Building on record performance, Holland America Line plans a $500-million investment to reimagine six ships. Holland America Evolution is the most ambitious guest experience update in the company’s 153-year history, to deliver a comprehensive bow-to-stern revitalization and add popular features of its Pinnacle Class ships across most of the fleet, the company says.
By MICHAEL BAGINSKI/ It’s hard to believe that its been almost 20 years since Robert Plant and Alison Krauss first collaborated on the album “Raising Sand” (2007), uniquely pairing the Led Zeppelin icon with the bluegrass goddess icon (Union Station).
Soaring jet fuel prices have forced yet another Canadian airline to cull its schedule, with Transat A.T. Inc. announcing it will axe hundreds of planned flights thanks to energy shocks triggered by the war in the Middle East.
Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen from New Hampshire is blaming the Trump administration’s “insulting” rhetoric for the collapse of Canadian tourism in her state.In a Senate hearing, she asked Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about his recent comments on Canada’s trade strategy.
With Toronto set to host six matches of the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026, new research from Destination Ontario highlights significant opportunities for the tourism industry across the province to entice visitors beyond the city around the June 12 to July 2 game window.
The global pet relocation market is now valued at approximately US$2.4 billion and projected to reach US$3.9 billion by 2030, reflecting a growing trend in international mobility: employees are increasingly unwilling to travel for long periods for work without their animals.
Grenada delivers the beach escape vacationers picture when they think of the Caribbean, with a safe, welcoming atmosphere and enough variety to keep every day feeling exciting. The island’s coastline ranges from iconic, postcard-worthy stretches to quieter and secluded bays with warm water and laid-back energy that makes it easy to stay a while.
Travel advisors with river cruise clients know the challenge: What comes next after guests have sailed the world’s great rivers, like the Rhine, Danube, Douro and Mekong? Windstar Cruises aims to answer that question with a new category of travel: river-to-ocean cruising that connects both experiences in a single journey. No changing ships. No interruptions. Just a seamless way to move beyond the river and into a much broader world of exploration.
An armed man standing atop one of the historic Teotihuacán pyramids opened fire on tourists Monday, killing one Canadian and leaving at least 13 people injured at the archeological site north of Mexico’s capital, authorities said. The shooter was identified as 27-year-old Julio Cesar Jasso of Mexico, a state official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about the case.
Internova Travel Group says its approach to sustainability-minded travel is translating into stronger advisor engagement and measurable commercial momentum. Through its Green Circle eco-luxe sustainability initiative, the company says it is equipping travel advisors with the knowledge and experiences needed to confidently sell sustainability-minded travel with the strategy already translating into stronger advisor engagement and measurable commercial momentum.
Vancouver’s council has approved a 250-room floating hotel on the city’s waterfront that proponents say would bring more accommodation capacity and generate economic activity, despite concerns that it would mar water and mountain views.
This week: Transat Distribution Canada takes on AI; TRAVELSAVERS Canada members convened in Toronto; RIU Hotels & Resorts launched a new mobile app for RIU Partner Club for retail travel agents; Kensington commits to the Canadian travel trade; and Flight Hub has a new content hub.
By CINDY-LOU DALE/ Safari cuisine was once the weakest link in an otherwise extraordinary experience. Lodges typically relied on colonial-era menus, imported ingredients, and dishes that bore little connection to the landscapes in which they were served. But across Africa, that model is being rapidly replaced. A new generation of chefs and lodge operators are reshaping bush dining by embracing indigenous produce, heritage recipes, and hyper-local sourcing.
From a private helicopter tour of the Great Wall of China to an Indigenous Foraging Culinary Experience in Jasper, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has unveiled the debut of six new bookable experiences in its new “Special Happens…” series, designed to showcase new ‘must try’ experiences across its global portfolio.
As the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran squeezes global oil supplies, travellers have valid reasons to worry about the cost and availability of flights as they plan their late spring and summer trips.
‘The people don’t want it,’ Doug Ford says about the decision to sell his new plane just days after purchase. The Ontario Premier says he listened to the taxpayers who told him over the weekend he needed to reverse his decision to buy a used $29-million private jet for his use.
Travel search engine KAYAK has launched a new Airfare Trends Dashboard offering a weekly view of how flight prices are changing over time using KAYAK search data.
By MICHAEL BAGINSKI/ Ireland’s tourist board and a host of road show partners wrapped a successful week-long “whistle stop tour” of Eastern Canada at an elegant reception at the Residence of Ireland Toronto Friday after stops in St. John’s, Halifax, Moncton, and Montreal.
Eight months into Ottawa’s investigation into flight attendants’ allegations that they’re forced to do unpaid work, the union is raising concerns that it won’t result in any change.
The trouble started with a beautiful photo. Social media was soon awash with the lovely view of Japan’s snow-capped Mount Fuji looming over a red pagoda and the short-lived cherry blossoms that herald the approach of spring.
Skyrocketing jet fuel costs threaten to push airfares up and flight numbers down well into the peak summer travel season, even amid the on-again-off-again hopes that oil flows from the Persian Gulf could resume.
Air Canada will suspend service to New York’s JFK International airport from Toronto and Montreal over the summer as the war in Iran creates jet fuel shortages that have sent prices soaring. It will, however, continue to offer 34 flights a day to LaGuardia and Newark from six Canadian cities.
Air Transat has begun unveiling its 2026-27 winter program with its “first wave” of announcements that include four new routes from four different Canadian gateways; the expansion of two of its flagship routes – Toronto-Paris and Montreal-Barcelona – to year-round service; and the return of Florida flights after a summer pause.
By MICHAEL BAGINSKI/ With new VISIT FLORIDA president and CEO Bryan Griffen headed to Canada for his first official visit in the coming days, the tourism organization’s annual media mission called ahead in Vancouver and Toronto last week to assure that the sun is still shining in the state and that Canadians are still most welcome to come to visit – when they’re ready.
Carnival Cruise Line must pay $300,000 to a former passenger after a federal jury in South Florida found that the company was negligent in serving the woman more than a dozen shots of tequila before she fell down some stairs and suffered a possible traumatic brain injury.
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.
Europe has “maybe six weeks or so” of remaining jet fuel supplies, the head of the International Energy Agency said Thursday in a wide-ranging interview, warning of possible flight cancellations “soon” if oil supplies remain blocked by the Iran war.
Luxury cruising is undergoing a quiet but significant transformation. As small-ship fleets expand and hotel brands long associated with land-based luxury enter the market, affluent travellers are no longer asking which cruise line is “the best.” Instead, they’re asking which one fits them.
Air Canada raised the curtain on its new long-haul cabin designs at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany, this week. The first major expression of its new ‘Glowing Hearted’ standard design aims to deliver a distinctly Canadian experience, and is the culmination of what the company says its “most significant” cabin investment.“This investment is about fundamentally redefining the experience of flying with Air Canada. From the moment of stepping on board, we’re setting a new standard for how Canadians and the world connect with our brand,” said Mark Nasr, Executive VP & Chief Operations Officer at Air Canada.
Battered camera phone from 2003? Your thumb appears in every shot? Photos that are somehow ALWAYS slightly out of focus? Decapitate your subjects with terrible composition? If any of this sounds familiar, consider that Icelandair is on the hunt for people with a very specific skill: the ability to take absolutely terrible photos. And it’s willing to pay someone US$50,000 to try to do so.