While stating on its web site that its flights to the Caribbean and South America are operating “normally,” Air Canada has instituted a limited time allowance for passengers worried about flying to the region to change their plans for free following the U.S.’s military action in Venezuela.
Just days after being given the go-ahead by a U.S. district court judge, a federal appeals court ruling on New Year’s Eve blocked Hawaii from enforcing a climate change tourist tax on cruise ships passengers, a levy that was set to go into effect at the start of 2026.
As 2026 dawns, the long-promised return of the Northlander is no longer stuck at the station. Ontario Northland has released a proposed service schedule for the Northlander, offering what travel between Timmins and Toronto could look like when passenger rail service resumes later this year.
By Wallace Immen/ No matter how popular their ships are, cruise lines expanding their fleets aren’t content with just more of the same. The big new cruisers launching in 2026 are invariably a little larger than their sisters and packed with inventive added features, options and fun twists to get attention.
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/ Donald Trump, and by extension all things relating to Canadian travel to the U.S., dominated our news feed, and reads, this year. Sure, AI and its applications in travel emerged in full force in 2025, generating its fair share of fears and cheers.
By Michael Baginski/ I recently spent a minute (several, in fact) in New York – a visit that transpired during the nascent times of tariffs and the 51st state. Perhaps not surprisingly, I was asked by some why I went, and what my experience was like. Simply put, it was New York – no more, no less. Frenetic, mesmerizing, limitless, a world unto itself. And utterly unconcerned, even oblivious of my Canadianness and critical gaze.
As we dive deeper into the themes introduced in my last column (and series opener), I want to share a practical vision of the near future. We are standing at a crossroads: AI is already part of our daily lives, and by 2026 it will be far more ubiquitous in the workflows of travel professionals.
Listening In is without a doubt one of the most popular features in Travel Industry Today. There’s rarely an industry function or gathering that goes by without someone mentioning it, not to mention all the emails, texts – and suggestions. With this in mind, we offer a year-end reprise of our most viewed video of 2025 – the incomparable Israel Kamakawiwoʻole and his Polynesian mash-up of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “What a Wonderful World.”
The Canadian travel industry lost its share of luminaries in 2025. Here are some of them – all sadly gone, but certainly not forgotten.
A U.S. District Judge’s ruling has cleared the way for Hawaii to include cruise ship passengers in a new tourist tax to help cope with climate change, a levy set to go into effect at the start of 2026. The decision denied a request that sought to stop officials from enforcing the new law on cruises.
Dreams Take Flight, Air Canada and The Air Canada Foundation celebrated another successful year of heartfelt journeys to theme parks in Florida and California. This year, more than a thousand children across Canada got to experience a day full of rides, magic and laughter.
London Heathrow (LHR) has retained its title as the world’s most connected airport for the third consecutive year in 2025, offering over 59,000 possible connections to 226 destinations on the busiest day. Two Canadian airports made the annual top 50 ‘Megahubs’ list by global aviation data platform leader OAG: Toronto Pearson at 26, and Vancouver, 46.
New Year’s Eve notwithstanding, travellers are increasingly prioritizing authenticity, nature and mindfulness over partying and nightlife according to Global Rescue Traveller Sentiment and Safety Survey.
Each year, G Adventures releases its annual ‘Where to Travel’ list, looking at hot destinations for the upcoming year. But, this year, the travel company is doing things differently, focussing on how travel can change people, and its power to create lasting happiness.
Trips by Americans to Canada rose for the first time in eight months in October, Statistics Canada reports. The number of trips to Canada by U.S. residents in October totalled 1,814,406, up 3% compared with 1,760,987 the same month last year.
As 2025 comes to a close, WestJet has revealed a list of some of its quirkiest and most critical stats of the year – such as the most-watched movies at 35,000 feet and whether guests consumed more cookies or pretzels.
Sweden’s ICEHOTEL – the world’s first (since 1989) – has opened in doors for the season, inviting guests to sleep surrounded by shimmering art made of ice and snow created by 33 artists from 12 countries, including Canada. A highlight this year is a grand piano – a full-scale piano made of ice – which will be played during the winter season.
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.
Call it the ultimate flight tracker. For 70 years, the NORAD Tracks Santa hotline has been tradition at the North American Aerospace Defense Command – a joint U.S. and Canadian operation charged with monitoring the skies for threats since the Cold War.
Tis the season: Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest inhabited castle in Britain, is always a holiday delight, bedecked in seasonal décor and offering visitors a festive experience steeped in royal history. For those who can’t be there in Christmas morning, here’s a wee peek at what the royal family will wake up to.
Trading the North Pole for a tropical atoll, Old St. Nick took his annual holiday plunge in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary on the weekend, where 35-degree weather and streams of sunshine offered stark contrast to the ice and snow in Santa’s more familiar habitat.
By Michael Baginski/ Robert Earl Keen may not be as famous as his old college roommate Lyle Lovett, but he’s no less accomplished. A consummate storyteller, the Texas troubadour suitably has a keen sense of humour, as evidenced by his holiday classic, “Merry Christmas from the Family.”
Panic erupts in the McCallister household as soon as the day begins. The parents’ alarm clock never rings, bags and coats spill across the floor, and the family barrels out the door to catch a flight to Florida in “Home Alone 2.” The pandemonium intensifies at the airport.
In the spirit of the season, several tour operators are launching (or relaunching) extensive FAM trip and/or prize opportunities that will enable travel advisors to experience some new or favourite destinations, and, at the same time, gain hands-on experience with a supplier that will help build their business.
Direct flights from Canada to Albania? Credit Air Transat for tapping into the Balkan country’s growing reputation among savvy travellers as an up-and-coming travel destination that is off the mainstream track in Europe but not lacking in amenities or charm.
This holiday season, the simple joy of opening a new toy is reaching tens of thousands of children across the Caribbean through an annual toy drive led by the Sandals Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Sandals and Beaches Resorts.
With Christmas festivities barely packed away, Dubai lights up again for New Year’s, staking a claim as one of the world’s most spectacular places to turn the calendar from one year to the next.
Hilton has launched the Outset Collection by Hilton, the company’s 25th brand and eighth in its growing Lifestyle portfolio. The new brand underscores Hilton’s dramatic growth trajectory and focus on offerings for customers in the fastest-growing segments, particularly the collection and lifestyle spaces.
Intrepid Travel’s annual ‘Not Hot List’ showcases 10 lesser-known destinations ready to welcome more visitors in 2026. The list is designed to direct curious, conscientious travellers towards regions where their presence can have an outsized positive impact.