Air Canada today announced it will begin non-stop flights between Vancouver and Manila next April. It’s great news for people looking for vacations in southeast Asia, and for the Filipino diaspora in Canada and friends and family. The announcement was made during the Government of Canada’s Team Canada Trade Mission currently in the Philippines, celebrating 75 years of Canada-Philippines diplomatic relations. This new service to Manila is Air Canada’s third South-East Asia destination launched in the last two years. “We are thrilled to add Manila to our global network with new, year-round, non-stop service from Vancouver, Air Canada’s Pacific gateway Read more
Halifax
So, you’re a Kamala Harris fan and you feel pretty devastated. I get it. Hey, there was a time when Obama was president and Canadians were stuck with Conservative Stephen Harper as Prime Minister. A lot of Canadians at the time were googling “How do I move to the United States.” But now the snow boot is on the other foot, and it’s disappointed Americans that don’t like Trump who are glancing over the border. I don’t blame you. I’m from California. Oakland, to be exact, the same city Harris was born in. I voted for her. But I’ve been Read more
The end of summer is more than three weeks away, but the unofficial end of summer weekend is coming up fast. Labour Day Weekend is a great time to get out and enjoy fabulous destinations near major Canadian cities to try wine tasting, great hikes, small-town shopping and more. Here are suggestions for easy getaways for residents of Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary and Halifax. HALIFAX The Eastern Shore is an easy drive from Halifax and features wonderful Lawrencetown Beach, as well as beautiful bays for kayaking or canoeing. Taylor Head Provincial Park has a lovely beach and rugged hiking trails. Wolfville Read more
Cue the sad violin: it’s about time to bid summer adieu. The folks at KAYAK say that you can still leave town for Labour Day Weekend for $429 or less. So here are some ideas. First up: KAYAK’s Trendiest Searches. Folks are eyeing these destinations more than usual this Labour Day weekend. Orlando, Florida (59% more popular this year, with great food and fun neighborhoods to explore, such as Mills 50) Fort Lauderdale, Florida (33% more popular this year, and another fab food city with great beaches ) Edinburgh, Scotland (27% more popular this year, and one of the world’s Read more
Leisure travel is booming in Canada. The loyalty program is going strong. And there are new Marriott hotels coming across the country. I recently sat down with Paul Cahill, the Senior Vice-President for Canada Operations for Marriott International Inc., to talk about Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of hotels in Canada. There are currently 275 Marriott properties in Canada, and 90 more are in the pipeline. Cahill said Marriott is especially focused on lifestyle, upper-midscale and extended stay brands. Ninety new hotels is a lot, but Cahill noted that Marriott saw leisure revenue in Canada increase by a remarkable 36% in 2023, Read more
