Unique Vacations personnel and partners convened in Jamaica earlier this month for the organization’s global sales conference – an annual state of the nation that provided a host of news that will shape Sandals and Beaches this year – and the travel advisors who book them.
Germany’s Lufthansa Group finalized its acquisition of Italian airline ITA Airways on Friday, closing a long period of uncertainty for Italy’s former flagship carrier. Under the 325-million-euro ($483 million) deal, Lufthansa takes an initial 41% stake in ITA, formerly Alitalia, from the Italian government, gaining full control by 2033.
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.
Step aside Schiphol, look out LHR, fuggedaboutit about it Frankfurt – the world’s busiest airport is Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The American facility topped all competitors in capacity (both domestic and international) with 62.7 million seats in 2024.
Pakistan’s national airline said Thursday that an advertisement showing a plane heading toward the Eiffel Tower was never intended to evoke the memories of the Sept. 11 attacks. The illustration, not in video format, shows a plane superimposed over the French flag and tilted toward the Paris landmark, with the words “Paris, we’re coming today.”
The slow travel movement – which is gaining speed as an emerging trend – embodies the idea that the journey, like a fine wine, is more rewarding and beneficial when it is savoured – whether that means staying put in one place for longer, exploring places that are less known and visited by tourists, or using human-powered transportation (like hiking, kayaking, or biking) to move from place-to-place.
Many travellers have had tales of colossal mishaps, but only one could be deemed “the worst.” In a repeat of their popular travel promotion, Travel Guard solicited stories of travel nightmares and received nearly 500 entries from across North America.
I didn’t expect to find myself in handcuffs for ordering a cocktail aboard the new Sun Princess. But then there were a lot of things I didn’t anticipate about an evening of mystery and illusion on my Caribbean cruise.
A new poll has named “On the Road Again” and Willie Nelson as the top travel song and musical artist for the fourth consecutive year. Following “On the Road Again”, as the favourite travelling song, was “Africa” by Toto, “Leaving on a Jet Plane” by John Denver and, making the list for the first time, “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers.
Simplicity, transparency, and trust are the three things travel consumers want from their travel retailers, according to new research from Travelport in its just-released 2025 State of Modern Retailing Report, which, combined with cross-industry insights, highlights key trends the global technology company says will transform the travel industry in 2025.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk accused Russia on Wednesday of planning acts of sabotage worldwide that included airlines. Speaking a news conference in Warsaw alongside Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy, he said, “I will not go into details, I can only confirm the validity of fears that Russia was planning acts of air terror, not only against Poland, but against airlines around the world.”
Sunwing Vacations is reporting a strong start to the winter season, having posted a record number of travellers in December and over the holidays, according to company president Andrew Dawson.
WestJet will offer summer service between Calgary and New York LaGuardia, bolstering existing service to New York John F. Kennedy International Airport and boosting non-stop travel capacity between the Empire State and WestJet’s hub.
Transat Distribution Canada has revealed its latest roster of Bravo Excellence Club members; ACTA is seeking individuals for two of its key committees; and the St. Kitts Travel Authority is the newest preferred partner for Virtuoso.
For centuries, Florence’s 16th-century Vasari Corridor was a secret passage that was only accessible to dukes and lords. Now, the raised passageway that connects the Italian city’s Uffizi Galleries to the former residence of the powerful Medici family has reopened to the public after an eight-year restoration project.
Despite ranking seventh overall, the Canadian passport has made the biggest “losers list” of the world’s most powerful passports, having dropped three spots over the past decade, according to the influential Henley Passport Index, which for the past 19 years has been ranking passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.
After only two years serving Canada from its base in Hamilton, Ont., PLAY Airlines is pulling out of the market. The Icelandic low-cost carrier’s schedule shows that starting in late April it will stop its four flights per week from YHM to its home base in Reykjavik, Iceland, which it uses as a hub for trips to Europe.
Ryanair is calling on European authorities to limit the sale of alcoholic beverages at airports across the continent, as the Irish airline continues legal action against a passenger who it says caused a costly flight diversion last year.
2024 was the best year in history for international tourism in Brazil, according to Embratur. The country reached the record mark of 6,657,377 foreign tourists in the year, an increase of 12.6% compared to 2023. In December alone, the country received more than 690,236 international visitors, a number 11.1% higher than that recorded in the last month of 2023.
Contiki has launched a new active travel style designed for fitness enthusiasts and social adventurers. Believed to be an industry first, Run Club offers two itineraries that allow young travellers to explore popular European destinations while connecting with like-minded runners.
Demonstrating its commitment to Alaska, Holland America Line is expanding and enhancing its popular Denali Lodge as well as its land-and-sea cruisetours with a US$70-million capital investment that will roll out over the next three seasons.
As Los Angeles burned, climate scientists have announced that Earth recorded its hottest year ever in 2024, with such a big jump that the planet temporarily passed a major climate threshold. Last year’s global average temperature easily passed 2023’s record heat and kept pushing even higher.
Nassau Cruise Port (NCP) has broken its annual passenger record, welcoming 5.6 million cruise passengers in 2024. This marks the second consecutive year of record- breaking growth for the port, reflecting global interest in travel to Nassau-Paradise Island and the Bahamas.
Mind the pants. Hundreds of Londoners headed down to the Underground on Sunday afternoon, stripped down to their underwear and travelled around a bit, trying to look as though nothing unusual was going on. As if.
With Italy celebrating a Jubilee year in 2025, Globus says it is setting a new benchmark for travel to the country with its most in-depth portfolio of tours in the country ever. With 33 unique itineraries covering 13 regions, 99 cities, and a multitude of travel styles, Globus declares it is “truly IT when it comes to Italy.”
Beginning May 14, WestJet will operate five weekly flights between Calgary and Mexico City – a route last served in 2018. With the addition of Mexico City, The WestJet Group, including Sunwing Airlines, will serve 13 cities in Mexico from 24 Canadian cities in 2025 with more than 200 flights per week during peak travel periods.
Thailand’s Cabinet has approved a draft bill legalizing casinos with the aim of boosting tourism. Some forms of gambling, such as betting on boxing and horse racing, are allowed but casinos remain illegal in the Southeast Asian country.
Residents and travellers continued to be subjected to diverse and devastating climate challenges in the US over the weekend as wildfires raged in California and a winter storm and poler vortex enveloped the South. By far, the worse of the two weather bombs afflicted Los Angeles, where strong winds are threatening to pick up again this week to exacerbate what Gov. Gavin Newsom said could end up being the worst natural disaster in US history.
Cunard’s newest luxury ship, the Queen Anne, embarked on her historic 107-night maiden world voyage from Southampton, UK, Jan. 9, marking a new chapter in the cruise line’s distinguished history. Spectators gathered across the city to witness the ship’s 9 p.m. departure, which was celebrated with a dazzling fireworks display.
G Adventures has launched its popular annual ‘G-Normous’ agent incentive, a four-month competition that offers travel advisors up $40k in prizes, including a $10,000 “G dollar’ grand prize that can be put towards any trip with the company. Also in January, the G Adventures ‘Great Adventure Sale’ offers up to 25% off the price of over 500 trips for clients (for travel through Dec 15).