Hawke’s Bay in New Zeaand today was named a Great Wine Capital of the world, setting it alongside eleven other prestigious wine regions such as Bordeaux, Napa Valley California and Adelaide, Australia. Admission to the Great Wine Capitals program (Hawkes Bay is the 12th Capital worldwide) comes after a stringent selection process that looks at a region’s winegrowing industry, its history, its wine tourism, educational opportunities, business, and travel, as well as the cities and region itself. In announcing the news, Hawke’s Bay Tourism CEO Hamish Saxton said the significance of being named a Great Wine Capital of the Read more

The Trudeau government says the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) will soon launch a new Verified Traveller program that will offer a faster and more efficient screening experience for eligible travellers at select airports across Canada.  The news was quickly welcomed by a lobby group of Canadian business people, which called it a “forward-thinking” plan that will “improve the security screening experience for eligible travellers.” Ottawa said the new Verified Traveller program will replace the current Trusted Traveller program. By June 21, 2023, dedicated Verified Traveller screening lines will be available at select domestic and international checkpoints in the Read more

Air Canada today reported a strong operational performance to begin the summer travel season. Approximately 540,000 customers flew with the carrier between May 19 and 22, the May long weekend in Canada that traditionally marks the start of the summer travel season. “I am very pleased by the performance of our airline during the first long weekend of the summer, said Kevin O’Connor, Senior Vice President, Global Airports and Operational Control at Air Canada. “We carried heavy loads, with 540,000 customers and our mainline aircraft 95% full on Friday, yet we achieved a flight completion ratio of 98.7% and a Read more

This was originally published in 2018. I’m back in San Antonio for a U.S. Travel Association meeting and thought I’d re-post this blog, with a bit of added information. SAN ANTONIO – Judith Ely is showing me around the San Antonio Museum of Art, a surprising spot with treasured art from around the world. She points to a mosaic on the floor in the ancient Italian/Greek section of the museum. “Look at this one,” she says. “It’s a rendering of an Italian wedding but there’s a lot of shenanigans going on. People are having sex and disrupting things. But then Read more

Sustainability is a big part of visiting one of the great national parks in Canada. And Parks Canada is making it easier than ever, with hundreds of electric car charging spots across the country. EV drivers now have access to at least 20,478 charging ports located at 8,732 public charging station locations across Canada, with more being added daily. And it’s not only urban destinations supporting EV infrastructure. Under the leadership of Parks Canada , approximately 400 EV charging stations have been installed in 43 of the most popular parks and national historic sites administered by Parks Canada with another Read more

Luxury travel is booming like never before, including high-end cruise trips, and hotel prices are jumping. Virtuoso, the leading global network specializing in luxury and experiential travel, is hosting its 2023 Symposium this week in Montréal. During the event’s General Session, Virtuoso Executive Vice President David Kolner presented proprietary data and industry insights before an audience of the industry’s top professionals from 35 countries. As a sign of travel’s continued rebound, Kolner shared that Virtuoso bookings for 2023 are 91 percent higher than they were in 2019 leading into 2020, and 62 percent higher than 2022. That’s truly remarkable. “With Read more