There’s good news for the travel and tourism industry worldwide, as a new Mastercard study finds that consumers and business travelers alike expect to increase their travel in the next few years. LEISURE AND BUSINESS TRAVEL BOOST Between 2022 and 2025, consumers expect the number of annual trips they take to increase by 16%, while business travelers anticipate a 29% rise. Travel demand is being boosted by many factors, including pent-up demand, topped-up savings, flexible work arrangements and a widespread reordering of priorities. Many are also looking for reprieve: 71% of consumers told Mastercard that they’re desperate for a Read more
It’s summer, and that means Canadians and Americans are looking to hit the road. But we’re also facing rampant inflation and rising costs for flights, and, sometimes, hotels. It’s not always easy, but there are ways to save money on travel this summer, and beyond. Here are travel tips to help you save on trips to Canada and Europe, and also some Marriott Hotel tips on how to save on the cost of a hotel or resort. WHERE TO GO IN CANADA THIS SUMMER Not every city in Canada is expensive. You might pay $20 for a glass of Read more
Air Canada has opened its brand-new Maple Leaf Lounge at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), the airline’s 28th lounge worldwide, and its third in the U.S. The modern and exclusive respite, located in Terminal 2, features Air Canada’s first outdoor lounge terrace, together with a range of premium amenities, food and beverages, making the travel experience for eligible customers even more comfortable and convenient before their flights to Canada and beyond. “We’re thrilled to bring our Maple Leaf Lounge experience to San Francisco International Airport, giving our Bay Area customers a way to enjoy Air Canada’s award-winning product and glowing-hearted Read more
The Canadian women’s soccer team begins its quest for a FIFA Women’s World Cup title in Perth, Western Australia on July 20, and there should be a fair number of Canadians on hand for the game. With that in mind, here are some ideas from Tourism Western Australia (and from me) about what to see and do in Perth. I was there in May of last year and loved the city. Also, you can click HERE for a slide show of Western Australia. CULTURE AND ENTERTAINMENT FOOD TOUR Downtown Perth, Australia, on a walking tour with Oh, Hey, Read more
A new look at the world’s best cities puts Vienna on top, but the top of the charts is dominated by cities in Canada and Australia. The Global Liveability Indes from Economist Intelligence looked at a variety of quality of life factors in cities around the world, including such issues as stability, health care, culture and environment. The list is for liveability, not necessarily what’s the best place for a tourist to visit. But it’s still instructive. Vienna was tops, with a score of 98.4 out of 100. Here’s a link to a short item I posted about Vienna recently. Read more
Air Canada picked up three awards at this year’s Skytrax Airline Awards ceremony, while Air Transat and WestJet also picked up hardware. Air Canada was named world’s most family friendly airline and best airline in Canada. It also won top spot for best airline staff in Canada. Air Canada Rouge was named best low-cost airline in Canada, while Star Alliance, of which Air Canada is a member, was named world’s best airline alliance. Air Transat was named world’s best leisure airline, as well as (naturally) best leisure airline in North America. WestJet took home the hardware as best regional airline Read more
Porter Airlines is adding Winnipeg to its growing network, with flights between Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Winnipeg Richardson International Airport (YWG). Service between the provincial capitals begins on September 7, with two daily roundtrip flights. The new Winnipeg-Toronto Pearson route will operate with state-of-the-art, 132-seat Embraer E195-E2 aircraft. The service also connects to Porter’s Eastern Canada network out of Toronto-Pearson, including Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax. Introductory roundtrip fares start at $177. Winnipegers will soon have access to Porter’s elevated economy experience, an option that doesn’t exist in Winnipeg today,” said Kevin Jackson, executive vice president and chief Read more
