A new era has launched for Porter Airlines, and for Canadian travellers.
Toronto-based Porter on Wednesday (Feb. 1) began flying jets for the first time as part of a massive expansion effort that threatens to shake up the industry.
Porter on Wednesday flew its new Embraer E195-E2 jets from Toronto Pearson Airport to Montreal Trudeau and Ottawa International, its first ever jet flights.
Until this week, Porter had flown exclusively out of the Toronto Island/City Centre Airport using De Havilland propeller planes.
Service on the Toronto Pearson-Ottawa route has four daily, non-stop return flights. Porter is offering three daily, non-stop return flights between Pearson and Montreal, but that will increase to four per day on Feb. 7.
Porter jet flights include amenities such as free Wi-Fi, no middle seats and free beer or wine.
Uluru, Australia. JIM BYERS PHOTO
NEW LIGHT AND SOUND SHOW AT ULURU, AUSTRALIA
Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia is set to launch a breathtaking, fully-immersive light and sound show at Ayers Rock Resort in May, the likes of which have not been seen before, combining ancient Anangu storytelling with state-of-the-art, drone and laser light technology.
Called Wintjiri Wiru – which suggests a ‘beautiful view out to the horizon’ in the local Anangu language – this will be the first time a light, laser, projection and drone experience of this magnitude has been performed on a regular basis anywhere in the world.
Anangu have one of the oldest living continuous cultures in the world and have been the custodians of this Country and its many stories, keeping them strong, since the beginning of time.
The show will bring to life a chapter of the Mala ancestral story which sits between Kaltukatjara (Docker River) and Uluru. Voyages has consulted and collaborated closely with the Anangu custodians of this chapter of the Mala story to obtain approval to bring Wintjiri Wiru to life.
Designed and produced by world-renowned Media Architecture studio RAMUS, the Wintjiri Wiru experience will illuminate the Central Desert with a spectacle of lights, projections and lasers shining on the spinifex and mulga, connecting the earth and sky to offer an expansive experience of light and sound in the presence of Uluru.
The depth of the story is revealed when more than 1,000 luminous drones take flight each night to lift the ancient images to the sky. Through exquisite choreography and visual artistry, the drones depict aspects of the Mala story accompanied by a narration in Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara languages, and a soundtrack with traditional inma recorded with members of the local Anangu community.
JIM BYERS PHOTO
CANADA JETLINES ANNOUNCES CANCUN SERVICE
Canada Jetlines has announced another new international destination, with non-stop flights from Toronto Pearson to Cancun beginning next month.
Open Jaw reports that flights are available to be booked starting on March 3, 2023.
The new route is scheduled to start with two flights per week with “increased frequency to follow.”
“Our Canada Jetlines family is thrilled to launch service to another international destination in Mexico this winter – continuing expansion of our international network of convenient leisure and business travel,” said Duncan Bureau, Chief Commercial Officer of Canada Jetlines.
Canada Jetlines next month will begin service from Toronto to Orlando/Melbourne and Las Vegas.
Southern Cross Resort on Little Cayman Island. JIM BYERS PHOTO
CAYMAN ISLANDS TOURISM JUMP
Although the Cayman Islands was among the last Caribbean destinations to fully open to visitors, tourism officials are upbeat about the steady post-pandemic tourism gains the British Overseas Territory is registering.
With cruise ships returning in March and travel restrictions not lifted until the end of August last year, the islands still welcomed 1,027,668 visitors in 2022 (743,394 cruise passengers and 284,274 stayover visitors), exceeding goals set by the government for both groups of arrivals.
“Confidence in the destination due to our measured and phased approach to reopening post the COVID-19 lockdown led to pent-up demand which accelerated our visitation volume once all travel restrictions were dropped,” said Rosa Harris, the island’s director of tourism.
For 2023, the destination has set an overall visitation goal of 70 percent of 2019’s numbers, and Minister of Tourism and Transport Kenneth Bryan is confident that the territory will achieve this target.
I visited a few years ago and loved it. I highly recommend a visit to super laid-back Little Cayman, which is famous for its diving and family-run hotel/resorts right on the water.
