This week: Sandals hosted Canadian home-based agents in Jamaica; Quark Expeditions took a group of travel advisor sweepstakes winners in a different direction – to the Arctic; and TRAVELSAVERS Canada elite agents were off to Greece and Turkey.
Greenland is open for tourism. Whale-watching tours, excursions to the iconic puffin island and guided charters through remote settlements are just the beginning of what the mineral-rich Arctic island has to offer visitors, say locals, who are eager to show what makes the island unique beyond a recent diplomatic dustup with U.S. President Donald Trump.
In honour of National Grandparents Day this week (Sept. 7), Outrigger Resorts & Hotels has unveiled ‘The Grandparent Guarantee’ – designed to tap into the “skip-gen travel” – a niche the company says “has moved from niche to the mainstream in recent years.”
The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) has released its most comprehensive analysis of the global outbound international traveller landscape since 2018. The 2025 Adventure Travel Market Sizing Report examines the rapid expansion of the adventure travel market, which has surged to nearly US$1 trillion in value and attracts a wider and more diverse audience than ever before.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada says it is sending a team of investigators to St. Maarten to investigate the rough landing of a WestJet plane on Sunday. The board says it will gather information and assess what happened to flight WS2276 from Toronto that experienced a hard landing upon arrival at Princess Juliana International Airport at around 1 p.m. ET.
Beyond the shores and irresistible Junkanoo beats, Nassau & Paradise Island in the Bahamas offer a dynamic array of sports and leisure suitable for both accomplished athletes or those looking for just a little exercise and fun. Moreover, from golf to water sports and hiking to pickle ball there’s something for everyone. And here’s where to find it.
VisitBritain continues to raise the curtain on its ongoing international ‘Starring GREAT Britain’ marketing campaign this week at the Toronto International Film Festival. Launched earlier this year, the campaign is using the powerful draw of film and TV locations and places seen-on-screen to inspire visitors to discover more of Britain.
The federal government says the Canada Strong Pass it introduced this summer succeeded in boosting rail travel and visits to museums, historic sites and parks. The Canada Strong Pass, which took effect on June 20 and was available until Sept. 2, offered free national museum admission to children 17 and under, and a 50 per cent discount for those aged 18 to 24.
TravelBrands BDM for Alberta and Saskatchewan Farole Kikkert is retiring, effective Oct. 31. The 25-year-plus travel industry veteran rejoined TravelBrands in February, 2024, but boasts connections with the company back to the Fun Sun Vacations era, where she spent nine years in the same role supporting the Alberta market.
Air Canada says there will be no strike or lockout after the airline’s flight attendants massively rejected the employer’s wage offer following a vote on a new contract that ended Saturday. Close to 10,000 flight attendants almost unanimously (99.1%) voted down the airline’s wage offer, which included a 12% salary increase this year for most junior flight attendants and an 8% bump for more senior members, followed by smaller raises in subsequent years.
The Trump administration said it is abandoning a Biden-era plan that sought to require airlines to compensate stranded passengers with cash, lodging and meals for flight cancellations or changes caused by a carrier.
Some rare rain couldn’t dampen the spirits of TravelBrands and its partners last week as the travel company wracked up a record-breaking donation tally for the SickKids Foundation at its 10th Annual Charity Golf Classic.
Ahead of its upcoming fall series of cross-country tradeshow events, Granite Travel Trade Fall Expos has released results of a travel advisor survey it conducted sampling both client trends and agent education interests for the 2025-26 season.
Thousands of London Underground staff on Sunday began a series of strikes over pay and conditions that threaten to shut down the subway system used by millions of people a day.
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.
Fewer tourists are coming to Jasper, Alta., than usual this year, but it’s not for a lack of people eager to visit the picturesque Rocky Mountain town. Numbers are about as good as they can be, considering about one-fifth of the town’s overnight accommodations burned when a ferocious wildfire swept through last summer, says Tourism Jasper CEO Tyler Riopel.
Mexico’s tourism boom shows no signs of slowing down. According to government statistics, in the first half of the year the country welcomed an unprecedented 47.4 million international visitors – a 13.8% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Of these, 23.4 million were tourists staying overnight, up 7.3% year-on-year.
A facelift that restored London’s 166-year-old Big Ben clocktower to a sparkling shine was nominated Thursday for Britain’s leading architecture award. The RIBA Stirling Prize committee said the five-year refurbishment of the tower at Parliament is “a veritable masterclass in conservation and craftsmanship” that preserves a “defining symbol of British heritage.”
Anyone who’s driven south through the U.S. from eastern Canada over the past half century or so knows Cracker Barrel, the southern-themed restaurant chain found along the Interstates. Officially named Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc., the restaurant and retail outlet plays on U.S. nostalgia, resembling an old-fashioned country store. Such is it’s profile that the chain has even attracted the attention of Donald Trump in recent days – for better or worse.
By Wallace Immen/ A long-held secret is out! With open decks and elevated spaces, Celebrity Cruises plans to transform the shape of cruising on the Rhine and Danube rivers. Two new ships due to arrive in 2027 will combine the iconic design of Celebrity’s Edge Series ocean ships with European charm, and feature industry-leading design that offers more space to vacation, all while ensuring a smoother, more relaxing sailing experience, the company revealed.
By Michael Baginski/ Helping take punk mainstream, Billy Idol burst on the scene in the early ‘80s with a pair of hits from his 1882 debut album: “Dancing With Myself,” and the now iconic “White Wedding.”
WestJet says it is ordering nearly 70 aircraft from Boeing, marking the airline’s largest order agreement to-date, and the largest-ever Canadian Boeing order. The agreement purchase of 60 737-10 MAX narrowbody aircraft, with options for an additional 25, and seven 787-9 Dreamliner widebody aircraft with options for four more, brings the carrier’s current order book to 123 aircraft and 40 options, while extending WestJet’s fleet growth plans through 2034.
It’s been a summer marked by tension for Canada and the United States, as tariff disputes and talk of Canada becoming the 51st state show few signs of fading. While that’s made some Canadians reluctant to head south of the border, it hasn’t stopped flocks of Americans from crossing north, many continuing to make Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. a key stop.
Travellers under 35 are more than twice as likely to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to plan trips than travellers over 55, according to the Global Rescue Summer 2025 Traveller Safety and Sentiment Survey. While AI is making inroads among all age groups, younger respondents are driving adoption, comfort, and experimentation.
Viking has welcomed two new ships, enhancing its fleets in both Portugal and Egypt. The cruise line says the additions reflect long-term growth plans as part of a strategy toward maintaining a leadership position in experiential travel. Based on Viking’s committed orderbook, the company expects to take delivery of 26 additional river ships by 2028 and 10 additional ocean ships by 2031. With these orders, Viking will have 112 river ships in 2028 and 23 ocean and expedition ships in 2031.
As Sunwing’s September Partner of the Month, Grand Palladium is offering travel advisors up to 8X STAR Points on all vacation packages across Mexico, the DR and Jamaica, plus exclusive perks for their clients. Additionally, on every vacation package booking at a participating Grand Palladium and TRS property, travel advisors will be automatically entered into a draw to win a hotel stay at either Grand Palladium Vallarta Resort & Spa or Grand Palladium Colonial Resort & Spa.
They wandered through the museum, listening attentively as their guide explained the antiquities in display cabinets. It could have been any tour group, anywhere in the world. But there was something unusual about this one. The group of foreigners visiting the National Museum of Afghanistan was made up only of women.
Montreal-based OTA FlightHub has released the second edition of its Unveiled list, offering fresh insight into today’s travel and booking behaviour. The report also highlights the most booked Canadian destinations, reinforcing continued demand for domestic travel across the country.
A lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Hawaii imposing a tourist tax to deal with consequences of climate change seeks to stop officials from enforcing the new law on cruise ship passengers.
American Express Global Business Travel has announced that it has completed its US$540-million acquisition of global business travel and meetings solutions provider CWT. With the close of the acquisition, Amex GBT welcomes CWT’s customers and employees to its software solutions and services for travel, expense, meetings and events.