NEW WYNDHAM BRAND MAKING WAVES IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Located in the charming town of Las Galeras in the Samaná province of the Dominican Republic, the new all-inclusive Wyndham Alltra Samaná boasts ocean views, pristine white sands and all-day entertainment for all ages. Managed by Playa Hotels & Resorts, the resort marks Wyndham Alltra’s first resort in the DR.

TURKISH AIRLINES OFFICE IN IRAN CLOSED AFTER HEADSCARF SKIRMISH

Police in Iran shut down the Turkish Airlines office in the capital of Tehran this week after female employees there apparently refused to wear the mandatory headscarf, or hijab, in an act of defiance of the country’s law, according to Iranian media.

MILAN MUSEUM TO FINALLY OPEN AFTER 50 YEARS OF DELAYS

Fifty-two years and 39 Italian governments after it was first envisioned, Milan’s Brera Modern will be inaugurated in the fall, officials have promised. An extension of the famed Pinacoteca di Brera, the new museum will house more than 100 contemporary art works that belong to Brera’s collection that have mostly been relegated to storage.

‘LIKE WALKING ON MARS’: Dangerous Death Valley heat inspires visitors

Hundreds of visitors touring the American West and adventurers from around the US have been drawn to Death Valley National Park this week, even though the desolate region known as one of the Earth’s hottest places is being punished by a dangerous heat wave blamed for a motorcyclist’s death over the weekend.

‘FULLY OPERATIONAL’ AGAIN, GRENADA APPEALS FOR AID, VISITORS

In the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, the Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) reports that southern Caribbean destination’s airport, hotels and attractions are fully operational on the “resilient” main island – as well as the cruise port, where Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Sea arrived yesterday (Tuesday) with over 2,300 passengers. But Carriacou and Petite Martinique suffered “catastrophic damage” and are desperately in need of aid.

IT’S ONLY GETTING BETTER: New-look Nassau forging into the future

It had been three years and eight months since I was last in Nassau. I can say that with definitiveness thanks to the cheery “welcome back” message I received on my WiFi log-in at the Grand Hyatt recently that indicated as much – although I would have recalled the precise timing of the visit since it was my last travel trip just before the pandemic struck. A lot has changed in the Bahamian capital in that time.

RETAIL ROUND-UP: Ensemble, F1S, and Virtuoso

In this week’s round-up, Ensemble reveals details of its newly launched luxury certification program; Virtuoso cruise icons are treated to a trip to Tahiti, and First in Service (F1S) agents convene for the organization’s second annual summit in Orlando, Florida.

TOURSIM KEY TO NEW GREENLAND FLIGHTS FROM CANADA

A growing demand for connections to Greenland – including tourism – has helped get weekly direct flights between Iqaluit and Nuuk off the ground this summer. But concerns remain about the sustainability of the flight to the Greenland’s largest city from Canada, which was cancelled in 2015 due to low ridership.

IBEROSTAR UNVEILS NEW BRANDING APPROACH FOR HOTELS

Iberostar Beachfront Resorts has unveiled the latest evolution of its brand identity and hotel portfolio, built around three new brand segments that are designed to enable customers to select the hotels, experiences, and services that best suit their beachfront holiday aspirations.

TOURIST IGNORES WARNING, KILLED BY ELEPHANTS

Elephants trampled to death a Spanish tourist at a South African wildlife reserve after he left his vehicle and approached a herd to take photographs, according to police and local government authorities. The 43-year-old man was killed on Sunday at Pilanesberg National Park in North West province, about 180 km. from Johannesburg.

INTO THE FRYING PAN: Searing heat shatters records in Canada, U.S.

After causing deaths and shattering records in the West and Pacific Northwest over the weekend, a long-running heat wave continued to grip Western Canada and much of the U.S. on Monday. Nearly two dozen daily temperature records – including one that had stood for almost 120 years – were broken in British Columbia, pushing the mercury over 40 C in some areas.

BOEING ACCEPTS PLEA DEAL TO AVOID CRIMINAL TRIAL

Boeing will plead guilty to a criminal fraud charge stemming from two crashes of 737 Max jetliners that killed 346 people – in Indonesia and Ethiopia – the US Justice Department says, after the government determined the company violated an agreement that had protected it from prosecution for more than three years.

PAY FOR PLAY: Copenhagen incentivizes tourists for sustainable actions

As Amsterdam limits cruise ships (see story below) and Barcelonians squirt water at tourists while shouting “go home,” Copenhagen is introducing a novel approach to tackling sustainable tourism: paying tourists to do it. “CopenPay” rewards visitors’ climate-friendly actions – like cycling, participating in clean-up efforts, or volunteering at an urban farm – into currency to be used for cultural experiences in the city.

NEW ORLANDO WEBSITE CATERS TO CANADIANS, TRAVEL TRADE

Visit Orlando has launched a suite of enhanced websites to promote the Orlando region to all audiences – domestic and international leisure visitors, meeting planners, meeting attendees, travel professionals and more. The include VisitOrlando.com, OrlandoMeeting.com, VisitOrlando.org, MagicalDining.com and French-Canadian sites.

AMSTERDAM WILLING TO PAY PRICE TO CURTAIL CRUISE SHIPS

In a measure to combat over-tourism, Amsterdam will reduce number of sea cruises calling in the Dutch city by almost half in 2026, while aiming for its cruise terminal to leave the city altogether by 2035. The number of sea cruises that moor at the Passengers Terminal Amsterdam (PTA) will drop from 190 to a maximum of 100 per year and the PTA will also immediately return to one berth and cruise ships required to use shore power by 2027.

THOMPSON LEAVES ST. KITTS TOURISM ‘BRIGHTER THAN EVER’

With Kelly Fontenelle taking charge of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, the organization is bidding farewell to Ellison “Tommy” Thompson – a familiar face to the travel trade in Canada – who, as CEO of the organization for the past two-and-a-half years, critically helped steer St Kitts tourism’s pandemic recovery. 

PLENTY OF PRIZES IN ‘AEROPLAN-NIVERSARY’

Aeroplan is marking its 40th birthday with a special “Aeroplan-niversary” celebration and offering the Air Canada loyalty program’s 8 million-plus members a chance to win one of 40 prizes of 1 million Aeroplan points each. Additionally, there will be numerous exclusive offers available during the promotion period through July 17.

AFTERMATH: Jamaica, Cayman, open for business after Beryl, others not so lucky

Jamaica did not suffer any major fallout from Hurricane Beryl late last week and is “open for business,” say tourism officials on the island. Other destinations in the region weren’t so lucky, but one tourism group – One Caribbean Canada – is emphasizing that damage has been devastating, but localized, and that the best way to offer aid is to “keep travelling” and not avoid the region altogether.

BORDER WORKERS RATIFY DEAL, NO STRIKE

The union representing Canada’s border workers says members have voted 91 percent in favour of a new collective agreement. More than 9,000 Canada Border Services Agency workers were planning job action in June, but the strike was averted when a tentative agreement was reached with the federal government.

U.S. PAX SAY AIR TRAVEL IS GETTING WORSE

Air travel to and through the US got more miserable last year, if the number of consumer complaints filed with the US government is any measure. The US Transportation Department said Friday that it received nearly 97,000 complaints in 2023, up from about 86,000 the year before. The department said there were so many complaints that it took until July to sort through the filings and compile the figures.

THE HOT 10: And other top summer luxury travel trends

Luxury travellers are making some surprising choices this season as they shake off inflation and seek out cultural immersion, new experiences, and ways to beat the heat and the crowds. What’s more, they’re willing to pay to get exactly the experience they want, according to luxury and experiential travel specialist Virtuoso.

IN THE PINK: Atlantis Paradise Island reveals resort-wide renovation

As the Bahamas’ Atlantis Paradise Island resort celebrates its 25th anniversary, the iconic pink property – called by some the Disney of Nassau – has completed a US$150-million resort-wide top-to-bottom transformation, including updates to the casino, guestrooms, restaurants and lounges.

A ‘TURNING POINT’ FOR SCOTTISH TOURISM

New figures show that Scotland experienced a record-breaking influx of international visitors in 2023, welcoming 3.9 million tourists, marking a 15% increase from 2019. The 2023 International Passenger Survey by the Office of National Statistics showed a significant 23% increase from 2022, which saw 3.2 million visitors, and the previous record was set in 2018 with 3.7 million visitors.

ROUND-UP: July 1-5, 2024

Hurricane Beryl dominated the news cycle last week, leaving a trail of destruction across the Caribbean, all the way to Mexico; in Canada, WestJet continued to cancel flights as it recovered from a strike by its mechanics. Other Round-Up items include a new air transport agreement between Canada and Argentina, new planes for Air Canada and a name for the newest Seabourn ship; and G Adventures announced one last chance to win Taylor Swift tickets for Toronto (note: deadline is July 10).

THE WORLD’S BEST AIRLINES IN 2024: And how Canadian carriers measure up

Canadian airlines typically don’t get no respect from many Canadians, as Rodney Dangerfield would say. But how do others see our airlines? Well, they’re not as bad as you might think, at least according to the Skytrax, which recently revealed its annual World Airlines Awards for 2024, otherwise known as the “Oscars of the aviation industry.” So, who are the best this year, and how did we (Canada) do? Read on, you’ll be surprised – and impressed.

WESTJET BACK ON TRACK AFTER MECHANICS STRIKE

WestJet says its operations have “stabilized” after a strike by its mechanics and that no further cancellations are expected as of today (Friday) after eight on Thursday and 30 on Wednesday. The airline says the total number of cancellations due to the strike was 1,171 in just over a week after about 680 workers walked off the job June 28.

MEXICO SEEKS TO SAVE SEA TURTLES BEFORE BERYL

Stung by past failures to prepare for hurricanes, the Mexican government on Wednesday began evacuating even sea turtle eggs from beaches ahead of Hurricane Beryl, which was expected to arrive early Friday. Given that Mexico did so little to warn or evacuate residents of the Pacific coast resort of Acapulco during Hurricane Otis in October, this time around officials are being extra cautious, digging up recently laid carey sea turtle eggs for fear they could be washed away by the storm surge.

ORLANDO EXPANDS VISITOR TOLL PASS PROGRAM

The Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) announces expanded distribution of its Visitor Toll Pass at Orlando International Airport (MCO) with additional pick up and drop off locations in Terminals A, B and C. An alternative to costly rental car toll programs, Visitor Toll Pass is a free temporary toll pass for rental car customers travelling roundtrip through the airport.

ALL THE POOP ON UNUSUAL ARIZONA MUSEUM

One way to help tell how a Tyrannosaurus rex digested food is to look at its poop. Bone fragments in a piece of fossilized excrement at a new museum in northern Arizona – aptly called the Poozeum – are among the tinier bits of evidence that indicate T. rex wasn’t much of a chewer, but rather swallowed whole chunks of prey.

WILL GREECE FINALLY REIN IN GROWING CRUISE HERDS?

Let’s add it up: As Crystal Symphony with 600 aboard sailed into Mykonos harbour, she’s joined by Odyssey of the Seas carrying about 4,100 and Celestyal Journey, with another 1,260. Several tourist ferries are also unloading throngs eager to squeeze shoulder-to-shoulder along the narrow laneways of white-stucco Mykonos Town.

Scroll to Top