NOT RIGHT NOW, EH: Air Canada ramps up flights at home, overseas as Canadians shun U.S.
Air Canada is looking beyond the U.S. as Canadians continue to shun their neighbour amid the trade war.
CAN VANCOUVER COPE?:The World Cup is coming
A new report that forecasts a significant lodging shortage in Vancouver next summer during the 2026 World Cup games is being used as a pitch by Airbnb for governments to loosen regulations on short-term rentals. Other experts agree that the city isn’t ready for the part it will play in what is arguably the world’s biggest sporting event (along with the Summer Olympics).
TRAVEL IS A VITAL ECONOMIC DRIVER:ACTA responds to budget 2025:
Suzanne Acton-Gervais, President of the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies and Travel Advisors (ACTA), issued the following statement regarding yesterday’s federal budget:
LUFTHANSA LOOKS TO THE FUTURE WITH FOX
With 2026 marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the first Lufthansa, Germany’s national airline says it is using milestone as an opportunity to fundamentally redesign its onboard experience. Dubbed FOX – short for Future Onboard Experience – the reset will be introduced next Spring on long-haul routes with the aim of reinforcing Lufthansa’s premium claim.
HOTELPLANNER CAN HELP AGENTS BOOST BIZ
A new AI-powered tech suite has boosted growth exponentially for the HotelPlanner, which says it can do the same for travel advisors and other travel planners. Reservations.ai delivers natural phone conversations with an AI agent that can handle search pricing and bookings. It also offers omni channel chat (including Whatsapp) that can take the customer right from inspiration to booking.
THE WORLD’S BEST HOTEL
Towering over Victoria Harbour on the Kowloon waterfront, Rosewood Hong Kong was named the World’s Best Hotel at a gala ceremony last week in London, jumping from third spot in the prestigious The World’s 50 Best Hotels list. The third annual accounting of the best properties around the globe featured 22 destinations across six continents, although, alas, none from Canada.
THE END IS NEAR: Barcelona basilica almost ready after 100 years of construction
After well over a century under construction, Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia basilica is ready to raise its immense central tower and become the tallest Christian church in Europe. The basilica’s General Director Xavier Martínez says that “the tower will be finished at the end of this year or the beginning of 2026.”
‘MASS CHAOS’ IN SKIES IF SHUTDOWN CONTINUES
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted Tuesday that there could be chaos in the skies next week if the government shutdown drags on and air traffic controllers miss a second paycheck.
RISE OF THE ‘WHY-CATION’: Purpose, not place, driving traveller choices
The biggest shift in travel this year isn’t where people are going – it’s why. Dubbed the year of the “whycation,” this global mindset marks a move away from simply checking destinations off a list.
FINDING SEATTLE’S SWEET SPOT: Mission opens arms to Canadians
By Michael Baginski/ A delegation from Seattle conducted a five-day mission Montreal, Toronto and Edmonton last week, emphasizing the importance of the Canadian market to the cross-border city, which, like much of the U.S., has seen a decline in visitors from their northern neighbours this year.
TRANSAT ADDS AGADIR: Also boosts trio of transatlantic routes
Air Transat is enhancing its summer 2026 program with a new non-stop service between Montreal (YUL) and Agadir (AGA). This addition strengthens Air Transat’s presence in Morocco and responds to the strong demand from leisure travellers and the Moroccan community in Quebec.
CANADA COMPASS: Halifax embraces GuideGeek AI for visitor info
Travellers planning a trip to Halifax can now use Halifax AI, which provides instant answers to any travel or tourism questions about the city and surrounding Nova Scotia region.
FOUR UNEXPECTED NEW CHRISTMAS MARKETS FOR 2025
From rooftop mulled wine to Northern Lights pop-ups, new festive markets are shaking up the classic winter break in Europe. And according to a new survey, the new entries play to a new theme: less about ticking off touristy Christmas markets, and more about finding something original, local, and TikTok-worthy – particularly for younger travellers.
FORT LAUDERDALE TO CANADA: ‘You all need to know that we care!’
By Michael Baginski/ Despite some rhetoric south of the border, Visit Lauderdale says Canada is still – and always will be – the destination’s most important international market and, more importantly, “our dear neighbours to the north.”
JAMAICA HAS PLAN TO BE BACK ON TRACK BY DEC. 15
In the wake of Hurricane Melissa, Jamaica’s tourism minister has set a firm target for Jamaica’s tourism industry to be fully back in operation by Dec. 15, 2025. To deliver on that goal, Edmund Bartlett activated a high-level Hurricane Melissa Recovery Task Force and a companion Tourism Resilience Coordination Committee (“Tourism Cares”) to synchronise public and private sector action.
WORLD TRAVEL MARKET KICKS OFF TODAY: And we are there
The world’s biggest English language travel trade show – WTM London (otherwise known as World Travel Market) – kicks off today (Nov. 4) at ExCel in London. Building on last year’s turnout, which saw more than 46,000 attendees, 4,000 exhibitors and 50 tourism ministers in attendance, the 2025 edition of WTM London is on track to be the largest in its history.
VISIT LAUDERDALE EXPANDS LAUDERDALE LOYALIST PROGRAM
Visit Lauderdale’s free, award-winning trade platform, Lauderdale Loyalist, powered by TravPRO Mobile, connects travel advisors with interactive training, ready-to-use marketing materials, and a variety of other tools to help them confidently sell Greater Fort Lauderdale.
A GRAND OCCASION: Epic Grand Egyptian Museum finally open in full as Tut moves in
After two decades of anticipation and countless delays, the Grand Egyptian Museum has finally had its grand reveal, opening in full on the weekend. Located just outside Cairo next to the Giza Pyramids, the $1-billion facility is the world’s largest museum dedicated to a single civilization with over 50,000 artifacts detailing the life in ancient Egypt.
NO DULL MOMENTS ALLOWED ON CELEBRITY’S XCEL
By Wallace Immen/ Celebrity Xcel features the line’s widest variety of entertainment, with some of it steered by guests. With three brand-new theatre productions, two interactive club shows, music experiences, high-energy dance parties, interactive activities and surprises in between, every moment onboard will spark connection and delight from morning to night, Celebrity Cruises promises.
SPORTS AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS IN GREATER FORT LAUDERDALE
With football, baseball, basketball, and clearly hockey (can you say two-time Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers?) on offer, Greater Fort Lauderdale’s vibrant sports scene ensures there’s always a team to cheer for. And for visitors who would rather get out and get active, the area’s various sporting venues, lush parks, serene waterways, and expansive green spaces make it a haven for those seeking to stay fit or simply connecting with nature.
DEALING WITH THE BLOWBACK: How to market the U.S. to Canadians in the time of Trump
By Michael Baginski/ Even with the downturn in travel by Canadians to the U.S. this year, about 16 million of us – “still a lot of people” – are expected to cross the border in 2025, heading for warmer weather, holiday homes, sporting or cultural events, or just to do what they’ve always done, regardless of any offense taken.
TRAVEL LEADERS WEIGHS IN ON U.S., 2026, AND ‘BIGGEST FEAR’ – AI
By Michael Baginski/ Despite Canadians’ well-documented dip in cross-border travel, Travel Leaders Networks (TLN) says its business already looks great for 2026 with double digit growth on the books compared to what the agent organization was seeing at this time last year.
HERE’S HOW TO HELP MELISSA VICTIMS
Among multiple aid organizations that have stepped up to help victims of devastating Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean, the Canadian Red Cross has launched the ‘Hurricane Melissa Appeal’ to help those impacted by the storm. The organization says it is working to get help to people in affected areas as quickly as possible.
ABANDONED CRUISE PASSENGER FOUND DEAD ON AUSSIE ISLAND
An 80-year-old cruise passenger was found dead on a Great Barrier Reef island in Australia, a day after she was accidentally abandoned there by the ship’s crew. The woman was on the second day of a cruise circumnavigating Australia when she disembarked the Coral Adventurer on Lizard Island.
SEEING RED: Where to catch the best sunrise and sunset views in Nassau & Paradise Island
From early-morning sun salutations at the beach to rooftop cocktails at sunset, the views in The Bahamas are not to be missed. And with more flights than ever this winter from Canadian gateways to Nassau & Paradise Island, there is no better time for Canadians to see red in a destination that understandably calls itself Paradise.
ROUND-UP: Oct. 27-31, 2025
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.
SHARKS CIRCLING: Increasingly sophisticated deepfakes dupe social media users
One viral video shows what appears to be four sharks swimming in a Jamaican hotel’s pool as floodwaters allegedly brought on by Hurricane Melissa swamp the area. Another purportedly depicts Jamaica’s Kingston airport completely ravaged by the storm. But neither of these events happened, it’s just AI-generated misinformation circulating on social media as the storm churned across the Caribbean this week.
RECOVERY UNDERWAY: The latest updates as Melissa passes Bermuda
Communities across the northern Caribbean are digging out from the destruction of Hurricane Melissa as officials assess and assessed the damage left by the catastrophic storm. Here are some of the latest updates.
CALIFORNIA STEPS UP TO THE PLATE FOR CANADIANS AT WORLD SERIES
With all Canadian eyes on the Blue Jays playing the in the World Series in Los Angeles this week (shifting gears to Toronto tonight), Visit California launched a playful welcoming digital out-of-home campaign to greet Canadian Blue Jays fans at Dodgers stadium.
DAY OF THE DEAD COMES ALIVE IN MEXICO
As much of the world gets in ghoul on for Halloween, Mexico will come alive with Day of the Dead celebration’s across the country this weekend. The Día de los Muertos holiday (Nov. 1-2) is rooted in pre-Hispanic rituals and Catholic traditions and honours the souls of children and adults who have passed away.