An influential group of Canadian travel agents is joining the chorus of those pushing for a change to Canada’s on-arrival PCR test program. “The Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA) and its travel and tourism advocacy partners call on the federal government to lift the mandatory arrival testing and quarantine requirement for fully-vaccinated, asymptomatic travelers so these tests can be used to support Canada’s domestic testing needs,” the group said in a statement today (Friday, Jan. 20).  “It is important that the Government of Canada remove these temporary measures – as well as others introduced over the past two years– Read more

So, this is interesting. A new study called the Tourism Sentiment Index has looked at the “most loved” destinations around the world, and it’s not at all what you might expect. Richmond, British Columbia was the top Canadian destination listed, coming 34th overall. Mississauga, Ontario was 42nd in the world and finished second in Canada. The company, which is based in Vancouver, said its findings were “drawn from more than 1.6 billion online conversations and content pieces publicly available about 21,330 global destinations.” “Our work with destinations is amassing a continuously expanding dataset within Tourism Sentiment Index,” the group said Read more

The head of the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO) says it’s “positive” that some of its members will be able to re-open with limited capacity later this month. But he says that doesn’t equal recovery. With the Omicron variant seemingly easing in Ontario, Premier Doug Ford on Thursday announced a “phased approach” to reopening. Restrictions will ease starting Jan. 31 and run into March, Ford said. “It is positive news that many of our TIAO members will now be able re-open, albeit at reduced capacity from Jan 31,” TIAO President and CEO Christopher Bloore said in an email to Read more

The travel rebound is definitely coming.   More than nine in ten travellers around the world plan to take a leisure trip in the next six months, and one in five Canadians intend to take a cruise in the next year, according to a new study from Expedia Group.   Today, Expedia Group released its Traveler Value Index: 2022 Outlook based on proprietary data and results from a new survey of 5,500 adults across eight countries. The findings suggest people are changing their expectations and the way they travel this year in some unexpected ways. Top takeaways include:  91% of Read more

Flying on a private jet to Bora Bora, Sicily and Sydney. Living it up in the air with a private chef and an on-board concierge. We can all dream, right? In late 2021, leading luxury hospitality company Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts announced its first Private Jet journeys taking flight in 2023. Today, Four Seasons unveils more opportunities to enjoy a five-star experience in the sky, launching three more journeys in 2023 – a record-breaking year for departures as travellers look to resume plans to explore the world. “Our Private Jet offering consistently attracts global interest from travellers looking to Read more

With the Omicron variant impacting flights worldwide, Air Canada recently made the announcement that it is suspending service to various sun destinations, including St. Vincent and the Grenadines. However, the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority (SVGTA) wants to remind Canadians looking to visit the destination this winter, they can still do so via Barbados. “While the suspension of Air Canada’s direct flights from Toronto to St. Vincent is certainly disappointing, we want to remind Canadians that alternatives are available, including via Air Canada’s weekly direct service from Toronto (YYZ) and Montreal (YUL) to Barbados (BGI),” said Glenn Beache, CEO Read more