After a summer plagued by delays, the Trudeau government says Canadian airports are operating at levels similar to pre-pandemic numbers. For the week of September 26 to October 2, 2022, 98 percent of flights planned for Canada’s top four airports were completed (i.e., not cancelled); an improvement from 95 percent for the first week of July, officials said in a statement. That’s very close to the week of September 30 to October 6, 2019, when 99 percent of flights for the top four airports were completed. Ottawa also said that, from September 26 to October 2, 2022, more than 91 Read more

With Canadian borders having fully opened October 1, Canadians are eager to travel the world. And the top destination for Thanksgiving weekend is New Delhi, India. “This year, we’re seeing more than half of travel will be international for Thanksgiving from Canada, that’s a big shift from where we were a couple of years ago,” said Laura Lindsay, head of consumer communications and public relations at Skyscanner. “New Delhi is the top destination for Canadians over Thanksgiving. “Obviously, it’s a time that people [tend to] choose to reconnect with friends and family, or take that extra piece of time off Read more

Southwest Florida was devastated by Hurricane Ian, but local hotels and other tourism businesses are lending a helping hand. Throughout the state’s response to Hurricane Ian, VISIT FLORIDA has worked closely with authorities and travel brands, such as Expedia, AirBnb and hoteliers throughout the state, to connect displaced Floridians with resources for finding suitable short- and long-term accommodations. Earlier this week, VISIT FLORIDA learned of 23 families, who evacuated from their homes in Lee County while their newborns were in NICU care, were urgently in need of temporary housing in Broward County as their infants were being transferred to nearby Read more

The Trudeau government is on pace to reach more than $54 million in spending on the controversial ArriveCAN app; more than double what has been spent so far. The Globe and Mail reports that the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) recently submitted documents to the Canadian Parliament that list 27 contracts involving 23 unique companies all working on the app. This was after the CBSA told media outlets over the summer that only five companies had received contracts, the newspaper said. The CBSA originally said it has spent $19.7-million on developing the app and $4.9-million on app maintenance, but reports Read more

Residents of Atlantic Canada will have plenty of choices for sun holiday flights this winter. With the Canadian government having removed all border and travel measures on October 1, Sunwing announces its return to Atlantic Canada this winter season, with convenient weekly flights from six airports beginning in January until May. Sunwing’s resumption of winter flights from airports in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland comes after a difficult two years brought on by the pandemic and resulting travel restrictions, and is a signal of the tour operator’s ongoing commitment to eastern Canada and offering its residents seamless travel options Read more

Southwest Florida was slammed recently by Hurricane Ian. Here’s a statement put out today by local authorities. “The Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau (Fort Myers – Islands, Beaches & Neighborhoods) is working closely with state, federal and local officials to assess​ the catastrophic effects of Hurricane Ian, which made landfall on September 28 as a Category 4 near Cayo Costa, an island just off the coast of Fort Myers. Search and rescue efforts continue throughout the region. Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers has reopened for limited operations. Visitors are asked to put travel plans to the Read more