By Mike Foster/ Early in my career, I thought I understood exactly what a client wanted. I was bidding for the travel account of our city. City hall, the mayor, senior leadership. It felt like an important piece of business, not just financially, but reputationally. I assumed – confidently – that cost savings would be the deciding factor. After all, this was public money, and always open to scrutiny.
Citing growing travel to and from Mexico by Canadians, Air Canada says it is strategically expanding its summer schedule to the destination with 18% more seat capacity than last summer.
Luxury and experiential travel specialist Virtuoso presented its third annual regional Virtuoso Awards at its recent Canada Forum at Fairmont Palliser in Calgary. The event brought together more than 100 attendees, including owners and managers from Virtuoso’s travel agency members in Canada and preferred partners from around the world.
Major airlines are claiming the initial findings of a federal probe clear their industry of allegations of unpaid work, but Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu says investigators need more data before the issue is settled.
Collette has introduced Shane Coupland as its new Head of Sales, Canada, overseeing sales strategy, partner engagement, and market growth across the country.
Air Canada says it’s seeing strong momentum in bookings for this year largely based on the introduction of new markets – both domestic and international – that are mitigating the impact of reduced Canada-U.S. demand.
China is dropping its visa requirement for Canadian tourists and business visitors, after moves by Prime Minister Mark Carney to put relations with Beijing on a better footing. China’s Foreign Ministry says Canadians will no longer be required to get visas for 30-days stays, starting today (Tuesday) until at least the end of this year.
Longer customs lines could be in the cards for travellers in the U.S. as a shutdown of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that took effect early Saturday impacts the agency responsible for screening passengers and bags at airports across the country.
By Michael Baginski/ Few cities embrace the Chinese New Year with the same energy and colour as Hong Kong. It even extends to foreign lands, including Canada, where the Hong Kong Tourism Board celebrated last week with a lengthy list of trade friends atop the Scotia Plaza in Toronto.
Air Transat says it’s cancelling its U.S. flights for the 2026 summer season as it looks to better manage its resources. A spokeswoman for the airline says flights to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando in Florida will start gradually winding down in the spring.
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.
Ryan Profid was enjoying a karaoke night at a resort near Cayo Coco in Cuba when he was approached by a staff member who had some bad news. They told him his vacation was over and he’d have to fly home the next day.
A majority of travellers believe international travel in 2026 will be either more dangerous or increasingly unpredictable compared to pre-2020 travel, underscoring persistent global security concerns and heightened risk awareness, according to the Global Rescue Winter 2026 Traveller Sentiment and Safety Survey.
This year, nearly 10,000 travel partners in Canada have been recognized with a Traveller Review Award from online travel agency Booking.com – an increase of 24% award recipients over the last two years. Foremost among them is Newfoundland & Labrador, which scored as the second “most welcoming” region in the world.
Porter Airlines reports it has achieved a significant operational milestone with registration in the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) program.
By Wallace Immen/ A small, niche cruise line sailing in Southeast Alaska has called it quits.
By Michael Baginski/ In case you missed it, I regret to inform that 50 years have transpired since 1976 – a fact I myself realized when I read that it’s been half a century since Boston’s classic debut record, but also a year that featured dozens of bands and songs that still resonate today (read on!)
Times are tough in Cuba right now, but the island’s resolute tourism board is looking forward to “brighter days ahead.” In the meantime, amidst pressure from the Trump administration and a crippling fuel shortage (caused by the former), and as Canadians are forced to be repatriated by the airlines, the board’s Canadian office in Toronto has penned an open letter to the Canadian travel industry, and the island’s “loyal travellers.”
ACTA has wowed members with the announcement that the association will hold its third annual International Destination Conference this year in Japan. Following massively successful events in Spain and Azores/Portugal the past two years, ACTA is partnering with the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) to host qualified travel advisors in Yokohama, Nov. 29-Dec. 4.
By Michael Baginski/ With the likes of Arizona, Colorado, Miami, and Myrtle Beach in town over the past week, the time was perfect for Brand USA to tag along on its own trade mission to Toronto – an effort designed to help “keep the lights on,” according to the US destination marketing organization.
The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority (ABTA) Canada office has opened applications for its newly established Travel Agent Advisory Committee, inviting Canadian travel advisors, agency owners, and consortia leaders to apply. At the same time, St. Kitts has unveiled its board.
U.S. federal officials abruptly closed the airspace over El Paso, Texas, for several hours early Wednesday due to what the Trump administration said was Mexican cartel drone activity, temporarily grounding flights and angering local officials who said they were given no advanced warning.
Panama makes it easy to plan a vacation that suits every travel style. Located safely outside the hurricane belt, Panama is a reliable destination that can be enjoyed at any time of the year. From relaxing beachside retreats and vibrant city escapes to nature-focused adventures, Panama delivers comfort, convenience and value at every stage of the journey.
ACTA is calling on airline and supplier partners to ensure clear, timely communication, flexible policies, and the protection of travel agency and travel advisor commissions in the wake of the recent decisions by Air Canada, Air Transat, and WestJet to suspend service to Cuba amid an island-wide fuel shortage.
It’s only fitting that the new border bridge connecting Windsor and Detroit is named after Canadian hockey legend Gordie Howe, whose “elbows up” philosophy personified his robust style of play, after Donald Trump threatened this week to stall the opening of the soon-to-open mega structure.
As Canadian airlines and tour operators suspend operations in Cuba due to the nation’s ongoing fuel crisis, the Travel Industry Council of Ontario is providing guidance on registrants’ responsibilities.
This week: ACTA releases its Accessible Travel Advisor Directory; Nexion benefits from industry interest; Kensington commits to travel agents; Visit Orlando introduces a new tool for agents; Atout France announces trade show dates; and Emerald and Scenic Cruises hit the road to host info sessions in 25 Canadians cities.
Air travel continues to grow, yet is constrained by two key problems, says IATA, which released its 2025 passenger market performance results showing 5.3% growth – 7.1% international, 2.4% domestic – over 2024. Load factors were 83.6%.
A study by online travel agency Exoticca.com has revealed the most popular hiking trails in Southeast Asia. The travel specialists ranked paths across 11 countries using AllTrails data, scoring each route based on hiker ratings, review numbers, and popularity to find which trails pull in the most foot traffic and positive feedback.
Canadians in Cuba are waiting for flights home after the suspension of service by all three major Canadian airlines as an energy crisis worsens in the nation amid a U.S. oil blockade. Air Canada, WestJet and Air Transat each said on Monday that they were cancelling flights to Cuba, citing a shortage of aviation fuel.