There’s a new face in charge of promoting tourism for Canada’s biggest city. Destination Toronto today announced the appointment of Andrew Weir as President & CEO, effective May 1. Weir has been an integral member of the leadership team at Destination Toronto for the past 18 years, most recently as Executive Vice President. A proven leader in Toronto’s tourism industry, Weir has served on numerous boards across the industry, including Destination International’s DMAP Board and as Chair of the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO) from 2021-2023. “Having conducted a thorough North American search, we are thrilled to announce Read more
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Air Canada today said it will cap fares and add more than 6,000 seats in select markets operated by Lynx Air in response to the airline’s announcement that it is suspending operations on February 26, 2024. WestJet also is offering discounts to help affected passengers. The measures are to provide Lynx Air customers affected by the carrier’s shutdown affordable options in the Economy cabin on Air Canada flights for travel within Canada, to the US and to Cancun in Mexico so they can return home or make alternative travel arrangements for planned winter trips. These fares will be available for Read more
The Canadian airline industry is about to have one less competitor, and Canadian consumers are scrambling. The news that Lynx Air will roll up its operations on 26FEB at 12:01 a.m. MT sent shock waves through the Canadian business world, and leaves Flair Airlines as Canada’s only ultra-low-cost carrier. The announcement came as Lynx said it had sought and obtained an initial order for creditor protection from the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta. In a news release, Calgary-based Lynx said a combination of factors, including high fuel costs and airport fees, has made it impossible for them to continue operating. 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
