Canadians are still paying more for groceries, but the cost of airline tickets is dropping. New Statistics Canada figures published this week show the average air ticket in January of this year cost 14.3% less than in January 2023. January average airline prices also were down 23.7% from December of 2024, StatsCan said, “as holiday demand gave way to stay-at-home habits,” The latest news continues a trend for air prices in Canada that began last spring. Airline prices in December of 2023 were 10% lower than in December 2024. Prices in November of last year were 17% lower than the Read more

Las Vegas tourism shows no signs of slowing down, and Canadians are leading the way. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) on 20FEB released its 2023 Q4 Tourism Report, showing the destination’s popularity as a travel destination among Canadians. Canadian tourism in Las Vegas is the highest it’s been since pre-pandemic levels in 2019. In 2023, there were more than 1.4M Canadians who travelled to Las Vegas.  That’s up more than 60% from 2022 and ever-so-slightly below 2019 numbers. Here are figures for the last few years for Canadian visits: 2019: 1,480,000 2020: 289,000 2021: 155,080 2022: 885,610 Read more

The good times continue for Canada’s largest airline. With the pandemic firmly in the rear-view mirror, Air Canada today reported record operating revenues of $21.8 billion for last year, up 32% from 2022. Operating income was $2.3 billion, a $2.5 billion improvement from 2022. The company’s adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, deprecation and amortization) was nearly $4 billion; more than twice that of full year 2022. “Air Canada produced very strong results for the fourth quarter and full year 2023, delivering on its key financial goals and strategic priorities,” said Michael Rousseau, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada. “These results stem from the Read more

Alberta is aiming to more than double the size of its visitor economy by 2035. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on Valentine’s Day presented a new long-term tourism strategy to help Alberta’s visitor economy reach $25 billion per year by 2035. The province saw a record $10.7 billion in tourism spending, an increase of $600 million from 2019. “We’re going to do this by prioritizing sustainable and responsible development, such as all-season resorts, which will give Alberta tourism operators even more of a competitive edge,” Smith said at a press event in Jasper. The St. Albert Gazette said one of the Read more

The government of Canada has quietly issued travel advisories for a number of European countries that are very popular with Canadians. The Canadian government’s travel advisory site has been updated in the past 10 days or so and now includes warnings about terrorism threats and crime in several major European destinations. The following countries are all at level yellow, the second level in a four-group warning system, which advocates “a high degree of caution” for visitors. UNITED KINGDOM Last Updated: Feb. 6, 2024 Warning: Exercise a high degree of caution in the United Kingdom due to the threat of terrorism. There Read more

For all those who have always had Australia on their bucket list, 2024 is the year to start vacation planning to your dream travel destination. Tourism Australia has created a great list of top things to do in Australia in 2024, recommended by local Aussies.     Given the increasing enthusiasm among Canadians to explore Australia, evident in a remarkable 94% recovery rate compared to 2019, it’s clear why this destination is swiftly becoming a top choice for travelers.  I just returned from a fabulous visit to Sydney, Tasmania and Western Australia. On previous trips I’ve been to Queensland, Victoria Read more