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.’
Air Transat has announced it has partnered with FLX Platform by Accelya to facilitate its New Distribution Capabilities (NDC). Powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), the platform enabled more than half of all global NDC transactions in 2023, according to data from T2RL and is now generating more than 350k personalized offers per second across its airline partners.
Reflecting the continued resurgence of travel after the pandemic, World Travel Market London – the world’s largest English language travel trade show – says this year’s edition will be the largest to date. Taking place Nov. 5-7 (with a new Tuesday start), the event is forecasting seven percent growth, prompting expansion into new halls at ExCeL London.
Passengers riding on Via Rail’s most heavily travelled corridor may endure a slower trip after Canadian National Railway Co. imposed restrictions on Via’s new recently arrived Siemens trainsets running between Montreal and Windsor, Ont. to lower their speed at public crossings.
Expedia Group has published its Unpack ’25 Report, which outlines eight trends set to define travel in 2025 and actionable steps for how travel businesses can capitalize on them. Based on data from Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo, the predictions of where people will go and what they’ll do there in the year to come includes Goods Getaways, JOMO Travel, One-click Trips, and a traditional value vacation type that’s getting a new look from Gen Z.
Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand are popular among Canadians in the summer, and certainly during Spring Break season in the late winter/early spring when warm weather and sandy beaches beckon families looking to escape the cold and snow at home. But city tourism officials maintain that Fall may be the best time of all to visit the South Carolina destination.
Flair Airlines continues to elicit the most complaints amongst passengers in the latest statistics from the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA). Flair topped the chart with an average of 17.9 complaints per 100 flights for the period April through June 2024. By contrast, the best – at the bottom of the chart – was Porter Airlines, with only 1.2 complaints per 100 flights.
There’s no place like Myrtle Beach for golf. From the South Carolina destination’s 90-plus courses to its world-renowned mini golf trail, and now the Tiger Wood PopStroke venture, it’s no wonder the city has been called ‘The Golf Capital of the World.’ Indeed, about three million rounds of golf a year are played there.
In this week’s Round-Up, we go on the road with The Travel Agent Next Door (TTAND) and check out the United Arab Emirates on an Exotic Journeys FAM trip. Meanwhile, the Affluent Traveler Collection is taking luxury to new levels.
It’s never to early to start planning for Can-Am Days, Myrtle Beach’s annual festival of friendship for its Canadian visitors. So, mark the calendar, the 64th annual event will take place March 8-16, 2025.
Thrill-seekers looking to get their name in the record books will now have even more opportunity to do so as MSC Cruises plans to roll out its Guinness World Records entertainment program across its entire fleet. The popular program, which gives guests the chance to break official Guinness World Records titles through a variety of activities, is now available on 12 ships and will be rolled out across the entire MSC Cruises fleet within the next year.
As Hurricane Oscar begins to roll across Cuba, many Cubans were still suffering Sunday without electricity, which had yet to be totally restored after days of blackout. Some neighbourhoods had electricity restored in Cuba’s capital, where 2 million people live, but most of Havana remained dark.
Customers who give their rental car companies the highest scores for trust are also most likely to reuse that brand for their next rental. However, according to the just-released J.D. Power 2024 North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study, overly complicated vehicles, problems experienced during the rental car experience, and the inability to choose a specific vehicle can negatively affect trust, thereby damaging customer loyalty.
The Alberta and federal governments are putting a combined $5.5 million toward attracting tourists to the Rocky Mountain town of Jasper, Alta., after the July wildfire that destroyed one-third of the town, including multiple hotels and 800 housing units. Year-round tourism is Jasper’s main economic driver as close to 2.5 million people visited the surrounding national park last year alone.
Travel Leaders Network (TLN) wrapped its cross-country fall regional PEAK showcases last week boasting “biggest ever” numbers. Such was the turnout in Toronto – 160 members plus 72 supplier partners – that the TLN was forced to relocate to a larger venue near Pearson Airport than was required in previous years.
Sunwing Vacations’ Partner of the Month for October, Iberostar Beachfront Resorts, is offering perks and ways for clients to save, plus benefits for advisors who book their getaways at select properties in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.
Goway has appointed travel industry veteran Sean Hebert as its new Vice President, The Americas with a mission to spearhead the company’s transformation of its North American and Latin American product lines.
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.
When a hurricane sets its sights on Florida, storm-weary residents may think of catastrophic wind, hammering rain and dangerous storm surge. Mounds of sand swallowing their homes? Not so much. Yet, that’s the reality for some after Hurricanes Helene and Milton clobbered Florida’s Gulf Coast with back-to-back hits in less than two weeks.