Sunwing is doubling down on is extensive Cuba portfolio by introducing a three-tier system and dedicated resource on its agent portal designed to assist travel advisors in pairing clients with the right vacation experience for them in the Caribbean destination. Separately, the tour operator has also released its 12th annual Weddings Guide, another agent-friendly tool.
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 deadly mid-air crash in Washington, DC, Wednesday night is likely the result of unique air traffic patterns in the area and shouldn’t cause wider fears over air safety, says a Canadian aviation expert.
From Paddington Bear to Harry Potter and James Bond to Mr. Bean, Great Britain has a long history of marketing the destination through TV and film. Indeed, Britain is never far from viewers around the world through an endless list of cinematic mainstays that are uniquely British, such as Downton Abbey, Bridgerton, Dr. Who, Mary Poppins, and Sherlock Holmes – not to mention productions that simply borrow Britain as a backdrop, like Jurassic Park and Game of Thrones/House of Dragons.
After half a century in limbo, the federal government says it will scrap plans to build an airport on thousands of acres in Pickering, Ont., and instead look to transfer the land to Parks Canada.
Despite Donald Trump’s executive order that the name of North America’s tallest peak – Denali – revert to Mount McKinley, many Alaskans say the US president can change the name but can’t make them call it that. Prominent Alaskan Jeff King, a four-time winner of the 1,000-mile (1,609-km) Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, operates his
Nearly as long as four football fields and carrying up to 5,000 guests on 19 decks, Sun Princess is the biggest ‘Love Boat’ ever. She’s a floating city filled with entertainment, and more restaurants and bars than anyone can reasonably be expected to discover in a full week on board.
Everyone knows the U2 classic “One,” so if you’re going to cover it, it better be good.
And this one certainly is, with Florida cover kings Boyce Avenue teaming up with the revelatory Jennel Garcia.
Online travel agency, FlightHub has launched its AI-powered travel agent, ‘Mila.’ Apparently designed to simplify travel inquiries and enhance customer service efficiency, the company says Mila ‘marks a transformative leap in the travel booking experience while maintaining high standards of data privacy and protection.
Charles Darwin was so inspired by the Galapagos Islands that he came up with his theories of evolution and natural selection there. No visitor to the archipelago arriving after the British naturalist in 1834 has made such a significant mark in the history of human thinking… but most, no doubt, have been equally awed.
No-frills, budget airlines often lead the industry in customer complaints, according to government data, so if one were to disappear would it be missed by travellers? That is a question US regulators will be asking after Frontier Airlines said Wednesday that it wanted to buy Spirit Airlines, which sought bankruptcy protection late last year.
Reservations for Azamara Cruises’ 2027 World Cruise are now open, with the journey set to be the small-ship, destination-immersive cruise line’s longest yet. The 188-night journey aboard the Azamara Quest will encompass 37 countries, 103 destinations, and five continents.
A new study shows how important Churchill is to Manitoba’s tourism industry as visitors from around the globe flock to the northern town and spend tens of millions of dollars. According to the study, roughly 25,000 people visited Churchill in 2023, “many of them from international markets such as the US, UK, and Australia.
Four Seasons gets will get a charge out of this: the luxury hotel chain, in partnership with electric car manufacturer Lucid, is introducing an amenity program that will allow guests to borrow a vehicle for their own use for free (at participating properties). The initiative is designed to provide hotel guests with flexibility and unique, eco-friendly experiences during their stay.
Celebrity Cruises is aiming to shake up European river cruising with a plan to build 10 new ships with Edge Class features and service “The Celebrity Way.” Celebrity River Cruises announced it will open bookings soon for cruises due to start in Europe in 2027, with bookings opening later this year.
New Zealand has relaxed visa requirements for remote workers in a bid to attract more ‘digital nomads’ skilled workers who given an internet connection can work from anywhere on the planet.
Expedia’s new 2025 Air Hacks Report is debunking myths. For example, ‘Summer is an expensive time to travel’. Nah … turns out July, a peak summer travel time, is the cheapest month to travel. Average air ticket prices are up to 11 percent cheaper in July than March when booking a trip from a Canadian origin airport.
Honeymoon in Hawaii? Hold on. And maybe reconsider the Caribbean. Tourism Malaysia says the southeastern Asian destination is a picture-perfect destination for newlyweds that offers an enticing mix of white sandy beaches, lively nightlife, exquisite cuisine, and breathtaking sunrises and sunsets.
Travellers planning a trip to Toronto or exploring the city can now rely on 6ix, an AI travel genius that can provide instant answers to any and all travel or tourism questions about the city. Destination Toronto recently launched the new feature at DestinationToronto.com as well as on Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook using GuideGeek artificial intelligence technology.
For decades, they have scrounged for food on streets across the country – undesired, abandoned and overlooked. But today, the caramel-coloured mutts of Brazil are having a major moment. The “vira-lata caramelo” (literally: caramel trashcan-tipper) is being exalted in memes, videos, petitions, an upcoming Netflix film, a Carnival parade and draft legislation to honour it as part of Brazilian culture.
Donald Trump hasn’t been shy about sharing his thoughts since taking office, and he added a 20-minute Q&A with reporters aboard Air Force One to the mix. He held forth on everything from the color of the presidential plane to the fate of Greenland and Canada.
Porter Airlines is expanding its footprint in New York with the launch of new year-round service, which starting May 01, will see up to three daily roundtrip flights operating between Toronto Pearson International Airport and LaGuardia.
A hefty cruise fee increase implemented in Iceland has led to numerous cancelled port calls. The infrastructure fee came into force on January 1 causing several cruise lines to limit or completely shift ships away from Iceland.
Spain attracted a record 94 million tourists last year, making the Southern European nation famous for its Mediterranean coastline, sweeping landscapes and historic cities among the most visited countries on earth. The surge in visitors has stoked complaints at times from some Spaniards about “overtourism,” with concerns about overcrowding, water use and particularly the availability and affordability of housing.
From volcano-boarding in Nicaragua to cage-diving with sharks in South Africa, the rise of the global middle class is driving more demand for new holiday experiences – and prompting the industry to offer more adventurous options.
Guyana is revisiting a dark history nearly half a century after US Rev. Jim Jones and more than 900 of his followers died in the rural interior of the South American country. It was the largest murder-suicide in recent history, and a government-backed tour operator wants to open the former commune now shrouded by lush vegetation to visitors, a proposal that is reopening old wounds, with critics saying it would disrespect victims and dig up a sordid past.
Rain began falling in parched Southern California on Saturday in a boon for firefighters who were mopping up multiple wildfires. But heavy downpours on charred hillsides could bring the threat of new troubles like toxic ash runoff.
The Selection La Habana hotel, managed by Spanish chain Iberostar, has yet to be inaugurated but it is already the target of criticism — and not only for its unusual shape. Cubans are questioning the government’s allocation of millions of dollars towards luxury tourism while the island grapples with a severe economic crisis and tourism numbers plummet to historic lows.
Through a first-of-its-kind partnership for the intercity rail system facilitated by VISIT FLORIDA, guests booking on Porter Airlines can now receive 50 percent off adult SMART fares on select Brightline trains between South Florida and Orlando – an arrangement that notably connects the former’s cruise gateways (Miami, Fort Lauderdale) with the theme parks of Central Florida (Disney, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld).
Overtourism is a rising concern among the world’s most experienced travellers. Three out of four travellers (76%) expressed concerns about overtourism, while 31% personally experienced it in 2024.