Penny Martin will be leaving her role as VP Agent Experience at The Travel Agent Next Door next August. The gregarious travel industry veteran has been with the company since its inception, working alongside Flemming Friisdahl as they built the company from scratch 10 years ago. But while Martin may be retiring from TTAND, she says “(I) hope to stay involved in the travel industry. Travel is in my blood!”
The authority overseeing the Montreal airport has announced measures to reduce congestion after a surge in car traffic over the summer prompted a wave of frustration among passengers trying to make their gate on time.
With warmer oceans serving as fuel, Atlantic hurricanes are now more than twice as likely as before to rapidly intensify from wimpy minor hurricanes to powerful and catastrophic, says a new study. Recently Hurricane Lee went from barely a hurricane at 129 kph to the most powerful Category 5 hurricane with 249 kph winds in 24 hours
A new marine centre will be built by MSC Cruises on its Ocean Cay marine reserve in the Bahamas, along additional new environmental infrastructure, plus amenities for passengers, as the company continues its transformation of the site.
It was a curious event, on many levels. “Europe invites the curious” was the theme, but the Toronto trade gala last week was also the first-ever collaboration between the European Travel Commission (ETC) and the Canadian Association of Tour Operators (CATO).
According to new research from Hilton, travellers will have high expectations from the hotels they choose in the coming year – and Millennials, Gen Z, Gen X and Baby Boomers have all provided telling insights into the changing preferences of travellers by generation.
Canadian trophy hunters will be barred from bringing home elephant tusks or rhinoceros horns as Canada adopts new trade controls to help stop the critical decline in the animals’ populations. Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault says that as of Jan. 8, raw ivory will only be allowed to be imported into Canada for research and scientific purposes or for use by law enforcement.
With the expanded international air agreement between Canada and Panama, Copa Airlines says it will increase frequencies between the countries in 2024, culminating in daily service between both Toronto and Montreal starting May 20 and 21 respectively.
To complement its previously announced year-round flights to Morocco from Montreal starting next June, Transat has launched a suite of packages, hotels, tours, and excursions in the north African country.
Antigua is known for its 365 beaches – one for each day of the year, they say. As such there is no shortage of hotels and resorts on the island, and neighbouring Barbuda, where visitors can spread out their beach towels or find a shady spot under a sun umbrella. Here is some of the latest news from the islands’ accommodation sector heading into a new winter season.
A fiery crash at the border, the re-instatement of Indian visas, and a government tourism investment program highlighted last weeks news. Other items included StatsCan’s suggestion that airfares are dropping, new trans-border flights from WestJet and Porter, and a new Disney milestone in Hong Kong.
Despite concerns over the war in neighbouring Israel-Gaza, Egypt’s tourism and antiquities minister believes the middle eastern country is just scratching the surface of its tourism potential. Ahmed Issa that his country is poised to reach 15 million visitors this year, having already posted record numbers in the first half of the year.
The FBI has ended its investigation of a fiery car wreck that killed two people at a New York-Ontario border checkpoint in Niagara Falls after finding no evidence that it was a terror attack, easing a tense period of high tensions as Americans headed into the Thanksgiving holiday, but leaving the bridge closed to traffic on Thursday.
Venice authorities on Thursday unveiled a pilot program to charge day-trippers 5 euros ($7.45) apiece to enter the fragile lagoon city on peak weekends next year in an effort to reduce crowds, encourage longer visits and improve the quality of life for residents.
A T-shirt or trinket just isn’t enough to encapsulate a visit to Aruba, believes the island’s board authority. With this in mind, the Aruba Tourism Authority (ATA) is introducing the “Tattoovenir,” a free souvenir designed to be a permanent reminder of one’s holiday on the southern Caribbean island.
The World’s 50 Best Bars 2023 List is out and Barcelona bar Sips has taken top honours. It’s the second time an establishment from Spanish city has taken the top spot in as many years, following Paradiso’s triumph in 2022.
One of many explanations for the island of Antigua’s name is that when Christopher Columbus first saw it he commented that it was “anti-agua”– the island that has no water. That’s ironic because most of the options for shore excursions from Explora Journeys’ new Explora 1 revolve around water. This Caribbean island boasts it has 365 beaches – one for every day of the year.
A friend recently urged me to check out an album called “Uncorked” by Al Stewart, whom you may recall from his classic hits “Year of the Cat” and “Time Passages.” The acoustic-style album is amazing and inspired me to delve back into the catalogue of a long-time (but, tragically, a little forgotten) favourite from the past.
A vehicle exploded at a checkpoint on the American side of a US-Canada bridge in Niagara Falls Wednesday, leaving two people dead and prompting the closing of four border crossings in the area. There was no immediate information the cause of the explosion, but it raised concerns on both sides of the border.
Nazir Karnai woke up on Wednesday to the news he’s been waiting two months to hear: Canadians can apply online for tourist visas to India once again. India’s high commission in Ottawa confirmed on social media that the decision took effect as of Wednesday.
Friday – Black Friday – is now considered the biggest shopping day of the year (ahead of Boxing Day), and it’s hard to find a travel supplier that isn’t eager to try to make the most of the extravaganza. Last week, we published of some of this year’s best travel deals – some having offered
Passenger numbers at Dubai International Airport (DXB) this year will eclipse the pre-pandemic passenger figures in 2019, showing the strong rebound in travel after the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns that grounded aircraft worldwide.
UNESCO is urging Cambodian authorities not to carry out forced evictions at the renowned Angkor Wat temple complex, after Amnesty International detailed the impact on evicted residents and accused the UN cultural agency of failing to challenge the Cambodian government over the issue.
Direct Travel Canada’s corporate travel division recently held its first corporate travel symposium. Held in Fort Lauderdale, the event was designed as an opportunity for senior executives, managers and advisors to connect and learn about developments in the sphere or business travel.
Statistics Canada says airfares have plummeted over the past year, as airlines shore up capacity, even while consumers think twice about travelling in a world of higher costs. In its consumer price index (CPI) Tuesday, the agency said the price of air transportation dropped 19.4 percent last month compared with October 2022.
A parliamentary committee is launching an investigation into accessibility at Canadian airlines, with a focus on the country’s two largest carriers. Following a motion put forward on Monday by NDP lawmaker Taylor Bachrach, the federal transport committee voted to undertake a study on the state of accessible transportation for Canadians living with disabilities as well as the regulatory regime surrounding it.
The way Valerie Damaseau sees it, the reason for her recent visit to Canada was simple: “To bring some sunshine into your lives!” And while she may have been speaking hypothetically, as president of the tourist office of sunny St. Martin, it didn’t seem out of the realm of possibility.
With Amex’s 2023 Global Travel Trends reporting that 86% of Canadians want to travel to a place they’ve never been before and 73% wanting to explore lesser-known destinations, American Express Travel’s just-released 2024 trending report leans into the non-traditional, going beyond well-known vacation spots to uncover hidden gems and new experiences that travellers, particularly Millennials and Gen-Z, are looking for.
Hong Kong Disneyland opened its first ‘Frozen’-themed attraction on Monday, with thousands of eager visitors turning up to experience the new rides, some lining up for hours to get an early start. The opening comes after Disney announced in September a US$60-billion expansion of its parks and cruises over about a decade.
Travel industry leaders Roger Dow, former president and CEO of the US Travel Association, Elliott L. Ferguson, II, president and CEO of Destination DC, and Peter F. Herschend, co-founder of Herschend Enterprises, were inducted into the US Travel Association Hall of Leaders at a ceremony last week. Dow was the 2022 inductee while Ferguson and Herschend were the 2023 honorees.