It’s a small change, but an important one. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today announced that he is appointing a Minister of Tourism for his federal cabinet. Trudeau said Edmonton MP Randy Boissonnault will be Minister of Tourism and also Associate Minister of Finance. For years, even decades, tourism ministers in Ottawa have had their tourism duties lumped in with other things, such as small business; even though tourism is a big business that accounts for roughly 10% of our GDP. Now, however, we won’t have a “Minister of Agriculture, Children’s Shoes and Tourism,” but a real “Minister of Tourism.” Read more
Canada
Air Transat is expanding its California horizons. Air Transat, named World’s Best Leisure Airline, is proud to announce that four new routes will be added to its 2022 summer flight program. For the first time ever, the airline will be serving the San Francisco, Los Angeles and Amsterdam airports from Montreal. Furthermore, it will offer an exclusive direct flight between Quebec City and London, strengthening its role as the leading international carrier from the Jean-Lesage Airport. Finally, Air Transat will operate routes to Fort Lauderdale and Miami year-round. “By analyzing travel trends, it’s clear that the United States is still one of the top destinations for Quebecers and Canadians in the wake of the Read more
CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) has compiled a list of ten things that Ontarians should be aware of if they are considering travelling abroad. “Now that the Canadian government is no longer advising against non-essential travel due to COVID-19, those who are considering booking a trip should make sure they understand the scope of what travel looks like at the moment,” said Kaitlynn Furse, director, corporate communications, CAA Club Group. “The checklist for planning a trip has changed and we want to help people navigate this new environment.” The U.S. land border will open to fully vaccinated Canadians on Read more
Winter could still throw a COVID-19 curveball as we move indoors, but there are some positive signs in the tourism and travel industry. Executives at IHG Hotels & Resorts say they’re encouraged by the business environment and the third quarter performance of their hotels, especially in the U.S. The website Hotel News Now quotes Paul Edgecliffe-Johnson, chief financial officer and head of group strategy, as saying occupancy and average daily rate in some markets this summer were back to 2019 levels. According to the latest Longwoods International tracking study of American travellers, the drop in new cases, hospitalizations and deaths Read more
With the latest Ghostbusters film Ghostbusters: Afterlife about to drop mid-November – a film shot primarily in and around Calgary – faithful fans of the franchise are looking to immerse themselves in the settings of their favorite movie, while learning about the communities that hosted its iconic scenes. Visit the Water Tower in Drumheller or the Apple Pie Café in Beiseker (both approximately a one-hour drive from Calgary). In Calgary, one of Canada’s largest urban centres, visit National and Regional historic site Lougheed House to be immersed in one of their interactive events while walking in the footsteps of Ghostbusters Read more
