It’s a busy time of year for travel. But, if you’re planning a last-minute getaway, here are some tips to keep in mind. AVOID PEAK TRAVEL DAYS If you can, avoid travelling on traditionally busy days such as Dec. 24 and 26, and also Dec. 31 or January 2. Christmas Day or New Year’s Day are likely better. A friend of mine flew to Mexico from Toronto on Christmas Day a few years ago and said the airport was almost empty. This also can be difficult, but try to avoid peak days such as Sunday, Jan. 5, which is the Read more
airports
Record-Breaking International Visits to Scotland Last Year + Lost Airline Bag Incidents Down Sharply
New figures show that Scotland experienced a record-breaking influx of international visitors in 2023, welcoming 3.9 million tourists, marking a 15% increase from 2019. The 2023 International Passenger Survey by the Office of National Statistics showed a significant 23% increase from 2022, which saw 3.2 million visitors, and the previous record was set in 2018 with 3.7 million visitors. Notably, Scotland was the only UK nation to surpass its 2019 international tourism levels. North American and European visits rose by 16% and 19%, respectively, while visits from other countries, including Australia and China, surged by 53% compared to 2022. The Read more
Here’s a lazy Sunday Labour Day compendium of a few stories I found on the old Internet this morning about new world hotels, travel products for people with small children, Caribbean visits and more, plus a note about Toronto Pearson delays. First off, I’ve been tracking delays at Toronto Pearson Airport the past few days, and things aren’t a whole lot better. According to Flight Aware, here are the outgoing flight delay stats for the past few days. September 1: 205 delays (15 minutes or more), which is 33% of all outbound flights. September 2: 200 delays (34%) September 3: Read more
Toronto is once again marketing itself in the U.S. as a great travel destination. The city has done okay with domestic travel, but U.S. visitors are key to Toronto’s tourism, as foreign visitors tend to stay longer and spend more than domestic visitors. The campaign is called “You Gotta See What We See,” and uses “enthusiastic, passionate Torontonians with stories we believe will resonate with our US audiences specifically.” Sounds like a smart plan to me. Many would-be travellers love to check out Tik Tok and Instagram pages before they book a trip, so why not use those influencers? Geographically, Read more
Air Canada and Emirates today announced the signing of a strategic partnership agreement that will create more options for customers when travelling on the carriers’ networks while also enhancing the customer experience throughout the journey. Air Canada and Emirates intend to establish a codeshare relationship later in 2022 that will offer enhanced consumer travel choices for Air Canada customers to travel to the United Arab Emirates and to destinations beyond Dubai. Emirates customers will also enjoy an enhanced travel experience when travelling to Toronto Pearson or to key destinations across the Air Canada network. Customers will have the ability to Read more