In this week’s round-up, we recap Uniglobe Canada’s annual conference, Trevello is going public, Encore Cruises is set to sail with travel advisors at its annual SeaU event, while the Affluent Traveler Collection recognized a host of winners at its recent symposium in Florida.
The US government has fined American Airlines $50 million for failing to provide wheelchair assistance to passengers with disabilities and damaging thousands of wheelchairs over a five-year period. The Transportation Department said that “in some cases,” wheelchair users were injured, but it did not give a number.
A popular selfie spot for visitors to Banff National Park has become a victim of its own success. The two-metre-high, $350,000 “Banff” sign was installed in 2017 on Mount Norquay Avenue, one of two entrances into the Alberta mountain park’s idyllic townsite. But the narrow two-lane road, which runs from the Mount Norquay Ski Resort seven kilometres away, is fraught with traffic jams, even between the peak tourist seasons of winter and summer.
Ontario’s government wants to transform the Niagara region into a “Las Vegas of the North.” The grand plan, which promises to “put Niagara region on the map,” encompasses more casinos, hotels, an amusement park, cruise ships, and even an international airport.
MSC Cruises will launch Alaska itineraries for the first time, with seven-night sailings available from May to September 2026 aboard MSC Poesia out of the cruise line’s new Seattle home-port – its fifth in the US. The summer season will also feature two itineraries transiting Panama Canal between Seattle and Miami.
American Airlines is testing a new technology at three airports across the US during the boarding process that aims to cut down on passengers who try to cut the line. The technology, which is being tested in Albuquerque, Tucson, and Washington (Reagan) alerts gate agents with an audible sound if a passenger tries to scan a ticket ahead of their assigned group.
Over 1,000 travel advisors, industry partners, dignitaries, government officials, and resort executives gathered in Jamaica earlier this month to explore the island’s tourism offering through the lens of the Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts brands. The one-day ‘Jamaica Love Showcase,’ showcased valuable insights and emerging trends showcasing the future of travel to Jamaica and the Caribbean at large.
Nassau’s Baha Mar has revealed plans to add a 4th luxury resort as the next phase of its continued development. The new resort and residences will join existing Grand Hyatt, Rosewood and SLS brands, as well as the Baha Bay Waterpark in the mega resort multiplex, when complete in 2029.
Tourists are once again climbing the steps of Manhattan’s beehive-shaped Vessel sculpture after it reopened in mid October for the first time in three years, now with netting aimed at decreasing the risk of suicides like the ones that forced its closure.
With Halloween season in full swing theme parks like Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort are revelling in the spooky occasion, the latter going so far as to dub its annual fearful festivities “Halloween Horror Nights.” But the advent of “scream tourism” is no longer specific to Oct. 31.
Cruise, along with luxury, is a buzzword in travel in 2024 and the sector is primed for a record-breaking year. The trend is borne out by a surge in cruise bookings at Trip.com, which says it has registered a whopping 344% year-on-year growth from January to October. The online retailer has also identified several micro trends within the larger tidal wave of global bookings.
The US government says it is launching a broad investigation into the state of competition in air travel, including the effect of mergers and joint ventures between airlines – a move US Travel counters is little more than “disappointing political stunt.”
Venice will extend its day-tripper tax through next year, increasing the number of days on which tourists have to pay to enter the city and doubling the fee to 10 euros ($10.80) for last-minute visitors, city officials said last week. Mayor Luigi Brugnaro stressed that the tax aims to help the city and its citizens battle overtourism and avoid huge influxes of visitors during crowded holidays and weekends.
The 34th edition of the Montréal International Tourism and Travel Show (SITV) returns Nov. 1-3 at the Palais des congrès de Montréal and industry professionals are being offered free accreditation granting full access to three days of activities, exhibitors, and networking opportunities when presenting a business card.
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 Cuba Tourist Board says it is happy to report that it’s business as usual in the country’s tourist areas as the electricity has been restored to 100% of the hotels. The message was confirmed by Sunwing, which stated that its in-destination and hotel partners confirmed that that power has been restored throughout the island as of the evening of Oct. 22.
Porter Airlines is operating its largest-ever winter schedule, with the carrier claiming its 180 daily flights across 34 destinations make it the second largest carrier in Toronto, operating out both Toronto Pearson International Airport and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.
Emotional farewells are a common sight at airports, but travellers leaving the New Zealand city of Dunedin will have to be quick. A new three-minute time limit on goodbye hugs in the airport’s drop-off area is intended to prevent lingering cuddles from causing traffic jams.
Beer drinkers, rejoice! Destination Toronto has launched the Toronto Brew Pass, with one-day, three-day, and seven-day options and the choice of 23 distinct craft breweries around the city.
A submersible from Seabourn Cruises’ expedition ship Seabourn Pursuit made a historic discovery during a dive off the coast of Alejandro Selkirk Island in Chile. On Oct. 14, the sub carrying guests aboard the ultra-luxury line’s newest purpose-built expedition ship found the wreck of the Titania, a German supply ship lost for 110 years lying 95 metres below the surface.
If you grew up in the ‘70s, odds are that “Frampton Comes Alive” in some way penetrated your existence – if not spinning hundreds of times your turntable, then certainly on the radio and TV. The double album came out of nowhere in 1976 and went on to be the best-selling live album of all time (at the time), and ultimately setting in motion the wheels that led to the English singer-songwriter being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last weekend.
The start of “snowbird” season in Florida is only weeks away, but many Florida Gulf Coast beaches, regularly voted some of the best in the United States, are closed to the public because of the devastation from Hurricane Milton two weeks ago.
John Lovell will take the helm at Travel Leaders Network, assuming the role of president on Jan. 1, 2025 – in addition to his current duties at parent company Internova Travel Group. Travel Leaders Network is one of the largest sellers of luxury travel, cruises and tours in the industry, representing approximately 5,700 travel agency locations across the US and Canada.
The Jamaica Tourist Board recently held a gala reception recognizing close to 60 partners from across the country representing the trade, media/influencers and the Jamaican diaspora. Held at the tony Hazleton hotel in Toronto, Canadian regional director for the JTB Angella Bennett said the event was meant to celebrate the success of Brand Jamaica and thank those who contributed to it.
Since Israel began bombarding Beirut’s southern suburbs as part of its offensive against the Hezbollah militant group, Lebanon’s national air carrier has become a local icon simply by continuing to do its job. Middle East Airlines (MEA) is the only commercial airline still operating out of the Beirut airport, located on the coast next to the densely populated suburbs where many of Hezbollah’s operations are based.
Fully renovated and under new ownership, Antigua’s Hermitage Bay luxury resort is set to re-open on Nov. 1. The multi-million-dollar makeover offers 30 fully redesigned guest villa suites, an increased number of private pools, refreshed spa, and newly landscaped gardens.
The inaugural One Caribbean Canada + USA Virtual Trade Show will take place on Wed., Oct. 30, designed to provided travel advisors with the opportunity to learn about unique destinations, discover hidden gems, and explore special promotions available exclusively to travel advisors.
The Indian government plans a new law to punish those making hoax bomb threats against flights, which disrupt the schedules of airlines and cause massive inconvenience to thousands of passengers. In less than two weeks, more than 120 flights operated by Indian carriers have received bomb threats, including one that forced an Air India flight to land in Nunavut on Oct. 14 as a precaution.
Cuba’s capital was partially illuminated Monday night after a large-scale blackout generated a handful of protests and a stern government warning that any unrest would be punished. In eastern Cuba, Hurricane Oscar added to the misery as rescue work in the region continued.
WestJet says it ushering in a “new era” by returning to its roots through an updated business strategy that includes the launch of a comprehensive brand platform and fully integrated campaign, anchored by a new tagline ‘Where Your Story Takes Off.’