HOW TO TRAVEL IN EXTREME HEAT
Sizzling temperatures are more than an inconvenience: They can cause heat exhaustion and life-threatening heat stroke – especially when travelling. Being prepared is the best way to beat the heat.
BORDER BLUSTER: Despite claims, drug seizure down at Canada-U.S. border
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials told a hearing on Capitol Hill on Tuesday that there’s been a significant drop in drug seizures at the border with Canada.
VISA TAPS TRAVEL MARKET: Mobile booking platform marks expansion beyond payments
Visa has launched its own travel platform – a move the digital payment service company says marks a strategic expansion of its role beyond simply payments.
OUT OF GAS: Cuba’s famous antique cars sit idle
A worsening fuel crisis across Cuba is testing the island’s famed “almendrones,” the vintage American cars that serve as vital shared taxis and embody the island’s ingenuity and endurance.
HOW MUCH FUN CAN A CARNIVAL BEACH HANDLE
By WALLACE IMMEN/ The numbers are staggering. Carnival’s private Caribbean port Celebration Key can now dock four mega-ships a day and see over 13,000 guests a day hitting the beaches and attractions.
LISTENING IN: Peace, love and Ringo
By MICHAEL BAGINSKI/ It seems like it was only a year ago that Ringo had a birthday. Well, he’s at it again, turning 86 on July 7. And is tradition, each year on that day (since 2008), the former Beatle invites people everywhere to pause at 12 noon local time to say, think, or post “Peace and Love” as a collective moment of global unity.
CHORUS OF CONCERN: WTTC joins calls to fix chaotic EES system before it’s too late
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has joined the chorus of concern raised by Europe’s airport and airline community regarding the implementation of the Schengen Entry/Exit System (EES), urging governments to fix the chaotic system before it turns off tourists for good.
TRAVELPORT ADDS AC FLIGHT PASS CAPABILITY FOR NDC BOOKINGS
Travelport has announced the introduction of Air Canada Flight Pass capability within TripServices API and Smartpoint enabling Travelport-connected agencies to shop and book eligible Air Canada NDC offers using Flight Pass credits directly within the Travelport+ platform.
BARCELONA WARNED OVER CRUISE TAX HIKE: Tripling fee may have unintended consequences, says WTTC
Barcelona looks to set to increase its tourist tax on cruise ship passengers – a move approved by city council that would see fees nearly triple to €30 (CDN$48) for passengers on ships that spend less than 12 hours in the Spanish city.
RETAIL ROUND-UP: Agent news, fams & incentives
This week: ACTA agents discovered Iceland with Aurora Expeditions, First in Service agents access the effects of the Iran war; Saint Lucia gave out its Grand Piton Awards; and Transat Distribution Canada took top agents to Portugal; and Collette unveils its new Selling Playbook for Travel Advisors … more
G ADVENTURES KICKS OFF SMALL GROUP SOCCER TRIPS
New (and always) football/soccer fans can carry on the World Cub experience as G Adventures launches “Away Games,” a new series of premium trips, designed to bring football/soccer enthusiasts together to celebrate the community, traditions and the passion that comes with football culture.
JET HITS DRONE: JetBlue incident shows growing threat to passenger planes
A passenger jet reported striking a drone while approaching JFK International Airport on Monday, and just hours later, a helicopter pilot alerted a close call with a remote-control airplane near the same airport.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF CANADA DAY
The July 1 birthday bash we know as Canada Day, with fireworks and parades and music and cake with red and white icing, is enjoyed now by millions of Canadians coast to coast to coast. But it took a long time to become the celebration we know today.
HOW TO RENT AN RV: And what to consider before a Canadian staycation
Canadians are hitting the road in RVs once again as summer kicks off and vacationers look for cheaper ways to get away. However, enthusiasts say those looking to rent a recreational vehicle should give careful consideration to their travel needs and budget and plan their trip with an eye to everything from RV size to campground locations to electrical hookups.
NOT JUST A TRAIL: Trans Canada Trail reaches 30,000 km, seeks to ensure future
The Trans Canada Trail – the longest multi-use trail system in the world – has reached a major milestone: more than 30,000 kilometres of trail connecting every province and territory and all three coastlines.
INTERIM SCIENCE CENTRE OPENS ON TORONTO WATERFRONT
The interim location of the Ontario Science Centre is now open to the public, as construction gets underway for a new, permanent home at Ontario Place set to open in 2029.
BIGGER IS BETTER AT NEW NUNAUT AIRPORT TERMINAL
Nunavut’s new Rankin Inlet airport building is now operational. Originally planned to open in April, the building is over three times the size of the old one.
LISTENING IN: Flying away with Anne Murray, our favourite snowbird
By MICHAEL BAGINSKI/ With Canada Day at hand, we thought it appropriate to dust off a Can-con classic to suit the occasion. And who better than this country’s favourite snowbird, singing her first big hit, er, “Snowbird” in this special Canada Day edition of Listening In.
Every traveller finds their match with Grand Palladium
Grand Palladium’s Punta Cana collection brings three distinct resorts together under one seamless all inclusive philosophy, ensuring every type of traveller finds their ideal Caribbean experience. Families discover the magic at Grand Palladium Select Bávaro and Grand Palladium Punta Cana Resort and Spa, complete with pirate-themed kids clubs, splash pads and the celebrated Infinite Indulgence® experience. Grand Palladium Palace Resort Spa and Casino adds a casino, sports bar and the Zentropia Palladium Spa and Wellness complex to the collection. Dining spans from French classics, Japanese Teppanyaki, traditional Indian cuisine and Argentinian grilled specialties, while evenings come alive at the spectacular Chic Cabaret and Restaurant, open to guests aged 18 and over across all three properties. Guests at Grand Palladium Select Bávaro enjoy Stay at 1, Play at 3 access to all three resorts, while guests at Grand Palladium Punta Cana Resort and Spa and Grand Palladium Palace share Stay at 1, Play at 2 privileges.
Unwind and Realign
For travellers who believe a truly great vacation leaves them feeling better than when they arrived, Grand Palladium’s Punta Cana collection delivers in full. The Zentropia Palladium Spa and Wellness complex serves the resort family with an extensive menu of therapeutic treatments, hydrotherapy services and deeply restorative experiences designed to quiet the mind and restore the body. Mornings can begin with a yoga session on the beach as the sun rises over the Caribbean, while afternoons invite guests to surrender to massages, facials and holistic wellness rituals tailored to individual needs. Families looking to recharge together can retreat to the calming surroundings of Grand Palladium Select Bávaro. In Punta Cana, wellness is not an add-on to the experience that is woven into every part of the stay
Endless bliss at Bavaro Beach
Bavaro Beach is one of the Dominican Republic’s most celebrated stretches of coastline and Grand Palladium’s three Punta Cana properties put guests right at the heart of it. Whether travellers are paddle boarding through crystal-clear waters at the family-friendly Grand Palladium Select Bávaro or setting sail on a catamaran at Grand Palladium Punta Cana Resort and Spa, every day is shaped by the sea. Water sports including kayaking and windsurfing keep energy levels high, while swim-up bars and pools offer a more relaxed alternative for those who prefer their adventure horizontally. Across all three properties, the same pristine white sand, turquoise waters and unhurried beach atmosphere create a setting that is effortlessly hard to leave. This is Punta Cana at its most irresistible.
‘A BIT OF A SMACK’: Advisors brace for July 1 commission cuts
With reduced commissions from Air Canada coming into effect this week (July 1) industry associations say the cost-cutting move attributed by the airline could hurt the income of thousands of travel advisors.
70,000 MISSING: Here’s how to help Venezuelan earthquake victims
Efforts by local and international rescue teams to pull survivors from the rubble grew increasingly desperate in Venezuela on Sunday, four days after two powerful earthquakes shook the northern state of La Guaira.
BRITISH AIRWAYS, PORTER ANNOUNCE CODESHARE
Effective July 8, a new codeshare agreement between Porter Airlines and British Airways will take effect, giving British Airways customers seamless access to travel on 17 select Porter Airlines domestic routes in Canada including Ottawa, Edmonton and Winnipeg.
EUROPE OVERWHELMED BY HEAT: Record-breaking temperatures spreads east
Temperatures soared to record highs from Switzerland to the Czech Republic and Denmark on Saturday, as a heat wave that baked western European countries last week moved to central and eastern parts of the continent.
CALIFORNIA, HERE SHE COMES: New York’s Coker takes top tourism post in Golden State
Visit California today announced Julie Coker has been named the organization’s next – and only second ever – president & CEO, succeeding longtime leader Caroline Beteta, who announced her retirement earlier this year. Coker will assume the role Oct. 1, swapping coasts from New York, where she was president & CEO of NYC Tourism + Conventions.
LAST WEEK THIS MORNING: June 22-26, 2026
A round-up of 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.
DISPLACED CUBA PAX CHOOSING D.R. AND MEXICO
Sunwing Vacations, now Canada’s largest former supplier of Cuba vacations, says it has seen a dramatic switch in bookings to the Dominican Republic in place of the troubled Caribbean island.
WESTJET LATEST TO TRIM FUEL SURCHARGE, OTHERS HOLD STEADY
Some Canadian airlines are scaling back fuel surcharges as fuel prices fall, while others are holding steady for now.
WATCH WHAT YOU SAY: Tourist faces five years for racist remarks in Brazil
Brazil’s federal police detained disembarking airline passenger in Sao Paulo’s international Guarulhos airport for racism on Wednesday, the latest in a series of high-profile arrests of foreign tourists on similar grounds.