The travel industry is mourning the passing of noted Saint Lucian hotelier, developer and visionary Nick Troubetzkoy during a recent visit to London. Raised in western Canada, Troubetzkoy’s many notable accomplishments included building Anse Chastanet and the renowned Jade Mountain resorts.
SeaWorld Orlando has unveiled plans for its latest attraction, set to open in Spring 2025: the world’s first-of-its-kind Arctic flying theatre. The new experience will invite guests to soar over icy landscapes, dive beneath frozen waters, and come face-to-face with some of the planet’s most magnificent creatures – from beluga whales to orcas and walruses.
The Canadian dollar fell to its lowest level since May 2020 after Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on Canadian goods shipped to the United States once he takes office in January.
Pronouncing Azores properly, which is to say, in Portuguese, is an undeniable challenge for the English-speaking human mouth – so, in this case we’ll go with the Canadian version – ‘Eh-zores.’ Fortunately, almost everything else about the amazing archipelago – nine volcanic islands peaking out of the mid-Atlantic ocean 1500 kms (and a two-hour flight) due west of Lisbon – was much easier to grasp for 150 travel advisors from this country attending last week’s first annual ACTA International Destination Conference.
With Toronto having reverted to normal levels of chaos, Vancouver is preparing for the arrival of the recording breaking Taylor Swift tour with the expectation of nearly $160 million in economic impact for the city over the singer’s three tour dates, Dec. 6-8.
WestJet will launch new nonstop service connecting Vancouver and Austin, Texas, next spring. The three-times-weekly flights will commence May 11. Last week, the airline also announced new seasonal routes to Boston and Tampa beginning in June.
From a new ship in the Uniworld fleet and all-new FAM initiative to new itineraries in Albania and Peru for Contiki, expanded small group and women’s tour offerings from Insight Vacations, and five new itineraries from Trafalgar, there’s a lot going in the TTC Tour Brands portfolio in 2025. Here’s a look at some of the notable news.
Yuka Suzuki has been named Executive Director of the Japan National Tourism Organization office in Toronto. The veteran tourism professional, who has previously worked for Destination British Columbia in Tokyo, has a “strong passion” for both Canada and Japan, and has dedicated much of her career to fostering stronger connections between the two, making her uniquely qualified for the position, according to the JNTO.
It’s last call for ACTA members to make their voices heard on the implementation and impacts of New Distribution Capability (NDC). The deadline is today (Nov. 27) to complete a survey by the association designed to specifically examine members’ current engagement levels with NDC, identify any challenges they are encountering in their day-to-day operations, and explore potential areas for improvement in NDC implementation.
If you were having problems with opening Outlook or other Microsoft applications yesterday – you weren’t alone. Thousands of Microsoft 365 customers worldwide took to social media to report trouble seeing their emails, loading calendars or opening other Microsoft 365 applications such as Powerpoint and Teams.
Just as there are good odds the turkey will taste dry, airports and highways are expected to be jam-packed during Thanksgiving week, a holiday period likely to end in another record day for air travel in the United States. However, take heart, the people responsible for keeping security lines, boarding areas and jetliners moving — from the US transportation secretary and airline chiefs on down the line — swear they are prepared for the crowds.
New York has leapfrogged Las Vegas as the top meeting and events destination in North America, while Toronto has dropped out of the top five. according to the 2025 Meetings & Events forecast by American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT).
For guests who have vision disabilities, exploring the unfamiliar surroundings of a hotel could pose unique and specific challenges that have the potential to impact their stay. Hilton has announced an industry-first partnership with Be My Eyes to enable guests who are blind or have low vision can experience a more accessible and seamless stay
Italy’s Pompeii archaeological park will now limit visitor numbers to 20,000 a day and introduce personalized tickets starting in a bid to cope with over-tourism and protect the world heritage site. The move comes after what authorities called a record summer that saw over 4 million people visiting the world-famous remains of the ancient Roman city, buried under ash and rock following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D.
Bhutan’s Department of Tourism has launched a new Tourism Services Portal, designed to streamline the experience of visitors to the Kingdom. To date, more than 400 Bhutanese tour operators, nearly 1,000 certified guides, 100 hotels, more than a dozen homestays, and several other service providers in Bhutan have joined the site.
A little town known as a backpacker paradise in northern Laos is receiving unpleasant attention after six young travellers are dead and 11 remain in hospital, following a night out drinking in the town of Vang Vieng. All are suspected of consuming drinks laced with methanol.
Norwegian Cruise Line has cancelled almost six months of sailings between November 2025 and April 2026 on three of its ships – Norwegian Dawn, Norwegian Star and Norwegian Jewel. The cruise line said the cancellations were due to ‘fleet redeployment’ according to a communication sent to booked guests and their travel advisors.
HotelPlanner has announced what it says is “a world first that will change how customers find and book their hotels.” HotelPlanner.ai is the first end-to-end AI hotel booking assistant with access to book over one million-plus properties worldwide.
As Notre Dame gears up to reopen its doors in December, Paris is on the verge of a remarkable eco-revival, bringing nature back to the forefront of the City of Light. Beyond restoring the cathedral’s iconic spire and medieval charm, the city has announced plans to revamp Notre Dame’s surroundings — to the tune of €50 million ($75 million) – into a serene, green oasis.
It’s clear that cruise lines expect the Suez Canal, Red Sea and the Holy Land to be too conflicted to risk sailing around for a long time to come. How long? Even newly announced 2027 World Cruises are steering far away from the entire Middle East.
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 most critical factor in selecting a travel partner is having a compatible travel style, according to a recent Traveller Sentiment and Safety Survey. Compatibility and flexibility are in; negative attitudes and recklessness are out. A compatible travel style aligns preferences regarding itinerary planning, pace, and activities.
Matt Perrault has shipped animals in and out of Canada on behalf of owners for more than two decades, handling creatures ranging from birds to bearded dragons, rabbits and ferrets. But lately, it’s requests to haul cats and dogs that have been raining down on him.
As unpredictable weather events become increasingly common, it’s important to understand how travel insurance covers bad weather and natural disasters like hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, snowstorms, and more.
Based on research among more than 27,000 travellers across 33 countries and territories (including over 1,000 in Canada) Booking.com looks at some of the unique spots that are at the top of everyone’s lists for 2025. Their Travel Predictions report highlights a collection of diverse destinations offering a wide range of experiences, from serene beach getaways to cultural hubs and adventure-filled landscapes.
It goes without saying that most visitors to Nassau & Paradise Island want to spend as much time as possible soaking in the sun, and the natural beauty of The Bahamas. So, why spend time eating indoors when there are so many bars and restaurants that offer delectable menus paired with spectacular Bahamian views?
John Fogerty is a brilliant songwriter – composing such celebrated hits as Proud Mary, Down on the Corner, Have You Ever Seen The Rain, and many, many more, generally performed by Creedence Clearwater Revival, but covered by artists around the world. However, this song has been an earworm in my mind for the past few weeks. I can’t get rid of it, so I’m passing it along. With an apology to our editor Mike Baginski for bumping his choice, here we go…
Hurricane-force winds of up to 159 km/h have slammed into parts of the British Columbia Coast as a massive storm swirling off Vancouver Island severed highways and cut power to about 225,000 people. Winds exceeding 100 km/h were recorded in multiple areas late Tuesday, with gusts approaching 80 km/h at Vancouver’s airport.
The chief executive of Delta Air Lines says the incoming Trump administration will be a “breath of fresh air” for airlines after what he called government “overreach” under President Joe Biden. However, consumer advocates are understandably wary of a second Trump administration, fearing that it could try to roll back a rule requiring automatic refunds after cancelled flights along with another – deplorably unfair – rule that requires airlines to advertise the full price of fares upfront, including mandatory fees and taxes.
ACTA’s inaugural International Conference kicked off in Portugal’s Azores Wednesday with 150 travel advisors from across the country, plus several partners and media, including Travel Industry Today, for a program of learning and on-the-ground experience in the island archipelago.