Prominent Canadian hotelier Josef Ebner is retiring, marking the culmination of an amazing 60-career that has spanned 14 properties in seven countries, notably as a long-time executive at Toronto’s Chelsea Hotel – Canada’s largest hotel – where he currently serves as RVP Canada & Managing Director. His last day will be Nov. 15.
A women who brazenly threatened to auction off Graceland – the former home of Elvis Presley and Memphis, Tennessee’s top tourist attraction – to the highest bidder has been arrested, halting a bizarre scheme in which she had claimed ownership of the property based on an allegedly bogus foreclosure.
The World Health Organization has declared the ongoing outbreaks of mpox in Congo and elsewhere in Africa to be a global urgent emergency, requiring urgent action to curb the virus’ transmission. Sweden has since announced it had found the first case of a new form of mpox previously only seen in Africa in a traveller, while other European health authorities warned more imported cases were likely.
Air Canada’s pilots are expected to wrap up voting on Thursday regarding a possible strike, which could take place as soon as Sept. 17. The pilots who are represented by the Air Line Pilots Association are looking to close the wage gap with airline pilots in the US.
The Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) has issued an advisory statement – including information on potential claims eligibility for consumers – regarding Canada Jetlines, which announced last week that it had temporarily ceased operations as of Aug. 15, 2024.
The town of Jasper will be rebuilt, but It could take more than a century for the freshly burned forest in Jasper National Park to regenerate into the postcard-perfect form that attracted Canadians from across the country, and visitors from around the world, a wildfire expert says.
Transat has unveiled its electronic brochures, featuring a range of packages for winter 2024-2025. Travellers can choose from a variety of destinations in Mexico, South and Central America, the Caribbean, North Africa, Florida and Europe.
Canada Jetlines (now the late Canada Jetlines) dominated news at the end of last week; but before that, there were airline updates from almost all the major Canadian players, disturbing dispatches about the weather (isn’t there always it seems?), cruise news, a Sandals masterclass update, and much more – all covered in this week’s round-up.
Canada Jetlines has grounded its planes and ceased operations amid a cash crunch that caused it to become the third Canadian carrier in less than a year to stop flying. The airline, which flew mainly to sun destinations out of Toronto, said Thursday it has been unable to find the capital needed to stay afloat and plans to file for creditor protection.
WestJet says it will be issuing flight cancellations “for the foreseeable future” after planes were damaged by a Calgary hailstorm last week, upending travel plans for thousands of passengers. The country’s second-biggest carrier says 16 aircraft, or 10 percent of its fleet, remain out of commission nine days after the tempest rained down golf ball-sized ice pellets onto parts of southern Alberta, including the province’s largest airport.
For decades, Canada’s food courts were cookie-cutter spaces jammed with the same dozen or so chains hawking dishes ideal for lunch breaks or snacking at the mall. But a new wave of dining spaces has thrown that playbook out the window, sandwiching dozens of lesser-known brands with growing followings into chic sites, where both locals and tourists have a dizzying array of cuisines to feast on at a table of their choosing.
Tourists are easy targets for scammers, pickpockets and thieves. However, recent survey of some the world’s most experienced travellers by Global Rescue revealed expert tips to protect your money, credit cards, and passport when traveling internationally.
An old travel friend has a thing for cats (some of you at Flight Centre will know who we mean!): finds them all over the world and posts pics prodigiously. After all, cats bring value to the venues they inhabit, whether it’s simply adding a cute factor or ratting on rodents. Sometimes, they even come to define the place.
There’s nothing better than resting one’s weary feet for a libation while sightseeing. And it’s even better if it’s in a fabulous spot that shows off or enhances the destination, while providing amazing ambiance all on its own. With this in mind, we offer seven sensational venues for a summer sip on a global itinerary of top stops, ranging from Athens to Zurich, and Barcelona to Washington, DC, a few more in between.
We’re docked amid the massive yachts of the super-rich, who compete to have the biggest and flashiest water toys. But sorry, boys, we have you beat. We’re aboard the impressive new mega-yacht World Traveller, 126 meters long and 7 decks tall. Like all good yachts she can sail into practically any port deemed worthy of its elegant presence, carrying a crew that’s almost one-to-one with its nearly 200 guests.
The late ‘70s and ‘80s was a golden age for Canadian bands, even if the success of many didn’t make it beyond our borders. But who can forget bands like Trooper, Prism, Streetheart, Chilliwack, Honeymoon Suite, and… the legendary Doug and the Slugs?
For Herve Tram, being a Taylor Swift fan isn’t just about the music. The 28-year-old computer network engineer from Paris sees himself as part of a community, one of the Swifties as they are known. So, when the pop superstar’s shows in Vienna were cancelled last week because of a terror threat, Tram took a small personal step: He gave away two extra tickets to her upcoming concerts in London to two fans who missed the chance to see their guiding light in the Austrian capital.
Tropical Storm Ernesto dropped torrential rain on Puerto Rico on Wednesday and left hundreds of thousands of people without power in the U.S. territory as it threatened to strengthen into a major hurricane en route to Bermuda.
Cambridge House, the former In and Out Military Club, in Mayfair, London, will be managed by Auberge Resorts Collection, an award-winning portfolio of one-of-a-kind luxury hotels, resorts and residences when the historic property at 94 Piccadilly opens next year in the British capital.
With solo travel on the rise – both on land and at sea, and increasingly by women – many travel suppliers are upping the ante with a bevy of offers and experiences that to cater to the growing travel demographic, and bely traditional punitive measures like single supplements. Here are six offers designed for those who content marching to the beat of their own drum.
With the opening of Celebration Key on Grand Bahama Island just a year away, Carnival Cruise Line has unveiled details about Pearl Cove Beach Club, which will offer a premium experience for guests 18 and older. Reservations for the exclusive retreat are now available through Jan. 2, 2026.
A major wildfire raged across the northern suburbs of Athens on Monday, leaving at least one person dead and triggering multiple evacuations as swirling winds hampered the efforts of hundreds of firefighters and dozens of water-dropping planes.
InsureMyTrip, a rapidly growing Canadian travel insurance comparison website, has launched a plan tailored specifically for travellers up to age 29. The all-inclusive TIPS Youth Premier Plan – underwritten by Old Republic Insurance Company of Canada – is designed to offer extensive benefits at a competitive price to young travellers.
London’s Heathrow Express has launched an online booking platform, designed specifically for B2B partners. The platform offers tour operators, travel advisors and DMCs a streamlined method to book Heathrow Express tickets at a corporate rate. They now have the opportunity to offer Heathrow Express tickets as an additional option for their customers, enhancing their travel packages with the added benefit of incentives.
From an aquapark to an 11-storey dry slide, thematic playground, ropes course and much more, MSC Cruises has revealed the latest details on attractions and experiences awaiting guests in The Harbour, dubbed “the crowning glory” of the MSC World America’s Family Aventura entertainment district.
Tourism Malaysia has unveiled an array of tourism packages that spotlight the destination’s famous – and notoriously smelly – fruit: the durian – called by some the “King of Fruits.” The new publication, “Durian Tourism Packages 2024/2025,” features 62 packages from 27 local tour operators across 12 Malaysian states, blending the renowned flavours of fragrant durians with entertaining activities.
Starting in October, nature lovers and fitness enthusiasts will have a new opportunity to discover Sweden on the Stockholm Archipelago Trail (SAT), a new 270-km hiking route through one of the world’s largest island groups with about 30,000 islands, islets, and skerries. There will be 20 sections of the route that reveal 21 spectacular islands where “pristine nature awaits.”
Tropical storm warnings are in effect for Puerto Rico, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, St. Kitts, Nevis, Montserrat, Guadeloupe, St. Martin, St. Barts and St. Maarten. The National Hurricane Center said a disturbance in the Atlantic is expected to become a tropical depression late Monday before strengthening into a tropical storm as it approaches the northeast Caribbean.
The Disney fleet currently consists of five ships – Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, Disney Magic, Disney Wish and Disney Wonder. The Disney Treasure will join the existing fleet this year, followed by Disney Adventure and Disney Destiny which will launch in 2025. An as yet unnamed fourth ship will launch in 2029. Over the weekend the Disney Cruise Line revealed it is ordering four more ships. The new order which will give DCL a fleet of 13 ships by 2031.
The first-ever US Baggage Sanitization System has been introduced at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport’s Terminal 7. Dubbed a “significant milestone in the travel industry’s ongoing efforts to combat the spread of infectious diseases,” the system offers a travellers a quick, turn-key solution to sanitize their baggage before bringing it home with them.