victims of the nation’s strongest earthquake in more than a century and sought to rescue survivors while soldiers and aid workers raced to reach ruined mountain villages. The disaster killed more than 2,100 people – a number that is expected to rise.
Following the success of its inaugural ‘Further Your World; Exclusive Educational Trip’ last month, Ensemble, has announced an initial schedule of FAM trips for 2024, with destinations ranging from the Maldives and South America to the Middle East.
Nunavut’s tourism industry is quickly recovering from the pandemic, according to the territorial government’s Director of Tourism and Culture Industries, David Boyle who contends that the industry is recovering faster locally than it is nationally, with cruise ship visits to the territory actually surpassing pre-pandemic levels last year.
Carnival Cruise Line is preparing to welcome its third BOLT: Ultimate Sea Coaster as it takes shape atop its next new ship Carnival Jubilee. The roller coaster’s 245-metre track is being installed on Deck 19 at Meyer Werft in Germany where the ship is under construction, a process expected to be complete this month with test runs are scheduled for October.
IHG Hotels & Resorts has launched its new midscale conversion brand, Garner. The brand is aimed at guests wanting great value stays at high-quality properties, and for owners seeking higher returns in the midscale segment.
In last week’s news reel, Disney offered a first glimpse of its new ship, the Treasure; a Qantas scandal led to early retirement for the airline’s boss; Air Canada revealed ambitious plans for its 2004 transatlantic program; a cruise ship returned to Maui; WestJet Encore pilots began preparing for contract negotiations; and Myrtle Beach named a new representative in Canada.
Tourist-flooded Venice has approved guidelines for testing a new fee for day-trippers on peak visitor weekends next year. The city council gave the go-ahead for the guidelines, tweaking earlier plans for a fee that were announced a year ago. Final approval of the plan will come up for consideration on Sept. 12.
President Joe Biden will nominate a former Obama administration official to lead the Federal Aviation Administration after his first choice withdrew in the face of Republican opposition nearly six months ago. The FAA, which regulates airline safety and manages the nation’s airspace, has been run by back-to-back acting administrators since March 2022.
He’s most often associated with Boston, the hometown of his legendary rock band, but Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler has a soft spot in his heart for the Hawaiian island of Maui. The singer, who has a home on the island, wants vacationers to return to Maui to help the island’s economy – devastated by wildfires last month – recover.
A British company whose mission is “to help people all over the world make better financial decisions” – and what could be more important than finding cheap beer? – has deduced that the average cost of a pint in Canada is about $3.68 (£1.98) more than the global average.