Switzerland is open for travel, and they’re welcoming Canadian visitors. Switzerland Tourism is taking part in its first cross Tourism launches its first cross Canada roadshow focusing on Canadian travel trade and media from May 30 to June 3. Eleven Swiss suppliers from Andermatt, Basel, Engelberg / Mount Titlis, Interlaken Tourism, Jungfrau Region, Mount Pilatus, Mount Schilthorn, SWISS/Lufthansa Group, the Swiss Travel System, Ticino, and the Valais Matterhorn region will visit Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver to present new experiences, hotels and offers. I had the pleasure of visiting Basel, Lucerne and Engelberg/Mount Titlis last fall and absolutely loved both. Basel Read more

In an effort to recognize employee excellence in the regional tourism industry, Explorers’ Edge has launched the 1st Annual Big Applause Awards that will be given out at the company’s Regional Tourism Summit on June 22, 2022. In an industry that was one of the hardest hit during the pandemic, the Big Applause Awards were created to honour tourism and hospitality workers from more than 800 businesses who continually put forth an incredible effort, despite the challenges faced, said James Murphy, executive director of Explorers’ Edge. “It’s been a hard couple of years, and what really kept our industry hanging Read more

Britain as a visitor destination is in the global media spotlight with Her Majesty The Queen’s historic Platinum Jubilee celebrations kicking off today, and VisitBritain is taking the opportunity to promote ‘destination Britain’ and inspire travel from Canada. With all international travel restrictions lifted for all passengers arriving in to the UK since March 18, boosting consumer confidence in visiting Britain, tourism businesses across the country are ready to welcome back Canadians and provide a stand-out experience. VisitBritain’s latest research shows pent-up demand for international travel from Canada. Seventy-seven per-cent of those it surveyed from Canada were keen to take Read more

I was chatting yesterday with Petra Roach, chief executive officer of the Grenada Tourism Authority, and mentioned how the island seems to be on the cusp of joining some of the region’s bigger tourism draws. I wouldn’t say she recoiled in horror, but she did look at me a little funny. “We really don’t want to be mainstream,” she said with a smile. “We’re what we like to call a boutique product, where you can get up close and personal with the community. “Grenada is a place where you can actually stop and take stock,” she continued. “You can almost Read more

In a ruling that should allow Flair Airlines to continue selling low-cost flights to Canadians and others, the Trudeau government has ruled that Flair qualifies as a Canadian airline. The Canadian Transportation Agency issued a statement on its website today, stating that the agency “issued its final determination and found that Flair is Canadian.” “It’s a fantastic day for team Flair,” president and CEO Stephen Jones said at a press conference today. “‘The question has been answered.” Global News reports that Jones said the Edmonton-based company “never doubted” that it was Canadian and the decision by the CTA is very clear: Read more

Tourism is rebounding strongly in cities across Canada. But most tourism officials say they’re not quite back to pre-pandemic levels, and that labour shortages could limit their ability to recover as quickly as they’d like. A review of tourism officials in several major Canadian cities, including Vancouver, Montreal and Calgary, finds municipal leaders are generally in a positive mood as Tourism Week in Canada kicks off. “Right now … the occupancy is strong,” said Karen Soyka, Vice President, Strategy & Business Development at Destination Vancouver. “What we have (for figures) is really up to March, and what we’re seeing is Read more