On Saturday, government officials, community leaders and local residents of Grand Bahama received an exclusive preview of Celebration Key, Carnival Cruise Line’s new destination. The special preview event showcased the fun Carnival guests will experience and took place in tandem with the embarkation of Carnival Vista, which will make the first official visit to Celebration Key for its July 19 grand opening.
The “overshadowed” culturally rich state of Nayarit in Mexico will welcome its first-ever direct flights from Canada this December, with WestJet launching a new weekly route between Calgary and the Tepic/Riviera Nayarit International Airport and Air Canada set to do the same from Vancouver.
Sunwing Vacations is offering “partner of the month” deals with Meliá Resorts throughout July. The limited time offer is available on bookings at participating properties in Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Cuba made by July 31 for travel taken by Dec. 20.
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.
For a midweek standard room in July at Long Beach Lodge Resort overlooking Cox Bay: $659, plus tax. Best Western Plus Tin Wis Resort: $649, plus tax and there’s a nightly minimum, depending on the day. Wickaninnish Inn on North Chesterman Beach: $980, with a four-night minimum. Oceanside suite at Pacific Sands: $699, with a three-night minimum. For a king bed at Hotel Zed: $714, plus tax and the two-night minimum.
Almost one third (32%) of Canadian respondents to a survey that say they are active on social media post about their plans before or while travelling, a figure that rises to 51% among those aged 18 to 34. But sharing that beach vacation selfie while away could be putting the safety of their property at risk for theft because it also shares that their home is empty.
After glamourizing tobacco for decades, France has begun its most sweeping smoking ban yet. The new restrictions, which began this month, outlaw smoking in virtually all outdoor public areas where children may gather, including beaches, parks, gardens, playgrounds, sports venues, school entrances and bus stops.
How’d you like to design your dream cruise ship? Take this simple quiz: Would you rather your surroundings include colorful natural greens and blues or vibrant tropical reds and yellows?
The Vatican Museums has unveiled the last and most important of the restored Raphael Rooms, the spectacularly frescoed reception rooms of the Apostolic Palace that in some ways rival the Sistine Chapel as the peak of high Renaissance artistry.
By Michael Baginski/ The annual U.S Travel Association IPW trade show is typically a treasure trove of music, playing to America’s outsized influence on popular culture. This year in Chicago, the event was highlighted by a special Travel South USA partners conference featuring Darius Rucker, aka Hootie of Hootie & the Blowfish.
The World Travel Agents Associations Alliance – which includes ACTA as a member – says a fundamental shift in traveller expectations is driving travel advisors worldwide to adopt transparent professional fees for their consultancy services, according to a comprehensive new study.
By Michael Baginski/ Bob Harris says there’s so much more to Myrtle beach than golf. After all, Canadians who told him so. The executive VP of group sales for Visit Myrtle Beach said his own misconception that Canadians mainly admire the South Carolina destination for its world class golf (mini and masters) was quickly corrected by in-the-know visitors from north of the border.
Air Canada is adding flights to Latin America as it looks to diversify its global network this winter. The airline will resume non-stop service to Lima, Peru, this winter with twice weekly flights from both Montreal and Toronto as well as adding three new routes to Central America and Mexico including, Montreal-Belize, Toronto-Puerto Escondido, and Vancouver-Tepic, Riviera Nayarit.
A new AI-powered travel assistant from MyrtleBeach.com is transforming how visitors discover and design their perfect Myrtle Beach getaway. With just a few simple inputs – such as travel dates, group size, and vacation preferences – Sandy delivers fully customized itineraries in seconds, providing tailored recommendations on everything from oceanfront hotels and seafood spots to top attractions and family-friendly adventures.
The Travel Corporation (TTC) has announced a globally aligned strategic growth plan for its touring and cruise divisions that includes better support for trade partners through enhanced investment and global capability.
Hidden deep in northwest B.C.’s coast lies the lush inlet of the Khutzeymateen, bustling with grizzly bears and other rich fauna. Created in 1994 as the first specially protected area for grizzly bears and their habitat in Canada, it is widely regarded as the densest natural grizzly bear habitat in North America and is accessible only by boat or plane.
Myrtle Beach is flying this summer 2025 with a full calendar of events to complement the laid-back coastal charm that keeps people coming back year after year. This season’s lineup includes live music, cultural festivals and family-friendly celebrations stretching across 100 km. of shoreline.
In a significant bid to boost tourism, China will now allow citizens from 74 countries to enter the country for up to 30 days without a visa. However, Canadians, are not among the beneficiaries of the unprecedented move to relax visa restrictions in a country that maintained strict COVID-19 restrictions and kept its borders closed to tourists until early 2023.
As Travel & Tourism enters the height of the summer season, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has launched a new report calling for a more balanced approach to managing tourism in popular destinations. The new paper sets out six practical actions to help destinations grow sustainably while protecting jobs and communities.
Following of the announcement this week of WestJet’s winter 2025-26 flight schedule, Sunwing Vacations has detailed its corresponding vacation program, which marks its first full winter season with travel on board WestJet. On offer are direct flights from over 20 airports across Canada to over 25 sun destinations including new destinations Nicaragua and Samana, plus the returning island of San Andrés, Colombia, plus an expanded resort portfolio and inclusions.
This week: ACTA is set to host a townhall meeting; ACV FAM introduces northern Portugal; Total dominance and movin’ on up at TRAVELSAVERS’ Canada; Virtuoso celebrates a milestone; meet the Trevello agents who are ‘Simply the best’; and new agent tools from Explora Journeys.
For the first time in almost 20 years, travellers may no longer be required to take off their shoes during security screenings at certain U.S. airports. The Transportation Security Administration is looking to abandon the additional security step that has for years bedeviled anyone passing through U.S airports, according to media reports.
Canadian travellers have to contend with snow, Australia has… reptiles. An Aussie domestic flight was delayed recently for two hours after a stowaway snake was found in the plane’s cargo hold as passengers were boarding a Virgin Australia flight at Melbourne Airport bound for Brisbane.
By Michael Baginski/ Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” is now law, which is bad news for Brand USA. At nearly 900 pages, the budget reconciliation legislation – signed by the president with the backdrop of fireworks on July 4 – is a sprawling collection of tax breaks, spending cuts and other Republican priorities, including new money for national defense and deportations. But buried in the document is the slashing of funding for the marketing organization responsible for promoting U.S. tourism abroad by 80% to a mere $20 million.
WestJet’s 2025/26 winter schedule will feature five new destinations across the Caribbean and Latin America. While departures will increase by three percent year-over-year, capacity will be consistent with last winter, as seats will be removed from former Sunwing/Swoop aircraft, which will be updated to WestJet’s standard configuration before the start of winter.
European travellers are showing strong interest in Ontario as a destination of choice. According to a new Europe Pulse Study conducted by Context Research Group (CRG) on behalf of Destination Ontario and Destination Toronto, more than half of leisure travellers from the United Kingdom, Germany and France are considering a trip to Ontario in the next two years, with Canada seen as culturally and experientially distinct from the United States.
Nine restaurants have received prestigious Michelin stars in the tastemaker’s first foray into Quebec, cementing the province’s reputation as a hot spot for culinary creativity. All nine of the starred restaurants announced recently are categorized as serving contemporary or creative fare.
VoX International has announced Noah Case as its new Account Executive, Eastern Canada for Tourism Australia, based in Toronto. He will support Tourism Australia’s travel trade efforts in Eastern Canada alongside Paul Larcher, the Tourism Australia Account Director for Canada, while working closely with Gustavo Inciarte, who continues to support the tourist board in the Western Canada market based in Vancouver.
For the first time in over a century, Parisians and tourists can take a refreshing dip in the River Seine. The long-polluted waterway has finally opened up as a summertime swim spot following a 1.4 billion euro ($1.5 billion) cleanup project that made it suitable for Olympic competitions last year.
Like a runaway train, the travel and tourism industry is projected to serve 30 billion tourist trips by 2034, according to the World Economic Forum – a development that will generate significant commercial opportunities, but also the massive challenges of climate change, labour shortages and infrastructure gaps, which will require nothing less than a “bold reimagining of the systems that underpin travel and tourism.”