Destination Canada has unveiled a new campaign, “Canada, naturally.” It’s a nice play on words that emphasizes this country’s truly spectacular natural landscapes. The first look of this long-term campaign came with the launch of the U.S. multi-channel marketing campaign that went live in market May 12. “Rooted in Destination Canada’s 2030 Strategy: A World of Opportunity, Canada, naturally. is a bold step toward strengthening Canada’s global position and generating $160B in annual tourism revenue by 2030,” Destination Canada officials said. “To achieve this goal and build long-lasting demand, Canada needs to be a destination that resonates deeply with target Read more
Maui fires
Free Wi-Fi For Aeroplan Members Coming to Air Canada; Florida, Hawaii, Carolina Seek Disaster Relief
It’s about to get a lot easier to stay in touch at 35,000 feet. Air Canada says it plans to roll out fast, free streaming-quality Wi-Fi on many of its flights next spring. The service will be available to Aeroplan Members on Wi-Fi equipped aircraft for flights within North American and Sun markets beginning in May, 2025. The airline also plans to expand free Wi-Fi service to long-haul international routes in 2026. “Reliable access to streaming-quality Wi-Fi is becoming essential for both business and leisure travellers. That’s why we’re upgrading our fleet with the latest technologies,” said Mark Nasr, Executive Read more
Maui County recently released a draft of its long-term recovery plan for Lahaina. I find it an encouraging report, but there aren’t a lot of details just yet. “To the naked eye, little progress has been made in the 14 months since the fire, with only a handful of houses breaking ground on reconstruction,” Forbes.com reported recently. “However, most of the debris from the fire has been cleaned up, and crews are almost done restoring utility access to all impacted lots.” Forbes said release of the Lahaina draft plan is “no doubt a welcome sign for the Read more
It’s been a tough year for tourism on Maui, but positive signs are emerging. Virtuoso, a luxury travel agent network that books exclusive vacations around the world, said its sales for Maui resorts are up 4% for the first six months of the year. For the winter holiday or “festive” season, sales are up a whopping 66%. A network spokesperson on Monday, Aug. 12 said that West Maui/Lahaina bookings are about 7% lower than Wailea, which makes sense given the incredible fire damage to Lahaina in August of last year. “Even with the noticeable impacts on tourism to Maui, we Read more
I was sitting in my back yard in Toronto a little more than a year ago, enjoying a fine summer’s day while I wrote a travel story. Suddenly there was a message from my sister on Facebook messenger. “Such a shame about Lahaina.” Five words that stopped me in my tracks. I hadn’t turned on the news that day and wasn’t aware of the terrible fires that had gutted most of historic Lahaina and killed more than 100 people. I quickly started reading about the devastation, my mind going continually more numb as the minutes advanced. The photos were heartbreaking. Read more
