This week: Air Canada introduces a rewards program for agents; ACTA names its top 2025 travel advisors at the associations Eastern Canada Summit; and Travel Leaders Network announced dates for its fall regionals events in Vancouver, Edmonton, and Toronto.
In a world that’s always rushing, Ireland is extending a gentle invitation to visitors: take your time. With its winding coastal trails, soul-soothing landscapes, and deep-rooted traditions, Ireland is emerging as one of Europe’s most natural fits for slow tourism – a growing global travel trend focused on deeper, more meaningful experiences over fast-paced itineraries.
Globespan Travel Management, a leading corporate travel management company based in Los Angeles with global headquarters in Toronto, has announced the acquisition of Key Travel Inc., the U.S. division of the UK-based Key Travel group. The acquisition marks a significant milestone in Globespan’s North American growth strategy and deepens its service capabilities within the non-profit, academic, and humanitarian travel sectors.
As flight attendants from across Canada represented by CUPE descend on Parliament Hill on Tuesday (Sept. 16), to call on Ottawa to act to end unpaid work in Canada’s airline industry, a number of other aviation workers – including Transat pilots and airport screeners in Ontario and the Atlantic provinces – are similarly airing, and taking action, to resolve long-standing circumstances they deem unfair.
Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu says she’s aiming to have a probe into allegations of unpaid work in Canada’s airline sector wrapped up by early December. Hajdu has said this process could result in new legislation – but she also says Ottawa wants to be “very careful” about what it does next to ensure it upholds the right for union members and employers to bargain over terms of their work.
Transat’s revenue is back in the black with the company reporting a net income of $399.8 million in its latest quarter compared with a loss of $39.9 million in the same quarter last year, the company reported late last week.
With the return of its refreshed sailing yacht Wind Star, Windstar Cruises is doubling down on Tahiti starting March 2027, when the vessel joins the all-suite Star Breeze to sail year-round in French Polynesia – making it Windstar’s most expansive South Pacific deployment yet.
Barbados’ Colony Club has re-opened as a Marriott International Luxury Collection resort, adding another chapter in the long life of the iconic property, which begin life as a private seaside residence in the 1930s, and later served as the island’s first residential club and and a cherished retreat for over seven decades.
While some Barcelona residents sought to repel a tsunami of tourists with plastic water pistols, a neighbourhood association in Santiago de Compostela opted for a friendlier approach: a guide to good manners for visitors to their town, the endpoint of the Catholic world’s most famous pilgrimage.
Despite wars, extreme weather and unprecedented political discord in many countries/regions, global tourism is continuing to roll in 2025, with UN Tourism reporting that almost 690 million tourists travelled internationally between January and June 2025 – about 33 million more than in the same period of 2024.
Concerns about protests, civil unrest and political tensions in the U.S. are influencing the travel decisions of a growing number of individuals, particularly among international travellers and younger respondents, according to the latest Global Rescue Summer 2025 Traveller Safety and Sentiment Survey.
After another summer dominated by headlines of overtourism and heatwaves, Intrepid Travel is unveiling new trips that it says reflect how and when an increasing number of travellers are choosing to visit destinations.
Belize has unveiled a new tourism strategy in a bid to ensure future success of its integral tourism industry. The landmark five-year plan was developed by the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and aims to address concerns that the country is not safe for visitors.
Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport’s award-winning ‘Girls Take Flight’ event will take off again on Oct. 4. While open to all young people, the free Saturday program is focused on inspiring young women to become the next generation of pilots, engineers, mechanics and scientists, as they continue to be underrepresented in the industry.
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.
Sunwing Vacations says it is reinforcing its commitment to the travel advisor community with the launch of its 2025-26 winter campaign. Last year, the tour operator launched the ‘Flynancial Advisor’ campaign, inspired by the expertise and value that advisors bring their clients. This year, Sunwing is doubling down on that commitment by featuring real travel advisors in the campaign creative to emphasize how advisors are “the true vacation heroes.”
Air Canada announced its international network for Summer 2026 with new destinations taking flight in Europe and Asia. Beginning next year, the airline will launch new routes from Montréal to Catania in Sicily, Italy and, as previously announced, Palma de Mallarco, Spain. From Toronto, Air Canada will re-establish non-stop flights to Shanghai and Budapest and increase flights to Prague.
Tracee Ellis Ross happens to be single and without children, but she doesn’t let either hold her back from travelling. When friends and family can’t join her, the actor best-known for her roles in shows like “black-ish” and “Girlfriends” – and who is now starring the new three-part docuseries “Solo Travelling with Tracee Ellis Ross” – says she will jet-set by herself and have a fabulous time doing it.
No destination does Halloween like Orlando. And while you may not be thinking about trick or treats yet, the Florida theme park capital has already launched into 80 full days of seasonal celebrations, culminating in Oct. 31, and in some cases even a few days beyond.
By Wallace Immen/ In a sign of surging demand for ultra cruising, Emerald Cruises is set to more than double its ocean-going luxury yacht fleet. Parent company Scenic Group has announced the inaugural season of Emerald Kaia, launching in April 2026. Meanwhile, it celebrated the start of construction for another yacht, Emerald Raiya, aiming to debut in June, 2027, and announced there’s another ship on the horizon for 2028 to sail in Asia.
By Michael Baginski/ Rick Davies, the lead singer and co-founder of British band Supertramp, has died after a long battle with cancer. Davies, who co-wrote the band’s music with Roger Hodgson, was the voice and pianist behind some of Supertramp’s most iconic songs, including “Bloody Well Right,” “Crime of the Century,” and “Goodbye Stranger.”
Amid an industry shortage of pilots and other skilled staff, WestJet and CAE have signed a 15-year training agreement under which the global leader in aviation training will establish the Alberta Training Centre of Excellence (the Centre) for Aviation and Aerospace – a cutting-edge facility in Calgary that will house eight full-flight simulators alongside cabin trainers and state of the art digital learning tools.
Transat has unveiled its brochures for the 2025-26 winter season, offering a wide variety of packages and tours for all types of travellers. From Mexico to the Caribbean, through Central and South America, North Africa, Florida and Europe, the options are varied. Allowing for easy consultation, the digital documents are designed to provide “simplicity, comfort and peace of mind in just a few clicks.”
By Michael Baginski/ VisitBritain’s flagship ‘Destination Britain Americas’ trade mission kicks off today as nearly 50 top trade buyers and media (including Travel Industry Today) arrive in Mexico’s Riviera Maya to connect with an equal number of British suppliers to facilitate and help grow tourism programs to Great Britain.
The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA) is reinforcing its presence in Canada with a seven-city roadshow in partnership with Air Canada. Running through Sept. 22, the SLTA team has called in Halifax, Calgary, and Edmonton, with stops still to come in Vancouver (Sept 12), Montreal (Sept 17), Toronto (Sept 19), and Windsor (Sept 22).
September ushers in crisp temperatures and a kaleidoscope of autumnal colours across the Quebec. Visitors can take in spectacular scenery at local festivals where Québec’s warm hospitality and vibrant fall foliage are on full display. Here a few to consider.
Cambodia on Tuesday opened the capital’s new Techo International Airport (KTI) as officials welcomed an inaugural flight to great fanfare, with the hope of boosting tourism. Fire trucks crisscrossed streams of water over the Air Cambodia flight from China as it taxied to the terminal in the new $2-billion facility located about 20 kilometers outside of Phnom Penh.
French authorities are deploying 80,000 police and gendarmes backed by helicopters, drones, and armored vehicles on Wednesday to keep order during a planned action by tens of thousands of “Bloquons Tout” (Block Everything) protesters who are heeding online calls to disrupt the country after the government collapsed Monday.
Calling the introduction of its new Airbus A321XLR (extra-long-range) aircraft in early 2026 nothing short of “game-changing” growth, Air Canada has announced that the first route for its new aircraft will be from Montréal to Palma de Mallorca.
A new national survey reveals that in 2025, Canadians are travelling differently, driven by economic uncertainty and a desire to make their vacation budgets go further. With nearly half (46%) choosing to stay within Canada and 22% saying the Canadian dollar doesn’t go far abroad, travellers are getting creative to avoid rising costs – and for many, that includes rethinking where they stay.