As Windsor, Ont.’s American cousin, and at one end of the busiest border crossing between the Canada and the US, Detroit is familiar to many Canadians. From Ford to Motown; Alice Cooper to Madonna and Eminem; long-standing sporting rivalries between the Leafs and Red Wings, and Jays and Tigers; and Little Caesar’s, of course, Detroit is an indelible part of the cultural consciousness of many Ontarians.
Strike news affecting travel abounded last week – including news that flights at Berlin Brandenburg are cancelled today (April 24); there was also big news from Air Canada, Sunwing deals, a Holland America Line milestone, and ACTA revealing Travel Agent Day plans in a couple of weeks.
Expedia Group Media Solutions has launched an industry first advertising and travel technology platform that gives travellers the tools to shop and book travel as they are watching travel content, making entertainment tourism bookable.
The centerpiece of spring in Istanbul is a giant carpet of millions of tulips woven into the city’s iconic Sultanahmet Square – once the Roman-Byzantine hippodrome – that fronts the Blue Mosque.
Disney is inviting Canadian Travel Agents to expand their product knowledge and increase their sales potential at a Disney seminar. The offer is exclusive to Canadian Travel Agents who are invited to join Canadian Disney Business Development Manager for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Canada, Cindy Charest, to find out the latest Disney Destinations news. Presentations will be offered in both English and French.
The final curtain came down this week (April 16) on New York’s production of “The Phantom of the Opera,” ending Broadway’s longest-running show with thunderous standing ovations, champagne toasts and gold and silver confetti bursting from its famous chandelier.
It’s so sleek it cuts effortlessly through waves and headwinds. It’s powered by emission-free fuel cells and wind turbines, while photo cells in its glass produce more than enough juice for all the ship’s electrical needs. It’s called Reverse, but it’s a look far into the future by engineers at Germany’s Meyer Group working on ideas to create a totally self-sufficient ecologically friendly cruise ship.
In wacky news this week, there were people in odd places, an annoyed Arnold Schwarzenegger, a batty situation in Germany, and a bank robber with more manners than money.
Laser Floyd. Two words that said it all about Pink Floyd and a generational right of passage (totally sober, of course) in the years following the 1973 release of the band’s epic, now iconic album “Dark Side Of The Moon.”
Air Canada has announced its New Distribution Capabilities (NDC) program, featuring new benefits, expanded content and additional trade support for agencies and travel buyers. The airline says the program will provide a competitive alternative to legacy distribution, giving agents access to Air Canada inventory, fares, ancillary services, ticketing, and digital products.
Senjuti Sarker needed to renew her passport for an upcoming trip to Europe but her attempt at doing so failed Wednesday after federal public service workers went on strike. Employment and Social Development Canada has said essential services such as employment insurance and social insurance numbers will be maintained, but passport services are not deemed essential.
The travel industry has been through a lot in the past three years, says ACTA – from working overtime with no guarantee of outcome due to pandemic restrictions, to political unrest, severe weather, infrastructure issues, mass schedule changes, cancellations, and more.
Joined by dignitaries from both The Bahamas and Canada, and staff from the Bahamas tourist office, Bahamas prime minister Philip Davis opened the island’s first-ever Consulate General in Toronto this week amidst a flurry of positive tourism news from destination.
Officials with Vancouver International Airport are promising new real-time weather monitoring equipment, gate protocols and better communication after releasing a review of the travel chaos caused by snow last December.
Ensemble has announced it has become the first travel advisor consortium to partner with Women Leading Travel & Hospitality, a membership-based association that connects executive women across all sectors of the travel and hospitality industry.
The Ontario Science Centre will be moving to a revamped Ontario Place on Toronto’s waterfront. Premier Doug Ford unveiled plans for the next stage of a redeveloped Ontario Place that includes the new location for the science centre, an expanded amphitheatre, a public beach, bars, restaurants, a new marina, and a massive spa.
Less than a week before the end of conciliation, WestJet pilots sent “a strong message” to WestJet management with an overwhelming vote of support for a strike, should a negotiated settlement not be reached by May 16.
Holland America Line’s flagship Rotterdam arrived at the Port of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, yesterday following a 150th Anniversary crossing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The ship’s arrival on the exact date of Holland America Line’s 150th birthday (April 18) kicked off all-day celebrations that included royalty, local dignitaries, port officials and guests who commemorated the special day.
A parliamentary committee has recommended sweeping changes to Canada’s air passenger rights framework, stressing tougher enforcement and compensation rules around flight delays. Tabled Tuesday, the report comes after chaotic travel seasons over the summer and winter holidays brought on by soaring demand, labour shortages and poor weather.
Transat Distribution Canada (TDC) is hosting a delegation this week of travel agency owners, preferred partners, and members of the TDC network’s management team at the Breathless Riviera Cancún Resort & Spa in Mexico. The five-day National Leadership Conference kicked off on the weekend with strategic reflection and the exchange of best practices between members in the spotlight.
Southwest Airlines planes were briefly grounded nationwide in the US Tuesday for what the airline called an intermittent technology issue, leading to more than 1,800 delayed flights just four months after the carrier suffered a much bigger meltdown over the Christmas travel rush.
Tourism Ireland’s new global campaign “Fill you heart with Ireland” has launched in Canada. Designed to “win hearts around the world,” the promotional endeavour “is all about celebrating the different ways in which the island of Ireland fills the hearts of our visitors and of locals – and inviting potential holidaymakers to experience those for themselves,” according to the tourist board.
The public will have to wait a little longer to visit the North Rim at Grand Canyon National Park this year. Like other parts of the western US, northern Arizona received an abundance of snow over the winter, and park officials say pushing back the opening from mid-May to June 2 will give them more time to plow the main state road that leads to the rim and allow staff to reopen visitor facilities.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada says its 155,000-plus members working for the Treasury Board and the Canada Revenue Agency – including federal border and passport workers – will launch a strike action if a deal cannot be reached with the federal government by 9 p.m. ET today (April 18) – setting the stage for one of the largest strikes in Canada’s history.
With more than 100 family-friendly attractions, 47 miles/76 km of sparkling coastline, outdoor adventure, arts and culture and a diverse culinary scene; The Palm Beaches offer many exciting and enticing experiences for the entire family. Get close to sea turtles and marine life at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center, feed a giraffe at Lion Country Safari, make a discovery at the Cox Science Center and Aquarium, snorkel along the spectacular trail offshore at Phil Foster Park or just kick back and relax on a postcard-perfect, golden-sand beach.
Montreal’s airport has an illegal taxi problem and its regulatory authority is calling for a crackdown. Airport authority spokeswoman Anne-Sophie Hamel says they sometimes see taxis with fake Uber stickers on their cars, or even cars with fake taxi domes.
Viking reports its newest ship for the Nile River – the 82-guest Viking Aton – has been “floated out,” marking a major construction milestone and the first time the ship has touched water. Set to debut in August, the Viking Aton will help serve surging demand for the destination, resulting in the cruise company selling out its 2023 season.
Shopping in The Palm Beaches is as enticing as the beaches. From vintage finds to luxury goods to one-of-a-kind treasures, there is something for everyone.
A French court on Monday acquitted Airbus and Air France of manslaughter charges over the 2009 crash of Flight 447 from Rio to Paris, which killed 228 people and led to lasting changes in aircraft safety measures.
A one-year-old Australian shepherd took an epic trek across 241 km of frozen Bering Sea ice that included being bitten by a seal or polar bear before he was safely returned to his home in Alaska.