Air Canada Vacations had agents dancing in their seats, literally, as the tour operator concluded its five-city Canadian road show/sun launch spectacle in Toronto last week, following “Dream Bigger” events in Halifax, Vancouver, Edmonton (for the first time), and Montreal.
A familiar favourite and a “best kept secret” are among new WestJet destinations from Western Canada this winter as the carrier introduces flights to Las Vegas from Victoria, BC, and Loreto, Mexico, from Calgary – the former reintroducing WestJet’s first transborder connection from Vancouver Island since 2017.
Air Transat is looking ahead to its next generation of pilots with the launch of a new cadet training program that will enable the airline to build a pipeline of qualified pilots, with applications being accepted now for training beginning in February 2024.
Long-anticipated passenger rail service between Orlando and Miami was inaugurated Friday (Sept. 22) with the arrival of ‘Bright Pink,’ the first Brightline train, in the central Florida city. The inaugural service is the first privately funded passenger rail service over a century.
India suspended visa services in Canada last week due to a tensions between the countries; other round-up highlights include air passenger complaints in Canada hitting a peak, WestJet and Air France’s expanded codeshare partnership, Porter Toronto-Victoria service taking flight, and ACTA giving the thumbs down to the terms of government CEBA loan forgiveness for small businesses.
India’s visa processing centre in Canada suspended services Thursday as a rift widened between the countries after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Parliament on Monday that there were “credible allegations” of Indian involvement in the assassination of Sikh independence activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was gunned down in June outside the temple he led in suburban Vancouver.
VisitBritain hosted a reception for media and travel partners at the TIFF Bell Lightbox during last week’s Toronto International Film Festival. The pairing of Visit Britain and the film festival was an ideal opportunity to showcase Britain with “an awesome program, the biggest ever, with 24 productions or co-productions from the UK” said British Consul General to Toronto, Fouzia Younis.
When we say we love Italy it’s because of the way Italy and Italians make us feel when we visit. Italy punches way above its cultural weight class – good food, the Mediterranean climate, opera, the visual arts, supercar capital of the world, fashion, warm and friendly people.
The nominees for Canada’s Best New Restaurants 2023 have been unveiled by Air Canada, with 30 entries spanning 15 cities from coast-to-coast, in the running for the Top 10 announcement on Nov. 1. The list showcases the best of new Canadian cuisines and features a new group of restaurants in the longest-running Canadian restaurant awards.
Cocktails (and swank cocktail bars) are all the rage, from a new Harry Potter-themed space in London to the iconic long bar at Raffles in Singapore, home of the Singapore Sling, and thousands in between. In Toronto, near the top of the list is always the Library Bar at the Royal York Hotel.
It wasn’t that long ago that exploring remote areas of the globe could put you out of touch with the outside world for weeks. Until recently, cruises near either of the poles and even to lesser-populated islands were well out of contact for satellite services. Or, if available, they cost the price of a meal per minute. But all that is changing fast.
One wouldn’t expect to see great bands at a trade show, but give IPW credit, the signature US Travel trade event each year never fails to impress. Each year, one or more of the luncheons features a performance from a great American band, and sometimes someone will even pop up at an evening event. This year in San Antonio, the close to 5,000 delegates (yes, it’s a big lunch) were treated to Counting Crows.
The global push to decarbonize the aviation sector by 2050 will lead to a major increase in ticket prices unless governments step in to offer support, WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech warned this week. Von Hoensbroech made the comments Tuesday at the 24th World Petroleum Congress, a major international oil-and-gas conference being held in Calgary this week.
The Walt Disney Co. has “new stories to tell” its fans and is planning to invest approximately $60 billion into its theme parks and cruise lines over the next decade to do so. The company said in a regulatory filing on Tuesday that its planned investment – “accelerated and expanded” – is nearly double what it spent in the prior 10-year period.
Porter Airlines inaugurated service in Victoria, BC, Wednesday with daily flights between Toronto Pearson Airport representing another link in the growing network of routes the airline has introduced this year with its new Embraer E195-E2 aircraft.
Pilots and aircraft assembly workers are among the first professionals to be invited by the Canadian government to take advantage of a new Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada policy designed to address labour shortages in the country. The move comes as That smaller Canadian airlines plan to add more than 50 planes to their fleets in the next two years, while Air Canada and WestJet are also bulking up.
Venice has again escaped the tarnish of UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites in danger, drawing a victory cheer from the mayor but scorn from environmentalists and scientists alarmed by the impact of mass tourism and climate change on the storied lagoon city.
Travel Edge Network celebrated ‘Limitless’ possibilities; Trevello is planning a unique twist for its Fall regional events, F1S introduces a new CFO; Direct Travel partners with Allianz; and FlightHub earned Air Canada honours in this week’s round-up.
Airbnb says it has removed 59,000 fake listings and prevented another 157,000 from joining the platform this year. Fake listings and high cleaning fees are among several issues that Airbnb says its users highlighted in a company survey. Others included high cleaning fees and a desire for lower prices.
After studying the federal government’s extension for CEBA loan payments by small businesses, including Canadian travel agencies and independent advisors, ACTA says it is “disappointed” in the actual details of the announcement, which later appeared on the Department of Finance’s website.
International tourism has continued to recover from the worst crisis in its history as arrival numbers reached 84% of pre-pandemic levels between January and July 2023, according to the latest data from UNWTO. The Middle East, Europe and Africa lead the global sector’s rebound.
The stars are aligning for Canadian visitations to Britain to hit record numbers and pass the magic million mark – even as soon as next year – but VisitBritain says its trade partners are a critical component of the journey and a key to the destination’s success.
Starting Sept. 25, a newly expanded codeshare agreement with Air France will enable WestJet passengers to access 31 additional cities across 11 European countries via Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). Previously, WestJet and Air France’s code share agreement included 22 destinations through CDG, all of which will be maintained as the number of onward destinations in Europe now grows to 53.
Marking a new era for the Raffles Hotels & Resorts brand that was founded in Singapore in 1887, Raffles Boston has officially opened its doors to guests (Sept. 15). The 35-storey Massachusetts property represents the first mixed-use development in North America for the iconic 136-year-old brand.
The United States Federal Aviation Administration has returned Mexico’s aviation safety rating to the highest level two years after downgrading it. The change will allow Mexican airlines to add new routes to the US, and US airlines will once again be able to sell tickets on Mexican airline-operated flights.
Royal Caribbean International has revealed a first look at Hideaway Beach – its private adults-only beachfront escape at Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas, which is set to open in January. Timed to debut alongside the new ship ‘Icon of the Seas,’ the all-day experience will feature a private beach and pools, new dedicated spots for drinks and bites, exclusive cabanas, live music and more.
With TICO nearing the completion of its funding review and the Ontario government travel industry regulator’s AGM set for Sept 26, the Canadian Association of Tour Operators (CATO) says it’s “now or never” for reform of the Compensation Fund – something it’s not convinced is going to successfully happen.
Ireland is a nation that captivates travellers with its romantic visions of a bygone age, but it’s also one of the most comfortable nations to visit in the present. It’s full of historic treasures, lush landscapes, friendly people, and an internationally-appealing culture. At the heart of Ireland is the capital, Dublin, once known as the most beautiful city in Europe and today a cherished centre of history, culture, and good times.
The backlog of air passenger complaints at Canada’s transport regulator has hit a new high topping 57,000, as dissatisfaction over cancellations and compensation persist three and a half years after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The numbers reveal that an average of more than 3,000 complaints per month have piled up at the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) over the past year, with the current tally well over three times the total from September 2022.
It’s easy to lose yourself in the famous sights of Ireland: the medieval treasures of Dublin, windswept coastlines of the Atlantic along the Cliffs of Moher or The Ring of Kerry. But what about the sights that lie between Dublin and the enchanting roads of the west coast? Well, Ireland has plenty of wonders to see, which stretch far beyond these iconic sights. Part of the joy of Ireland’s modest size is that most of its sites are easily accessible to travellers exploring by car, coach, or train.