It could take another three years for Ontario’s tourism industry to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, a major new study says. A report from The Tourism Industry Association of Ontario and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, released today, calls for sweeping changes, including keeping the Ontario staycation tax credit, boosting cannabis tourism, providing better train and rapid transit service, giving indigenous tourism a push, and boosting affordable housing for workers. The study says tourism businesses in Canada’s most populous province are generating less than two-thirds (64%) of the revenues they saw in 2019, and that 70% have taken on debt Read more
Canada
Swoop, Canada’s leading ultra-low-cost airline, is setting its sights south with newly added flights to Mexico and the Caribbean from Hamilton, Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Abbotsford, B.C. “As Canada’s leading ultra-low fare airline, we are thrilled to be expanding sun-flying this winter,” said Bob Cummings, President of Swoop. “With winter weather upon us, demand for leisure travel down south is reaching new heights and we’re proud to meet that demand with this added capacity.” The “ultra-not-expensive airline” recently completed a significant fleet expansion, inducting six new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft to meet demand for ultra-low-cost leisure travel. Beginning in Read more
The Toronto-Vancouver air route is getting more crowded. Canada Jetlines, Canada’s new leisure airline, today confirmed the inaugural flight for its new, nonstop service out of its travel hub at Toronto Pearson to Vancouver International Airport. Porter Airlines on Thursday revealed that it will begin flying between Toronto and Vancouver on Feb. 7, 2023. Porter said it plans to have three flights a day by March 21 of next year. Canada Jetlines will commence direct roundtrip Airbus A320 service from Toronto to Vancouver, with the inaugural flight event taking place both at the Toronto departure and Vancouver arrival gates today, Read more
Porter Airlines has revealed its first destinations for its new Embraer long-range jets. The Toronto-based airline says it will begin operations at Toronto Pearson on Feb. 1, 2023, with flights to Ottawa and Montreal Trudeau airports. Six days later, Feb. 7, will see their first flight to the west coast, a Toronto-Vancouver trip. That gives Ontario residents a new way to fly to B.C., and British Columbia flyers a new way to head east. Flights between Toronto-Montreal and Toronto-Ottawa start at an introductory fare of $225 round-trip. Introductory fares for Vancouver-Toronto start at just $248 round-trip. Porter is starting with Read more
Your travel dollars likely won’t go as far next year. Air Monitor 2023, published today by American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT), forecasts widespread air fare price rises in North America and around the world, due to a range of factors including inflation, rising fuel costs, and capacity issues. The report is an annual forecast of air fare movements on key business travel routes. North American domestic fares are expected to see moderate rises (3.4% business, 2.9% economy) as more capacity comes online in 2023. Europe-North America routes are expected to see modest rises of 3.7%, while intra-European flights Read more
