Global Travel News

In last week’s news, Transat posted a record third quarter, Air Canada paid back some government debt, Britain looked ahead to record visitation numbers from Canada, Sunwing unveiled its annual ‘Best of the Best List,’ and ACTA revealed a long-discussed name change.

NEWS

Transat reported its highest net income ever for a third quarter and turned a profit for the first time since 2019, prompting a brighter financial forecast for the year. Healthy demand for leisure travel boosted revenue per passenger by 29% compared with four years earlier, an indication of fare hikes on tickets to Europe. To meet the sustained demand, Transat plans to expand capacity by nearly a quarter next year, increasing its fleet to about 40 planes.

TICO says it will launch a broad and comprehensive consultation process with registrants and stakeholders in the coming weeks about its funding framework and fee model proposals, including the Compensation Fund. Members can expect to receive a package during the first week of October that outlines the proposals that came out of the review. The Council further plans to host both virtual and in-person sessions to hear directly from members and will provide an opportunity to share feedback via an online survey.

The Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA) has expanded its name – now to be known as the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies & Travel Advisors. As befits the new moniker (no word if ACTATA will be the new acronym), the association will also officially call retail travel sellers “travel advisors” in all matters rather than “travel agents.”

BY THE NUMBERS

Canadian arrivals into Britain are poised to set an all-time record this year. And with an expected 944,000 visitors from this country forecast to find their way to the UK – significantly more than not only 2019 (874k), but also the previous high-water mark in 2017 (911k) – VisitBritain officials are eyeing the magic million mark in 2024. Canadian visitors are also expected to break the billion-pound spending mark this year, itself a 27% increase over the already record £934 million mark in 2022.

AIR

Beginning Dec. 15, WestJet, will again connect Kelowna, BC, and Las Vegas, reintroducing a popular transborder connection from the Okanagan, for the first time since 2020. The non-stop service will operate twice weekly, departing at 8 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. With the addition of service to Las Vegas, WestJet will operate a total of two direct transborder connections from Kelowna, with non-stop weekly service to Phoenix, Arizona.

Air Canada says it has repaid about $589 million in debt that it used to buy aircraft. The company says it repaid a $462-million loan from Canada’s Export Development Corp. that it used to pay for the purchase of 14 Airbus A220-300 aircraft. The airline also repaid $127 million in a partial repayment of financings supported by the Export-Import Bank of the United States that was used to buy four Boeing 787-8 aircraft.

Caribbean low-cost carrier Arajet – a new entrant in the Canadian market – will introduce connections to Argentina from Toronto and Montreal via its hub in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The flights add to a roster of recently announced service from Canada to Sao Paulo, Brazil; Santiago de Chile; Cartagena and Medellin, Colombia; as well as several Caribbean islands, such as Jamaica, Aruba or Curaçao. The first flight from Toronto to Santo Domingo will be Oct. 24 and the first from Montreal will be Nov.  7.

DEALS

Last-minute deals for the upcoming 2023/24 Antarctic expedition season (photo) from G Adventures give travellers up to 30% off when booked by Sept. 30. Not forgetting those seeking out warmer climates this fall and winter, travellers can also save 15% on more than 100 trips across a range of G Adventures’ travel styles in destinations as varied as Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Peru, and overground Africa.

Visitors are invited to extend the summer with the Bermuda’s annual ‘Endless Summer Sale,’ which offers of up to 30% discounts on island-wide accommodations. Bookings must be made by Oct. 15 and can be found at gotobermuda.com.

TOUR OPERATORS

Sunwing Vacations’ popular ‘Best of the Best List’ is back. Based on a combination of travel expert recommendations, star ratings and customer feedback, the list is meant to serve as an “MVP of vacation inspiration” for customers and agents. The list is based more than 200 expert recommendations for the 2023-24 season – all in one place – from the best new resorts to award-winning hotels, best spots for family-friendly and adults only escapes, the most luxurious swim-up suites, 5-star properties, best solo travel destinations and more. See the full list at www.sunwing.ca/en/best-vacations.

Collette has launched its new Travel Advisor Reward Program, which will reward advisors for booking more travellers on Collette tours. Starting with reduced rates of 50%, advisors will receive bigger savings on land tours the more travellers they book within a single year. And they’ll have the opportunity to increase that number to 100% if they book over 40 travellers. Advisors will also receive reduced rates for companions, starting at 25%.

HOTELS

Marriott International opened its 50th hotel in Thailand. The debut of the Madi Paidi Bangkok, Autograph Collection reflects Marriott’s long-term vision for Thailand and its belief in the country as a world-leading travel destination. Marriott expects to add a further 10 hotels by the end of 2024 across its luxury, premium, select and longer stay brands.

IHG Hotels & Resorts has launched its new midscale conversion brand, Garner – an IHG Hotel. The brand is aimed at guests wanting great value stays at high-quality properties. Garner arrives at a lower price point than Holiday Inn Express, and will complement IHG’s new-build midscale brand, avid hotels, as the focus on accelerating growth in the segment continues. The first hotels are expected to open by the end of 2023. With a goal to expand globally, IHG expects the brand to reach an estate of over 500 hotels over the next 10 years and 1,000 hotels over the next 20 years in the US alone.

RESORTS

Saint Lucia’s Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa has a special double bonus offer for Canadian travel agents, who can earn rewards of up to US$112 for 7-night stays booked by Sept. 30 (valid for travel from Jan. 2 through April 16, 2024). Join the resort’s rewards program at CBAYRewards.com to qualify. Clients savings are also available on seven-day Air Canada Vacations packages from Toronto, starting at CDN$2179 p.p. The resort’s 3rd Annual Rum & Rhythms Festival will take place Oct. 15-28 featuring top Caribbean musical performers as well as a full schedule of rum tastings.

A new luxury villa collection has been unveiled at the Bequia Beach Hotel in St. Vincent & the Grenadines. Adjacent to the main property, Grenadine Hill, the villas are individually inspired by the native architecture, vistas, and precious natural materials of the islands. Villa ONE and Coral Hill accommodate up to 12 guests, Amenities include an infinity pool, gym suite, indoor and outdoor space, private butler and maid services, as well as access to all the services of Bequia Beach Hotel. Rock Villa, the third villa slated to be open in the collection, will be complete this fall.

CRUISE

Viking has announced voyages on its newest Nile River ship, the Viking Sobek, are now available for booking. Set to debut in 2025, the Viking Sobek will join the company’s growing fleet as its sixth ship sailing the popular 12-day ‘Pharaohs & Pyramids’ itinerary. With Viking’s 2024 Egypt season nearly sold out and 2025 selling well, strong demand has led to an early opening of the Viking Sobek’s inaugural season and 2026 departure dates across the entire Nile River fleet.

Carnival Cruise Line unveiled more of its 2025-26 deployment by opening bookings on sailings to Alaska from Seattle on two ships: Carnival Spirit and Carnival Luminosa. Several Carnival Journeys cruises aboard the two ships are also open for sale, including a transatlantic sailing from Barcelona, Spain to Miami and a 29-day transpacific voyage from Brisbane, Australia to Seattle that features several stops in Japan.

FAMS & INCENTIVES

Travel advisors and clients can get in-depth look at what’s in store for Uniworld Boutique River Cruises’ second annual ‘Rivers of the World’ cruise for 2024. The special virtual event, hosted by Uniworld President & CEO Ellen Bettridge, will take place Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. EDT and will feature interviews a closer look at the 55-day itinerary via ship tours and sessions with destination experts. The sailing departs on Oct. 3, 2024, from Lima, Peru and will take 40 guests on a journey spanning three continents, 10 countries, and four luxurious ships. To register visit:

app.livestorm.co/uniworld-river-cruises/rivers-of-the-world-2024-virtual-event.

The Cuba Tourist Board in Canada is offering travel advisors the opportunity to take part in two special FAM group trips to the destination that will take place in October. Both itineraries – the ‘Hidden Gems of Eastern Cuba,’ and the new destinations of ‘Paredon Grande & Cayo Cruz, combined with Trinidad’ – include departures from Toronto, will take place Oct. 17-24 and will cover different parts of the country.

EVENTS

Travel Leaders Network will continue to bring members and key suppliers together at a series of Owners and Managers Mixers this fall. Attendees will have a chance to amp up their education, training, and network at a series of 11 more event across the country. Following is the remaining schedule of mixers for 2023: Sept. 12 – Saskatoon; Sept. 19 – Vancouver; Sept. 26 – Moncton; Sept. 26 – Calgary; Sept. 27 – Halifax; Nov. 8 – St. Catherine’s, Ont.; Nov. 14 – Winnipeg; Nov. 21 – Montréal; Nov. 22 – Ottawa; Dec. 6 – Richmond Hill, Ont.; Dec. 12 – Vancouver. Member agents can register for upcoming mixers through CanadaNet.

PEOPLE/APPOINTMENTS

Passing the torch: After 14 years, Kimberly Hartley has officially stepped down as the representative for Visit Myrtle Beach in Canada. Taking over is Pulse Travel Marketing and account manager Rebecca Seeds, who joined Hartley on her last day at the ACTA Summit in Toronto last week.

Following the recent appointment of Nathalie Tanious’ as President & CEO, H.I.S.-Red Label Vacations Inc. (RLV) has announced a further series of executive promotions. They include Diane Lattavo as Chief Air Commercial Officer; Sam Youssef, now Sr. VP President of Marketing & Partnerships; and Elvi Cal, as Sr.  VP of Product & Commercial. Additionally, the company has announced a strategic restructuring of its IT department with Mike Miljak returning as Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Domenic Maggi as Sr. Director of IT Operations.

Scott Beck is leaving his post as President and CEO of Destination Toronto to head south for a similar role with the San Francisco Travel Association. The move takes effect Oct. 28. Beck joined Destination Toronto in 2019 to lead the sales and marketing efforts for Canada’s most visited destination and North America’s fourth-largest city.

DESTINATIONS

South Florida rail service Brightline has announced that its extension to Orlando International Airport will begin on Sept.  22. Passengers will be able to connect from/to Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and West Palm Beach. Inaugural rides, from US$79 one way are now available for booking at gobrightline.com. Brightline expects to offer commissionable fares in the near future, and to be bookable on GDS by the end of 2023. Go to www.gobrightline.com/travel-professionals#travelBenefits.

Two new travel guides have been released by British tourism travel organizations with the aim of helping the trade plan and book travel to the UK by receiving information from and directly connecting with local suppliers. The guides – from England’s Historic Cities and the Great West Way – are invaluable resources to destinations across Britain and can be accessed online.The new England’s Historic Cities Travel Trade Guide is available to download at www.englandoriginals.com/travel-trade and GWW can be found at https://www.greatwestway.co.uk/traveltrade/travel-trade-directory.

LAST WEEK IN TRAVEL HISTORY

In 1992, PWA Corp., parent company of Canadian Airlines, agreed to merge with Air Canada.

Send info to baginski@travelindustrytoday.com

First published at Travel Industry Today

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

My husband and I are self-proclaimed adventurers, a spirited Canadian couple with an insatiable desire to live life to the fullest. As such, we embarked on an epic yearlong travel quest around the world with our newborn son and ten-year-old daughter. I thought we were prepared for whatever might come our way. We were not.

We armed ourselves with passports, visas, emergency contacts, heavily researched itineraries, and pre-booked flights and accommodations. We knew there would be amazing, frustrating, funny, and thrilling moments as we took parental leave on the road and in the air. We accepted and embraced all that came with spending A LOT of time together away from the comforts of home while parenting.

Despite the known challenges (or opportunities for growth) of travel and parenting, we mostly expected to be living out a charming family love story. It would be filled with thrilling adventures, breathtaking sceneries, unforgettable monuments, and culinary bliss. And… it was. We feasted our five senses on the beauty of the world from the temples of Southeast Asia to the pyramids of Egypt, the rolling hills of Tuscany, and the African plains. However, we also experienced prejudice and racism on a scale I never would have expected.

One of the glaring ways in which this presented itself was in airports. In 2018, we took fifty-six plane rides around the world and I can now say, without a shadow of a doubt, that we are racially profiled and treated differently based solely on the colors of our skin. As a white woman, I, not once, was randomly selected for extra security screening. Roland, my Black husband, was, consistently.

Roland was targeted so often that we tried different scenarios to see if it would change the results. He held the baby or walked with our ten-year-old daughter (who is white, from a previous marriage) to see if being a parent would result in better treatment. He went solo without the kids and bags, or I walked beside him and gave him the stroller while I carried our son, so it was clear we were all together. Sometimes he had collared button-up shirts, other times athletic wear, and others jeans and t-shirt. None of it mattered.

The only times we were able to dodge an extra layer of security screening were when I led the group.  After security let me through, I would indicate to them that we were family. Then, usually, they would wave us all through.

The first time Roland travelled alone that year to meet his sister for a long weekend, he called me agitated and recounted his experience at the small airport in Greece.

“I was at the security line, and they pulled me out of it. The only other group that got pulled over was a South Asian family of four. Security brought me to the counter and two officers came to see me.” He said.

“They were flipping through each page of my passport over and over again. Meanwhile, a constant flow of white people walked through the line with their passports barely being glanced at.”

I could hear the mix of anger, frustration, and sadness in his voice. The officers kept asking him the same questions over and over: When did you arrive in Europe? How long are you staying in Europe? Where have you been so far? Where are you going now? He answered each question politely and consistently.  Roland asked what the officer’s concern was, in hopes to try and help so he wouldn’t miss his flight. They ignored him. After the first two officers left, two different officers came and asked the same series of questions.

They finally let him go with no explanation. He sprinted to the gate, only making it because his flight was delayed.

Often, I get asked which countries were the worst offenders. Although some destinations were more frequent than others, the sad reality is, it happened on a global scale as we travelled across Asia, North America, Africa and Europe. This includes Canada, our own backyard.

It broke my heart. I could no longer be ignorant or brush off the incidents as one-offs. Whenever we walk into a room, the world will view us and treat us differently. The anger and hurt boiled inside me as I realized the way I get to experience the world in my personal, professional, and even in my adventures are laced with a privilege my husband and (some of) my children will not have. They are not made to feel welcomed to travel, explore and adventure the way I am.

It was this broken, angry, sad heart that fuelled the writing of Around the World in Black and White: Traveling with a Biracial Blended Family. It is a tale of self-discovery, racial awakening, resilience, and deeper understanding. This bold and heartfelt memoir will have you rethinking how you travel, how you see the world, and how the world sees you.

Alana Best is the author of “Around the World In Black and White.” She grew up with her parents, two younger sisters, and older brother on the traditional lands of the Treaty 4 Territory, the original lands of the Cree, Saulteaux, Dakota, Nakota, Lakota, and the homeland of the Métis, also known as Regina, Saskatchewan. As a travel enthusiast, Alana is passionate about being a global citizen, encouraging wanderlust, and living a full life. She believes travel helps create tolerance, understanding, and empathy. She and her husband, Roland, have the pleasure of working and living on the traditional, unceded territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples, with their three incredible children. She and her family love their home in Victoria, British Columbia, and will never stop exploring.

First published at Travel Industry Today

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News