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February 2023

Inflation is running rampant these days, and airlines aren’t immune. A top expert from Hopper says the news could get worse soon for Canadian consumers. “Canadian domestic airfare in February is averaging $285 per ticket, in line with 2022 prices,” Hopper Economist Hayley Berg told the website MTL Blog. But she says international flight prices from Canada are up 24% compared to 2022, currently averaging $873 per ticket. WESTJET PILOTS STRIKE POSSIBILITY The union representing pilots at WestJet is asking for federal conciliation after both sides have come to an impasse during contract talks. Canadian Press reports that the WestJet Read more

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Hong Kong is ready to welcome visitors from all around the world once again with open arms and open doors. With the launch of the global promotional campaign “Hello Hong Kong”, Hong Kong is sending its greatest welcome to the world with 500,000 air tickets as well as city-wide offers covering “Hong Kong Goodies” visitor consumption vouchers, to entice travellers to come to experience Hong Kong’s diverse appeals. Dr. Pang Yiu-kai, Chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), said: “Hong Kong is back on the map for global travellers, with more excitement to offer than ever before. We are Read more

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U.S. News and World Report has come out with a list of the top 25 hotels in Canada. It’s a pretty good one, but a couple of things leave me curious. The publication put the Rosewood Hotel Georgia in Vancouver, B.C., at the top of the list, which is quite reasonable. It’s a gorgeous hotel with massive rooms, beautiful bathrooms, and lovely, historic touches all around. The next four were  the Ritz Carlton, Montreal, 1Hotel Toronto, The Hazelton Hotel in Toronto and The Four Seasons Whistler. I quite like the 1Hotel Toronto, which has a very cool lobby bar and Read more

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Intrepid Travel has launched an emergency appeal and committed $100,000 AUD through their not-for-profit, the Intrepid Foundation, to support immediate relief, aid, and rescue efforts in Turkey (the preferred name now is Türkiye) and Syria following the devastating earthquake. Intrepid Travel has further committed to donating all profits from bookings made on trips in Türkiye until April 30, 2023, to support the appeal. The Intrepid Foundation has partnered with Australian Red Cross to ensure funds are effectively allocated to provide immediate and longer-term relief to communities affected by the earthquakes. This will enable Red Cross and Red Crescent partners to Read more

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Canadians know Naples. They’re familiar with Fort Lauderdale. And they obviously enjoy Orlando. But there’s so much more to see in Florida. Here’s are some suggestions from a frequent visitor. Cedar Key This is an isolated, tiny speck of a place on the Gulf of Mexico, roughly 100 km’s southwest of Gainesville. You’ll find marvellous, old wooden buildings perched on stilts over the water, as well as art galleries and casual restaurants. The clean waters around Cedar Key are great for clams, which is a major industry here. Stop in at Tony’s for a clam chowder that has often been Read more

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