TravelBrands has unveiled significant enhancements to its Loyalty Rewards Program, effective Aug. 1. They include a new sales-based tier structure, expanded redemption options, and elevated benefits across all product lines.
Government travel advisories are increasingly affecting the destination choices of global travellers, according to the Global Rescue Summer 2025 Traveller Safety and Sentiment Survey, which reveals that government-issued travel advisories significantly influence where people choose to go – and where they avoid.
Forbes Travel Guide – the only independent, global rating system for luxury hotels, restaurants, spas, ocean cruises and ocean cruise restaurants – has announced it will begin rating river cruises, a cruise industry first. The inaugural river cruise ratings will be released in 2027, when the respected publisher unveils its annual Star Ratings in more than 100 countries.
David Sun-Miyashiro was at home on the 31st floor of a Honolulu apartment building last week, when his phone alerted him to a possible tsunami from a massive earthquake far across the Pacific Ocean. High above the danger and with plenty of time to spare before any surging waters might possibly reach Hawaii.
The US State Department is proposing requiring applicants for business and tourist visas to post a bond of up to $15,000 to enter the United States. In a notice to be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, the department said it would be starting a 12-month pilot program; however, it is not clear whether the action would affect Canadians.
Air Canada is expanding its multi-modal Landline service to Kingston, enabling customers at Kingston Norman Rogers Airport (YGK) to seamlessly connect with Toronto Pearson. The service adds a third Air Canada Landline service in southern Ontario, following successful launches in Hamilton and Waterloo.
Authorities in Scotland cancelled trains, closed parks and warned people to tie down backyard trampolines as an unusually strong summer storm toppled trees, felled power lines and disrupted travel across northern Britain. The wind and heavy rain hit at the busiest time of year for tourism, with hundreds of thousands of people flocking to the Edinburgh Fringe and other arts festivals.
Sunwing Vacations’ August Partner of the Month, Blue Diamond Resorts, is offering travel advisors special incentives throughout the month, as well discounted rates for clients at the brand’s collection of properties across Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Antigua, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Costa Rica.
Bright colourful rides, skill-testing games with a stuffed animal prize, and copious amounts of sticky cotton candy are all hallmarks of the travelling carnival circuit and are deeply rooted in the imagination of Quebecers – and visitors – who’ve been able to experience them.
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.
With many companies now requiring staff to be fully in office, a faceoff is setting up among workers who evidently prefer to stay at home, and employers who want them back on site. New data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds three-in-five Canadians (59%) saying they would prefer to spend the majority of their working time at home if it were possible.
Porter Airlines continues expanding its network at Hamilton International Airport (YHM) with new routes to Orlando International Airport (MCO) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) beginning in December. Flights to Orlando begin Dec. 12, and Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 13, both with three weekly roundtrips.
Hotel restaurants are experiencing a revival among diners, evolving from convenient and comfortable options to refined dining destinations, as 61% of Canadians believe hotels have gotten better restaurant offerings in recent years.
In news that’s sure to make every Swiftie’s wildest dreams come true, Madame Tussauds has unveiled its biggest figure launch to date, creating 13 brand new Taylor Swift wax figures. The figures will appear in 13 cities across four continents with the simultaneous multi-figure launch marking the most ambitious in Madame Tussauds’ 250-year history.
By Wallace Immen/ What to gondoliers do in their time off? I had a unique chance to glimpse behind the scenes of the daily lives of those ultra-fit boat jockeys from my quintessential room with a view in Venice.
By Michael Baginski/ Last week was a tough one for music with the deaths of Ozzy Osbourne and Chuck Mangione (and pop culture in general if you count Hulk Hogan*). It’s not surprising then that another loss – that of George Kooymans – sadly slipped under the radar. The Dutch rock star may not have been a well-known outside the Netherlands, but his band, Golden Earring, and their classic song “Radar Love,” certainly are.
With the support of international partners and $115 million in funding, the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO recently helped rebuild the Iraqi city of Mosul after it was devastated by the Islamic State group. The restoration of the historic city’s iconic Al-Nouri Mosque and Al-Hadba Minaret was just one of many programs run by the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, which is in the spotlight because the United States is leaving it once again.
With passenger revenues from the airline’s U.S. transborder segment dropping 11% during the second quarter, Air Canada says it made the right call to shift capacity toward high-demand international markets as Canadians’ appetite for cross-border travel lagged.
Tripadvisor, the world’s largest travel guidance platform, has announced the winners of its annual 2025 Travelers’ Choice Awards: Best of the Best Things To Do. The awards highlight the highest rated attractions and experiences around the world based on Tripadvisor reviews.
More than half of travellers are unconcerned about natural disasters disrupting their travel plans, despite officials predicting up to five major hurricanes during the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season and nearly 40% of respondents to a new survey admit they’ve already experienced trips interrupted by extreme weather events in the past.
Toronto.com offers a reimagined way for longtime residents, newcomers and visitors to connect more deeply with the city. With no hard news or politics, the platform delivers stories, and insider recommendations that spotlight the best of the city, from hidden restaurants and cultural gems to weekend getaways and everyday third-place hangouts creating an advertiser brand-safe environment.
Royal Caribbean has opened bookings for the first-of-its-kind beach club experience in The Bahamas. The all-inclusive Royal Beach Club Paradise Island will be available to guests visiting Nassau beginning late December with day passes now available to be purchased on the company’s website.
Air Canada says second-quarter earnings were down from last year in what it characterized as a “challenging environment.” Challenges include an 11% drop in revenue in the airline’s U.S. transborder routes that it attributed to geopolitical tensions and a lower Canadian dollar.
Canada’s Travel & Tourism sector is forecast to set a new record in 2025, contributing almost $183BN to the economy and continuing the country’s impressive growth streak, according to new data from the World Travel & Tourism Council.
New research and analysis from a leading travel site shows that the largest U.S. airlines have resumed charging higher fares for most one-way domestic flights than they do on roundtrip bookings.
Demonstrators calling for an end to the war in Gaza protested the arrival of an Israeli cruise ship on another Greek island Tuesday – the third such protest on Greek islands in the last week.
Launched in early 2024, the Consumer Advisory Council (CAC) and Industry Advisory Council (IAC) play a crucial role in advising the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) Board of Directors and management on matters related to consumer protection, challenges and opportunities affecting Ontario’s travel industry and overall emerging trends.
The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) is inviting Canadian travellers to venture beyond the bustling hubs of Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka and discover some of the country’s best-kept secrets.
Tolls on the Confederation Bridge linking Prince Edward Island to Canada’s mainland will drop sharply starting Aug. 1, along with several other Atlantic travel fees, the prime minister said Monday. Fulfilling a promise the Liberals made during the April election campaign, Mark Carney said the toll for an average vehicle will drop to $20 from $50.25 to cross the bridge.
Europe’s Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) isn’t in effect yet and already the fee for visitors may potentially go up, prompting a coalition of organizations representing the European travel sector to warn that a price hike will put the continent’s travel competitiveness at risk.