The shakeup continues in the Canadian airline industry. Air Transat and Porter Airlines, two major Canadian carriers, have concluded a code-sharing agreement to be implemented for the 2022 summer season. The first phase of the agreement will focus on connecting Porter’s bases at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) and Halifax-Stanfield (YHZ) to Air Transat’s hub at Montreal-Trudeau (YUL), providing customers of both carriers with a greater selection of connecting flights in Canada, the U.S. and internationally. “We are very excited to team up with Porter in an important partnership that will contribute to the strengthening of our network and Read more
Good news from the island of Ireland. As of yesterday, March 6, all COVID-19 travel restrictions have been removed for travelling to the Republic of Ireland. Visitors will no longer need to complete a passenger locator form to travel, nor will they need proof of vaccination or recovery, or a COVID-19 test. However, all passengers who plan to transit through Ireland to visit Northern Ireland will still be required to follow the UK travel requirements, including completing an United Kingdom Passenger Locator Form https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/information-and-services/coronavirus-covid-19/travel-advice-and-guidance Following examples of other European countries, authorities in Ireland have also lifted the majority of restrictions Read more
Holland America Line cruise ships to visit Canadian ports again this summer. Officials today said the publication of procedures for the safe resumption of cruises to Canadian ports allows the company to complete preparation for a full season of Alaska explorations and Canada/New England sailings. Holland America Line will sail itineraries as scheduled that include Canadian homeports and ports of call from late spring through fall. Canadian government officials last month said new cruise regulations will be in place in time for the start of the Canadian cruising season in May. “The completion of this guidance by Transport Canada, Read more
The province of Nova Scotia has announced a $12 million investment in tourism marketing and digital adoption programming to help strengthen Nova Scotia’s tourism industry in 2022 and beyond. The funding includes: — $9.2 million for registered tourist accommodations to implement marketing activities and build demand in 2022 — $1.8 million for regional marketing initiatives aimed at attracting visitors to Nova Scotia and encouraging them to experience different regions of the province — $1 million to help tourism operators and event managers enhance their digital marketing and online presence, including online booking capabilities. “These investments deliver on our government’s commitment Read more
West Coast business and tourism/travel leaders are calling on the Trudeau government to eliminate travel and testing restrictions for people coming into Canada. Together with the Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable, Vancouver-area business and Indigenous tourism leaders and industry associations, including the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, the Tourism Industry Association of British Columbia, and the Vancouver Board of Trade, have come together to urge the federal government to remove unnecessary and non-science-based obstacles to international travel immediately. The Roundtable is calling on the government to remove the pre-departure rapid antigen test for fully vaccinated travellers by April 1, when Read more
Two of Canada’s largest travel companies are proposing a major merger. WestJet and Sunwing announced today that they have reached a definitive agreement under which the WestJet Group of companies will acquire Sunwing Vacations and Sunwing Airlines. “The transaction will bring together two distinctly Canadian travel and tourism success stories to deliver new travel options and greater value for travellers in the rapidly expanding leisure and work-from-anywhere travel markets,” officials said. “The combination will enable both companies to protect and create jobs and rebuild strength in the Canadian travel industry at a critical time.” Robert Kokonis, president of Toronto-based AirTrav, Read more
G Adventures has cancelled all tours in Russia, and will no longer accept Russian nationals residing inside Russia on their trips. In a press release issued this morning, G Adventures founder Bruce Poon Tip said it’s heartbreaking to see the devastation in Ukraine. Below is the release in full. It’s as though we’ve learned nothing in the past 75 years – I would have hoped we had learned from our collective experience. The past two years we have been living through a global pandemic that has caused physical separation for millions around the world. For the first time in our Read more
