PORTER POINTS NOW EARN FLIGHTS ON TRANSAT, ALASKA AIRLINES

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.

MONTREAL RESTRICTS DATES ON SHORT-TERM RENTALS

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. 

MYSTERY SOLVED! Why Captain McCue jumped ship

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.

COST IS KING: Consumers don’t walk the talk on sustainability

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.  

TOURISM AUSTRALIA SAYS ‘G-Day’: And they mean it!

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.

AUSSIES FUME AT WOMBAT-SNATCHING AMERICAN INFLUENCER

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.

RETAIL ROUND-UP: Agent news, fams & incentives

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.

GRAND EGYPTIAN MUSEUM TO OPEN AT LAST

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.

ROYALTON REVEALS NEW JAMAICA RESORT

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.

RETURN TO SENDER: European politician wants Statue of Liberty back

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-GREECE TOURISM AGREEMENT A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME?

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.

CANADA’S LONGEST STRIKE FINALLY ENDS AT YVR HOTEL

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.

TICO RELAUNCHES TRANSPARENCY TOOL

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.

INTREPID DOUBLES DOWN ON DIVERSITY

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.  

WHERE TO SHACK UP IN QUEBEC THIS SPRING

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.

ALASKA THREATENS B.C. CRUISE PORTS

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.

CUBA BACK IN THE BLACK

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.

ACTA-AVALON CRUISE SUMMIT REGISTRATIONS OPEN

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.

EXPEDIA TAAP’S SPRING SALE

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.

ROUND-UP: March 10-14, 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.

U.S. DENTS, DOESN’T DAMAGE, CANADIANS’ TRAVEL APPETITE

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.

VOLCANO ACTIVITY PROMPTS ALASKA WORRY

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.

TRIPADVISOR’S BEST BEACHES OF 2025, AND ALL TIME

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.

MSC READY TO REVEAL A NEW WORLD IN THE CARIBBEAN

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.

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