Canadians have a fever, and the only cure is more travel. A new Flight Centre Canada report finds that 82% of Canadians feel vacations are not a luxury, but are instead essential to their health and wellbeing. Nearly seven in ten (69%) says doctors should be able to prescribe vacations to give them a needed break from work and everyday stress. (I like this. Instead of “take two Tylenol and call me in the morning,” it would be “take two weeks at the beach and don’t call a soul.”) The report also finds that 87% of Canadians would rather take Read more
cruise lines
A new report from KAYAK finds domestic destinations are more popular with Canadian travellers for Labour Day Weekend this year than last year, with more than a 19% increase in searches. Top domestic travel spots include Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Halifax, a city I love. Canadians also are looking for trips to Paris and London (the England one). Top trending destinations include Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, Edmonton (an underrated Canadian city) and Dublin, Ireland, KAYAK said. A NEW ATTRACTION FOR NIAGARA FALLS One of Canada’s top destinations – and one of the great vacation spots in the world Read more
As a long-time (50 years this year, wow) journalist, I do occasionally consider the dark side of things. When I see a list of the safest cities in the world to visit, for example, I always wonder who finished at the bottom. That isn’t very nice, I suppose. But I guess it’s human nature. With that in mind, I was delighted to see that a recent study of the most welcoming countries in the world was followed up with a list (from a different source) of the LEAST welcoming nations in Europe. It it may not be very scientific, and Read more
Air Transat flight attendants could strike as early as January 3, 2024, a move that would throw the winter travel season into chaos. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) announced that its 2,100 flight attendant members at Air Transat approved a strike mandate by a nearly unanimous vote of 99.8%, by far the highest tally in the history of the Air Transat component of CUPE. Union officials said the vote reflects the flight attendants’ exceptionally high level of dissatisfaction with their working conditions, particularly with wages and purchasing power. Following a dip during the COVID-19 pandemic, the overall outlook Read more
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the airport… Canadians managed to get through a winter marred by travel snafus, including winter storms, overcrowded airports and cancelled flights. But now comes a potential spring double whammy. Some 155,000 federal works are on strike today (April 20). Talks are back on between the Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Trudeau government, but for now Canada Revenue Agency workers are not at their desks, and Canadian passport offices are closed. The CBC reports that passport applications and renewals “are on hold and limited to those in humanitarian Read more
