| A report from Christopher Reynolds of Canadian Press lays out some startling information on the reduction of flight options for Canadians, and the increased cost. In a story that appeared in the Toronto Star, Reynolds wrote that prices on flights between Halifax and Montreal rose 69% after WestJet cancelled the route. He also noted that fares between Winnipeg and Regina umped 39% after Air Canada left the route for WestJet.
Quoting the airline website Hopper, Reynolds said that, since 2019, roundtrip air fares for Canadians for trips to Europe have risen 32%, while those to the U.S. have gone up 14%. Fares to Asia currently average $1,475; a jump of 97% from 2019.
A study I wrote about yesterday found that airline gouging is one of the biggest complaints of travellers these days.
TOILET BREAK STALLS AIR CANADA LANDING
BlogTO reports that an Air Canada plane recently had to abort a landing because a passenger got up to use the wasroom. The plane had been cleared to land at Toronto Pearson but the pilot told the air traffic controller he would have to delay things a bit due to the passenger’s sudden trip to the toilet.
 Kyoto, Japan. JIM BYERS PHOTO ASIA FLIGHTS BOOMING
Asia-Pacific countries have been a magnet for tourists over the years. They are incredibly diverse and culturally rich, with many incredible sights to explore. Before the pandemic, the Asia-Pacific tourism sector was thriving, attracting visitors from around the world year after year.
According to Statista (2023), the volume of inbound travellers is expected to grow throughout 2023 and 2024, rising by 94% compared to the previous year. Regarding tourism growth throughout APAC, Trip.com data analyses the booking trends to popular destination spots, including Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong, and has consistently had high search figures for this region.
Japan has consistently been ranked among the top five destinations globally in terms of bookings and search volumes since entry restrictions were eased in Q4 2022. According to Trip.com data, global hotel bookings for arrivals between March 15 and June 30 increased by 237% YoY.
Trip.com also reports that global hotel bookings for arrivals in South Korea between March 15 and June 30, increased year-on-year (2022-2023) by more than half (51%).
Trip.com data shows flight bookings to Hong Kong from Europe increased by a huge margin of 1,362% year-on-year from 2022 to 2023, for arrivals between March 15 and June 30.
 A shark on patrol. Gerald Schombs/Unsplash Photo DIVE WITH SHARKS IN NOVA SCOTIA
A new business that offers tourists the chance to cage dive with great white sharks off the coast of Nova Scotia aims to combine research with the thrill of getting up close and personal with one of the planet’s most fascinating fishes.
Atlantic Shark Expeditions will run daily trips from the marina in Brooklyn, N.S., outside Liverpool, from Aug. 1 to the end of October. Customers will pay $395 each to go on the daylong trips, and can choose to view sharks from the boat or from a cage, where they will wear a wetsuit and use a snorkel.
Me? Not for a million dollars.
 Lynx Airlines. Photo courtesy Lynx Airlines. LYNX AIR EXPANSION PLANS
Today’s Globe and Mail says Lynx Air currently as seven Boeing 737 Max planes but will have 10 by the end of the year. They plan to have 46 planes in their fleet by 2028.
Lynx, which is based in Calgary, currently has 280 employees. That should rise to 450 by 2028.
VEGAS TOURISM BOOMING
Las Vegas, as a tourist destination, has experienced dramatic growth in recent years with the addition of new resort properties, expanded convention and meeting space, professional sports teams, and new venues such as Allegiant Stadium. Following the disproportionate impacts suffered by tourist destinations like Las Vegas during the pandemic, Las Vegas demonstrated a strong rebound as a favourite location for pent-up travel demand. Visitor spending in 2022 hit an all-time high of $44.9 billion, exceeding pre-pandemic levels. Total spending by visitors in 2022 outpaced the prior year by 24.4% and the 2019 total by 21.8%.
“These results are a powerful testament that what we do in concert with our resort partners to market this destination has an undeniable impact on our community,” said Steve Hill, CEO and president of the LVCVA. “We’re proud of this city and this industry and know that the upcoming offerings in the destination will add to that success.”
 The 1,000 islands from overhead. JIM BYERS PHOTO THOUSAND ISLANDS TOURS START APRIL 22 WITH CITY CRUISES GANANOQUE
City Cruises Gananoque, the oldest and largest passenger cruise line touring the 1000 Islands, will kick off its 2023 season April 22nd.
Hop aboard any of the four tours that set sail to explore the Canadian Gateway to the archipelago where Lake Ontario empties into the St. Lawrence River. Launched in 1951 as the Gananoque Boat Line, City Cruises Gananoque operates five triple-decker, all-aluminum vessels with ports in Gananoque and Ivy Lea.
 Paris and other great destinations are on sale with Air Canada’s Black Friday sale. Leonard Cotte/Unsplash Photo EUROPE TOURISM ON THE RISE
As peak travel season approaches and travelers begin to plan their summer vacations, a new survey from global travel insurance marketplace, VisitorsCoverage, offers plenty of insights on the top trending destinations for 2023. According to data collected by VisitorsCoverage:
- 61% of travelers have planned trips to Europe
o This summer, Europe is the number one destination with travelers heading to top destinations including the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Sweden, Belgium and Austria. 18% of these travelers are headed to Switzerland, known for its mountains, cheese and chocolate.
- 13% of travelers have planned trips to North America
o 11% of these travelers are taking trips to see all that Canada has to offer. From scenic views to maple syrup, Canadian travel is flourishing.
Other findings show that 11% of travelers have planned trips to Asia, 8% have planned trips to South America and 3% to Australia and Oceania, as well as Africa.
 Marseille, France. Elisa Schmidt-Unsplash Photo AIR TRANSAT EXPANDS MONTREAL-FRANCE ROUTES
Air Transat has announced that, for the second time this year, it is expanding its operations in the French market, most notably on two exclusive direct routes departing from Montreal. Following the annualization of its service to Lyon announced earlier this winter, the airline is also adding Marseille and the region of Provence to its roster of year-round destinations. In addition, the non-stop service to Nantes will also be extended. Flights that initially ended in the fall will now be operated until 24 January, 2024, in order to offer travellers more flexibility when travelling to western France.
 Air Canada Airbus jet. AIR CANADA PHOTO AIR CANADA PRESIDENT’S INCOME SKYROCKETS
Canadian Press and CTV report that Air Canada President and CEO Michael Rousseau’s compensation more than tripled in 2022. Rousseau received total compensation of $12.4 million in 2022, compared with $3.7 million in 2021, according to regulatory documents released by the airline.
The increase is largely due to Air Canada’s withdrawal from the Large Employer Emergency Credit (LEEC) program. The assistance from Canadian taxpayers was accompanied by a cap on executive compensation.
 A Sunwing plane in flight. SUNWING LOANS NEED TO BE REPAID BY WESTJET: REPORT
WesternStandard reports that Sunwing Airlines owes the federal government close to a third of a billion in loans and as part of WestJet Airlines takeover of Sunwing, WestJet will be required to repay most of the money over the next five years, Western Standard business news reports.
“WestJet will be obligated to repay the bulk of Sunwing’s outstanding federal loans promptly upon closing with the remaining travel credit facility loan repaid at its maturity in 2028,” the site said, quoting an official government statement.
 Sydney Harbour, Australia. JIM BYERS PHOTO AROUND THE WORLD IN 116 DAYS WITH PRINCESS CRUISES
The Points Guy website says Princess Cruises is out with a new itinerary that is longer than anything the company has offered in its 58-year history.
The around-the-world voyage, scheduled for 2025, will last 116 days — or about four months in total — and includes calls at 51 destinations across six continents.
Kicking off on Jan. 5, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, the sailing will take place on the line’s 2,200-passenger Island Princess. |
