News nuggets, airlines, hotels/resorts, cruising, tours, events, FAMS/incentives, deals, destinations and more are covered in our weekly round-up of travel industry news you may have missed.

By Michael Baginski/ Heading south for the winter has been a Canadian ritual for generations, but this winter a dramatic new shift in Canadian travel trends is emerging, according to the Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada – one that threatens to see snowbirds roosting at home rather flying the Canadian winter coop.

At the time when the dollar is dipping, AI is reshaping jobs, and burnout feels like the new normal, Flight Centre Canada has declared 2026 the Year of R&R Travel – “reconnection and renewal” – unveiling 10 trends that show how resilient Canadians are adapting.

With G Adventures set to mark the close of its 2025 educational travel program in December, the Toronto-based tour company is already looking ahead to next year, announcing a series of trips that will see travel advisors FAM-ing it up in a wide range of destinations across the globe, from Ireland to Egypt, and Korea to Peru.

The Louvre reopened on Wednesday to long lines beneath its landmark Paris glass pyramid, three days after one of the highest-profile museum thefts of the century stunned the world for its audacity and scale.

By Michael Baginski/ It’s certainly no secret that Canadian travel patterns have changed this year, as many travellers look beyond the U.S. for alternative destinations that are not imposing tariffs or teasing about statehood. Indeed, data from Statistics Canada bears out what we all know anecdotally, but it also provides interesting nuance and perspective on how Canadians really feel about travel to Trump’s America – and where else they’re going.

Score one for Canadian passport holders, who have overtaken Americans in terms of their visa-free access to the world. The Henley Passport Index ranks Canada in 9th place for how many countries Canadian citizens can visit without needing to apply for a visa. The U.S. passport is in 12th place.

Air Canada Vacations has launched a loyalty program for the travel trade. The new ACV Groups Excellence Loyalty Program, a first for ACV, is designed exclusively to reward travel partners for their ongoing support and success in selling groups.

This week: TRAVELSAVERS CANADA is celebrating 25 years; and both Tauck and Oceania Cruises introduced enhanced version of the agent specialist/rewards programs.

As evidenced by destinations such as Antarctica, Greenland, and the Arctic Circle witnessing higher demand for activities like ice climbing, glacier trekking, polar diving, and wildlife expeditions, the extreme tourism trend is fuelled by travellers’ desire for raw, pristine landscapes and the appeal of experiencing regions most affected by climate change before they transform further.

Police arrested a man at Atlanta’s bustling airport on Monday after getting a tip from his family that he was planning to shoot up the place, and found an assault-style rifle and ammunition in his truck outside, the city’s police chief said.

By Michael Baginski/ Given the “current environment,” it’s not surprising that Canadian travel to the U.S. is suffering a “serious decline,” says an executive for Brand USA, who nevertheless suggests that things could be worse, even if Mexico has recently surpassed Canada as the U.S.’s top international source market for visitors.

Sunwing Vacations Group (SVG) reports that advance bookings this winter are strong and trending ahead of last year, with customers particularly keying in on Caribbean and Latin American destinations as demand shifts from transborder.