Porter Airlines is expanding its VIPorter loyalty program, giving members more ways to earn and redeem points for travel. For the first time, members can redeem VIPorter points for flights with partner airlines, starting with Air Transat and Alaska Airlines. Over 2,000 routes are now available for reward travel.
Anja Brokjans has assumed the role of Director of Public Relations for VoX as of January 2025.
Montreal has passed tighter restrictions for short-term rentals on platforms like Airbnb in a bid to ease the city’s housing crisis. City council adopted a new bylaw this week to allow people to rent their homes for short stays only between June 10 and Sept. 10.
It seemed a bafflingly abrupt end to a brilliant career at sea when long-time, well-known Capt. Kate McCue announced she was retiring from Celebrity Cruises after a groundbreaking 22-year career.
For all the talk, consumers are more concerned with the cost of travel than sustainability, confirms a report from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). Moreover, the study explores the “critical gap” between what travellers say about sustainability and the choices they ultimately make.
By Michael Baginski/ Chris Allison simply wants to say, “G’day, Canada!” And Tourism Australia’s VP for The Americas was in Toronto last week, accompanied by a delegation of tourism partners, to say just that on an annual trade mission designed to show his country’s appreciation of this one, and the 100,000-plus Canadians it welcomes annually.
An American influencer has left Australia after the government announced it was reviewing her visa over a video she posted of her snatching a baby wombat from its mother. Sam Jones, who describes herself as an “outdoor enthusiast & hunter,” made her Instagram account private after she was widely condemned for the video.
Making news this week: Award-winning Direct Travel, Travel Leaders Network mixes it up, First in Service (F1S) convenes in Cancun, and Virtuoso agents are cruising to success.
After years of preparation, the long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) will officially and fully open on July 3. Located at the foot of the Pyramids on the outskirts of Cairo, it is the world’s largest museum dedicated to a single civilization.
Blue Diamond Resorts has unveiled its latest venture in the Caribbean: Royalton CHIC Jamaica Paradise Cove, An Autograph Collection All Inclusive Resort – Adults Only, set to debut in late 2026.
A French politician is making headlines in his country for suggesting that the US should send the Statue of Liberty back to France because it is no longer worthy of the monument that is known around the world for representing freedom, liberty and progress. The iconic New York – and American – landmark was gifted to the US 140 years ago.
Canada and Greece have signed a memorandum of understanding to promote tourism between the two countries, a type of agreement one tourism expert says will become more common as Canada strengthens its bonds with European Union nations and looks for tourism markets beyond the United States.
The union representing workers at the Radisson Blu Vancouver Airport Hotel says staff have ratified a new collective agreement, ending a nearly four-year-long strike. Unite Here Local 40 says the 1,411-day strike was the longest in Canadian history and the agreement provides a pathway back to work for 143 workers terminated during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the hotel was called Pacific Gateway.
The Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) has relaunched its public agency search tool, a real-time directory of the 1,900 travel agencies, booking websites and tour operators that are registered with TICO.
As companies across the US continue to distance themselves from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in response to political pressure and shareholder concerns, Intrepid Travel says it is doing the opposite.
Through the end of April, Québec’s ‘sugaring season’ is in full force with charming sugar shacks taking advantage of Spring’s flow of maple syrup production to offer a traditional Québécois dining experience in a rustic setting.
British Columbia Premier David Eby says he is standing firm behind the legislation granting the province the ability to levy new fees on US commercial trucks heading to Alaska, despite political threats involving the cruise ship sector from an Alaskan senator.
Power was gradually returning for millions of people in Cuba Sunday after another failure of the nation’s electric grid left the island in the dark. The massive blackout was the fourth in the last six months as a severe economic crisis plagues the country.
A government proposal to increase the privatization of airports in Canada threatens to make travel more expensive and ‘a bad idea,” says the union for 18,500 flight attendants across the country.
Applications are now open for this year’s ACTA-Avalon European River Cruise Summit. Interested ACTA members have until March 31 to register their interest for the ‘Christmas Market Cruise’ on the Rhine River, which sails from Nov. 22 to 29.
The Expedia Travel Agent Affiliate Program’s (TAAP) 2025 Spring Sale gives travel advisors exclusive offerings with at least 25% off hotel bookings that enable agents to pass on big savings to their clients. The offer features discounts of at least 25% on thousands of hotels in top global destinations and is valid for bookings through March 31 for travel through Sept. 8.
Discount carrier Spirit Airlines has emerged from bankruptcy protection. The budget airline – known for its no-frills, low-cost flights on a fleet of yellow planes – said that its parent, Spirit Aviation Holdings, exited Chapter 11 after finalizing debt restructuring.
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.
The head of Transat A.T. Inc. says Canadians’ appetite for travel remains unsated even as pocketbook worries grow amid a trade war with the United States. Travellers continue to book transatlantic flights with the tour company, says CEO Annick Guérard, though she acknowledges demand for American destinations dropped sharply over the past few months.
With Alaska’s cruise season approaching, a volcano near Anchorage is showing new signs of unrest, with experts saying the likelihood of an eruption at Mount Spurr in the next few weeks or months has increased.
A Pennsylvania man who was going through security at a New Jersey airport was found to have a live turtle concealed in his pants, according to the US federal Transportation Security Administration.
Tripadvisor has unveiled the latest edition of its Travellers’ Choice Awards: Best of the Best Beaches for 2025. The list is based on a comprehensive analysis of global beach reviews on Tripadvisor over the last year, aggregated into the highest-rated beaches that reflect stunning sands and clear waters, perfect conditions for snorkeling and watersports, and more.
2025 is a special year for fans of Jane Austen, one of literature’s most beloved authors, who was born in 1775. 250th anniversary events and celebrations are taking places across the UK, but notably in Bath, which counts Austen as its most famous former resident.
The countdown is the final hours for what MSC Cruises is promising is a world of experiences in its biggest ship yet – MSC World America. As its name implies, the 22-deck tall ship featuring 2,614 staterooms is aimed for the interests and tastes of North Americans. And it offers seven onboard districts designed to help guests choose their own holiday experience.
