Montreal has passed tighter restrictions for short-term rentals on platforms like Airbnb in a bid to ease the city’s housing crisis. City council adopted a new bylaw this week to allow people to rent their homes for short stays only between June 10 and Sept. 10. 

Making news this week: Award-winning Direct Travel, Travel Leaders Network mixes it up, First in Service (F1S) convenes in Cancun, and Virtuoso agents are cruising to success.

After years of preparation, the long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) will officially and fully open on July 3. Located at the foot of the Pyramids on the outskirts of Cairo, it is the world’s largest museum dedicated to a single civilization.

A French politician is making headlines in his country for suggesting that the US should send the Statue of Liberty back to France because it is no longer worthy of the monument that is known around the world for representing freedom, liberty and progress. The iconic New York – and American – landmark was gifted to the US 140 years ago.

Canada and Greece have signed a memorandum of understanding to promote tourism between the two countries, a type of agreement one tourism expert says will become more common as Canada strengthens its bonds with European Union nations and looks for tourism markets beyond the United States.

The Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) has relaunched its public agency search tool, a real-time directory of the 1,900 travel agencies, booking websites and tour operators that are registered with TICO.

As companies across the US continue to distance themselves from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in response to political pressure and shareholder concerns, Intrepid Travel says it is doing the opposite.  

British Columbia Premier David Eby says he is standing firm behind the legislation granting the province the ability to levy new fees on US commercial trucks heading to Alaska, despite political threats involving the cruise ship sector from an Alaskan senator.

Power was gradually returning for millions of people in Cuba Sunday after another failure of the nation’s electric grid left the island in the dark. The massive blackout was the fourth in the last six months as a severe economic crisis plagues the country.

Applications are now open for this year’s ACTA-Avalon European River Cruise Summit. Interested ACTA members have until March 31 to register their interest for the ‘Christmas Market Cruise’ on the Rhine River, which sails from Nov. 22 to 29.

The Expedia Travel Agent Affiliate Program’s (TAAP) 2025 Spring Sale gives travel advisors exclusive offerings with at least 25% off hotel bookings that enable agents to pass on big savings to their clients. The offer features discounts of at least 25% on thousands of hotels in top global destinations and is valid for bookings through March 31 for travel through Sept. 8.

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 head of Transat A.T. Inc. says Canadians’ appetite for travel remains unsated even as pocketbook worries grow amid a trade war with the United States. Travellers continue to book transatlantic flights with the tour company, says CEO Annick Guérard, though she acknowledges demand for American destinations dropped sharply over the past few months.

With Alaska’s cruise season approaching, a volcano near Anchorage is showing new signs of unrest, with experts saying the likelihood of an eruption at Mount Spurr in the next few weeks or months has increased.

A Pennsylvania man who was going through security at a New Jersey airport was found to have a live turtle concealed in his pants, according to the US federal Transportation Security Administration.

Tripadvisor has unveiled the latest edition of its Travellers’ Choice Awards: Best of the Best Beaches for 2025. The list is based on a comprehensive analysis of global beach reviews on Tripadvisor over the last year, aggregated into the highest-rated beaches that reflect stunning sands and clear waters, perfect conditions for snorkeling and watersports, and more.