With more than 1,000 dogs in attendance, Finland’s capital, Helsinki, launched what is believed to be the world’s first sightseeing route designed especially for man’s best friend earlier this month. The “Doggy Route to Happiness” featured a canine-sized stick-built tribute to the world-famous Sibelius Monument, “a pup-up” dog café, a dedicated dog island, and even special advertising aimed at four-legged viewers.
Talk about a Big Fish Fry! The grill tonight features a grouper so massive it’s almost larger than any of the cooks who are grilling it. But it will somehow vanish like magic into scrumptious filets over the course of a sunset dinner on the Sea Cloud Spirit. It’s just one taste of why dining on the world’s largest fully rigged sailing cruise ship, which carries only 136 pampered guests, is among the most varied and inventive at sea.
By Michael Baginski/ Mick Jagger has certainly had his fair share of amazing duet partners, including the likes of Tina Turner, David Bowie and Lady Gaga. Not to be outdone, the second most famous Rolling Stone paired up with the incomparable jazz-pop singer Norah Jones to register his own claim on the well-known ballad “Love Hurts.”
As Air Canada flight attendants begin voting this week on whether to accept a settlement offer from the airline, the workers union has issued a message to passengers and the public at large, expressing gratitude and forbearance, but also showing the ongoing frustration that ultimately resulted in a strike action from Aug. 16 to 19, and which may influence the result of the vote.
Increasingly an alternative to Toronto’s busy airports, John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport (YHM) has unveiled its latest “refreshments,” and its winter flight program for 2025/26, including increased nonstop service and easy connections to/from southern Ontario to the South.
Southwest Airlines will soon require travellers who don’t fit within the armrests of their seat to pay for an extra one in advance, part of a string of recent changes the carrier is making. The new rule goes into effect Jan. 27, the same day Southwest starts assigning seats.
When you take a photo of yourself, that’s a selfie. When you take a cool photo of a glacier, that’s an “Icy,” says Parks Canada, which has launched a community science program dubbed the Icy Initiative that allows park visitors to help scientists monitor glacier change over time simply by taking and submitting photos in two national and three provincial parks across the country.
For more than 150 years, horse-drawn carriages have been trotting through Manhattan’s Central Park, weathering the arrival of the automobile, years of criticism from animal rights activists and even a mayoral administration that vowed to ban the tourist activity. But now the influential nonprofit that manages the 341-hectare park – and has previously stayed out of the debate – has now thrown its support behind a proposal to wind down the industry as early as next summer.
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, which manages 30 one-of-a-kind luxury hotels, resorts, and residences in 18 countries, is preparing to add the Maldives – a destination the company calls “a preeminent tropical paradise” – to its roster.
With an online petition – and some chirping on social media – of nearly half (4,800) of Air Canada’s 10,000 flight attendants expressing dissatisfaction over the airline’s wage offer, union members begin voting today (Aug. 27) on a new tentative agreement.
When is a window not a window? A pair of federal lawsuits filed in San Francisco and New York this week accuse Delta Air Lines and United Airlines of misleading passengers by charging premium fees for window seats next to blank walls.
By Michael Baginski/ It was only natural that Goway would convene the inaugural gathering of its recently constituted Travel Advisory Board on one of the travel company’s most important days of the year: its annual exhibition cricket match gala with Air New Zealand at the Toronto Cricket Club.
This week: Virtuoso recognized its top cruise partners this month at Virtuoso Travel Week, while First in Service scored its own award. Also, Travel CUTS is planning a big reunion for staff and former staff in Toronto.
The Travel Industry Council of Ontario has announced details for its upcoming annual general meeting on Sept. 25 at 5 p.m. All TICO registrants and members of the public are invited to attend the virtual event, however only members in good standing are entitled to vote at the meeting.
As Syria’s world leaders continue to reestablish relations with the country’s new government after the end of 14 years of civil war, and a new US$4 billion airport expansion is in the works, experts are returning to the nation’s war-ravaged heritage sites, hoping to lay the groundwork for restoring them and reviving tourism to a country that had always been renowned as one of the most amazing places to visit in the Middle East.
Air Canada customers looking to lodge a complaint with the regulator over their experience during the flight attendants’ strike should prepare for a wait. The Canadian Transportation Agency says its backlog of air travel complaints stood at about 85,000 as of Aug. 14, two days before the strike started.
WestJet is adding Puerto Escondido to its route map for the first time, providing seasonal access for travellers between Calgary and the Pacific coast surf town in Oaxaca, Mexico. Beginning Dec. 12, the route will operate once per week throughout the winter travel season.
By Cindy-Lou Dale/ Burgundy isn’t just a place – it’s a feeling, a flavour, and a memory in the making. And for travellers seeking a week where time slows to walking pace, European Waterways’ L’Impressionniste offers a six-night voyage through the heart of French region’s wine country, gliding from Escommes to Fleurey-sur-Ouche along the tranquil Canal de Bourgogne.
Thousands of people are painting a town red with tomato pulp today (Aug. 26), flinging the fruit at one another in the 80th anniversary of Spain’s famous “Tomatina” tomato street fight. The hourlong event – and official tourist attraction – brings 120 tons of overripe tomatoes to the eastern town of Buñol, where tarp-covered buildings flank a crowd of up to 22,000 participants awaiting their ammo.
The Grande Prairie Airport – whose history spans nearly 100 years – has acted as a hub connecting not only the Peace region of Alberta but the north to the world. Its history is being explored on a set of wall panels just before the security gate in the main terminal.
With the launch of the new Antigua Racing Cup in 2026, the Antigua and Barbuda Ministry of Tourism is doubling down on the twin islands’ top-class yachting attributes and introducing a new vision that builds on the on the long-established brand of Antigua Sailing Week.
Air Canada says more customers whose flights were cancelled during last week’s strike will be eligible for reimbursement for alternative travel and out-of-pocket expenses. And that includes passengers who booked their original Air Canada or Air Canada Rouge flights through a travel agency.
W Hotels has officially opened its first all-inclusive hotel. W Punta Cana marks a major milestone in the Marriott brands’ expanding portfolio beyond urban hotspots, escapes, and residences to debut in the adult all-inclusive segment.
Fewer Canadians have been heading south in recent months in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war with Canada, his comments about annexing the country and because of fears among travellers about treatment at the border. In the duty-free industry, less border traffic directly correlates to fewer sales.
Allianz Global Assistance Canada has announced that Shannon Lofdahl has joined the Cambridge, Ont.-based travel insurance and assistance company as Vice President and Head of Field Sales for North America.
In celebration of National Waffle Day on Aug. 24, Choice Hotels International, one of the world’s largest lodging franchisors, and its flagship hotel brand, Comfort Hotels, cast a spotlight on North American’s love for waffles with a survey that revealed the breakfast staple is far more than a morning meal – rather a cherished symbol of travel, connection, and joy.
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.
This year, as a trade war grinds on with the United States, Canadians who decide to vacation within their country are realizing their patriotism comes with a hefty price tag – and some are choosing to scale back their plans as costs spiral “out of control.”
Air Canada expected most of its North American routes to be back up and running on Thursday after resuming operations Tuesday following the conclusion of a strike by its flight attendants.
From Venice to Barcelona to Amsterdam, European cities are struggling to absorb surging numbers of tourists. Some residents in one of Paris’ most popular tourist neighbourhoods are now pushing back.