Today, May 3, is an auspicious day. It is national lumpy rug day. Tomorrow, national Star Wars day, Friday tuba day, and so forth, until packaging design day at the end of the week. But in the annals of national day lore, the first Wednesday of May is also, most importantly, Travel Agent Appreciation Day.
Like putting pineapple on pizza, Air Transat’s new promotional campaign ‘Time to go’ encourages Canadians to step out of their comfort zone, at the same time maintaining that it’s essential to travel in order to recharge one’s batteries and escape the monotony of everyday life.
The first member of the three-vessel Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection fleet, Evrima, finally began accepting passengers in October 2022. I was on the christening cruise, which left Lisbon Nov. 5, for Funchal, Tenerife, and Barbados. It was a 13-day indulgence, which, for some of my fellow travellers, meant sipping champagne from breakfast to bedtime.
Days after Disney sued Florida’s governor in federal court for what it described as retaliation for opposing the state’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill, Disney World’s governing board – made up of Gov. Ron DeSantis appointees – filed a lawsuit Monday against the entertainment giant.
Some engineers for the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) wanted to ground the Boeing 737 Max soon after a second deadly crash, but top officials in the agency overruled them, according to a government watchdog.
The WestJet Group says it has completed its acquisition of Sunwing Vacations and Sunwing Airlines. The transaction, which will see the two brands maintain independent operations, signals a “bright future” for WestJet’s ambitious growth strategy, says the company. Notably, now former Sunwing CEO Stephen Hunter has been appointed CEO of the WestJet Group’s Vacations Business, responsible for all tour operating and vacation package businesses of both brands.
Passport workers and some border staff were back at work Monday with the announcement that the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) had reached a tentative contract agreement with the Treasury Board covering more than 120,000 federal government workers across the country.
Sleepy (and chilly) Niagara on the Lake, Ont., got a healthy dose of California tourism sunshine last week as the state’s tourist board checked into town for its annual Canadian sales mission, attracting close to 40 members of the Canadian travel trade, along with an equal cohort of destination and supplier representatives from the Golden State.
Canadians will be able to fly to the Martinique directly from Toronto for the first time with the launch of new Air Canada flights this winter to the French Caribbean island, complimenting existing service from Montreal.
The head of the Hawaii Tourism Authority says the organization is “in jeopardy” after being left out of the state’s most recent budget bill, and that “tough decisions” are ahead for the state-run agency.
Japan has lifted most of its coronavirus border controls, including a requirement that entrants show proof of three vaccinations or a pre-departure negative test.
All entrants with symptoms will still be required to take COVID-19 tests after arriving until May 8, and those who test positive will be placed in designated quarantine facilities, however, after May 9, testing of those with symptoms will be voluntary.
The 43rd edition of Tourism Australia’s largest annual trade event, the Australian Tourism Exchange 2023 (ATE23), is underway on the Gold Coast with around 2,300 delegates expected to take part in the event at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.
It’s not WestJet pilots, who are in a position to strike later this month, but the 350 members of Unifor Local 531 have reached their first tentative deal with WestJet at Pearson International Airport in Toronto. The members unit are primarily customer service agents and baggage agents at YYZ.
Vacation deprivation levels have reached a 10-year high as working adults navigate inflation, workplace labour shortages and busy schedules, according to a new report by Expedia. That includes nearly six in 10 Canadians, the second highest rate in the past decade.
The US Treasury Department has announced sanctions against members or associates of the Jalisco New Generation drug cartel who apparently went into a side business of timeshare fraud that allegedly targeted elderly people. The sanctions also include almost two dozen Mexican tourism or real estate companies, notably in the Puerto Vallarta area.
Ahead of Travel Agent Day on May 3 and in celebration of Travel Agent Appreciation Month, Royal Irish Tours has revealed a couple of incentives for travel counsellors in May, including a grand prize trip
Philip Rose – a familiar to the Canadian trade as the former head of the Jamaica Tourist Board in this country – has been named Deputy Director of Tourism for the Americas, with responsibility for the US, Caribbean and Latin America.
The US Coast Guard suspended the search for an Australian cruise ship passenger who went overboard from a Royal Caribbean ship in waters south of Hawaii last week. Kevin Cooper, a search and rescue mission coordinator for the Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu, said in a news release that the Coast Guard decided to call off the search after reviewing the case and discussing it with Australian consular officials and the passenger’s next of kin.
In was Tourism Week in Canada last week, while amongst other round-up dispatches, a report suggested Canadian airports are still struggling, YVR unveiled new flights, and IGH Hotels made news in Nepal.
Travel is back, but have travellers learned anything since the pandemic? And are new fears and behaviours replacing old ones? The answers, according to the recent Global Rescue Traveller Sentiment and Safety Survey, are mixed – amidst surging traveller confidence, but shifting fears.
Well Canadian foodies, if you want a Michelin star dining experience, get your wallet out – Canada is at the top of the list when it comes to the most expensive country for Michelin Star dining. The study conducted by Spin Genie, analyzed the average price value of Michelin-starred restaurants in each country to reveal the cheapest, and most expensive, countries for a Michelin-star meal.
The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus has been reimagined and reborn without animals as a high-octane family event with highwire tricks, soaring trapeze artists and bicycles leaping on trampolines.
From Major Tom to Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane, the many faces and inspirations of David Bowie are getting a permanent home in London. Britain’s Victoria & Albert Museum announced that it has acquired Bowie’s archive of more than 80,000 items as a gift from the late musician’s estate.
While Quebec is already well-known for its refined gins and wine, the province’s craft beer scene is booming too. With over 150 microbreweries, several summer beer festivals, and a special passport to help promote beer tourism, the province has plenty to offer craft beer-lovers.
Every day’s a holiday is the promise of Life at Sea Cruises. There’s always that moment as you pack up to go home from your cruise when the thought comes up : Why does this have to end? That’s why there’s usually a future cruise desk located conveniently near the reception area.
For a little over a decade, Seattle’s The Head and the Heart has been looking down from the top of the charts – not so much the mainstream ones, but indie, folk, and alternative.
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts on Wednesday sued Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his hand-picked oversight board, accusing the Republican 2024 presidential prospect of organising a campaign of “government retaliation” and weaponizing his political power in actions that “now threatens Disney’s business operations, jeopardizes its economic future in the region, and violates its constitutional rights.”
With Seabourn marking a major construction milestone for its second purpose-built expedition vessel Seabourn Pursuit with a traditional coin ceremony at Italian shipyard this month, there was no better time for the company to call in Canada for sessions with the trade to highlight the cruise line’s growing expedition travel segment.
Worldwide hotel construction activity saw a year-over-year decline in March, with Europe having the biggest decrease of 18.2% and the Asia-Pacific region having the smallest drop of 0.8%, according to STR data. However, a separate report from Lodging Econometrics found the global construction pipeline was up 4% year-over-year in 2022, with the US, Asia-Pacific and Canada all experiencing an uptick in project counts.
Following the success of the inaugural Four Seasons Drive Experience through Tuscany, the luxury hotel company has introduced two new itineraries the ‘Heart of the Alps’ in June and ‘Napa Valley’ in the Fall will deliver driving experiences that showcase the best of these new itinerary destinations. When not on the road, guests in the Alps will stay at Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues Geneva and Four Seasons Hotel Megève. While in Napa Valley, travellers will stay at Four Seasons Resort and Residences Napa Valley.