UTTER LOON-ACY: Trump trash talk sends dollar to lowest level since 2020
- 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.
A FOR EFFORT: ACTA gets it right in The Azores
- 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.
VANCOUVER PREPARES FOR SWIFT ONSLAUGHT
- 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.
AUSTIN POWERED BY NEW WESTJET SERVICE
- 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.
TTC TOUR BRANDS 2025: What’s new at Trafalgar, Insight, Contiki, Costsaver, and Uniworld
- 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.
JNTO WELCOMES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
- 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.
DEADLINE NOV. 27: ACTA seeks member input on NDC
- 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.
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LOOKOUT: Thousands of Microsoft 365 users report outage issues
- 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.
WE CAN DO THIS: High hopes that all will go smoothly on the ‘Busiest Thanksgiving ever’
- 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.
TOP TRENDING CITIES FOR MEETINGS AND EVENTS
- 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).
HILTON PROGRAM AIDS BLIND, LOW-VISION GUESTS
- 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
POMPEII LATEST TO TACKLE OVER-TOURISM
- 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 MODERNIZES VISITOR PLANNING EXPERIENCE
- 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.
