A new study of downtown Toronto commerce shows the tourism industry has bounced back nicely from the pandemic. But we’re not out of the woods yet. The Toronto Star on Thursday ran a story that talked about a University of Toronto School of Cities study that looked at cellphone usage in the city centre to determine the number of daily visitors to various types of buildings. Looking at 2019 levels versus 2023, the study found that Toronto’s hospitality buildings had a 100% recovery rate in terms of visitors. The recovery rate for office buildings was only 69%, and for retail Read more
Royal Caribbean
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
Taylor Swift fans are already booking tickets for concerts next year in far away cities. Now they can celebrate the world’s biggest star at sea. CNBC reports that a travel agency called Marvelous Mouse Travels is organizing a fan-led Facebook cruise group for “Swifties.” The cruise, which is not affiliated with Swift herself, will take place aboard the Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas. The cruise begins in Miami on Oct. 21, 2024, the day after Swift ends her three-show run in the city. (Very clever.) Prices start at $1,573 USD for double occupancy and includes food and basic drinks like coffee Read more
Airlines, cruise lines and tour operators have temporarily halted service in Israel as war rages in the Middle East. Air Canada and other major airlines have temporarily halted flights to Israel, and the Canadian government is warning citizens to avoid all but essential visits in response to the surprise Hamas attack on Israel and the Israeli government’s retaliatory strikes. Some 900 people have been killed in Israel and roughly 650 have died in Gaza due to retaliatory air strikes, CNN reports. The official government of Canada travel advisory site says Canadians should “avoid non-essential travel in Israel, the West Bank Read more
This year, for Black Friday & Cyber Monday, more than two dozen accommodation providers and experiences in Saint Lucia are providing discounts of up to 80%. Offers include discounts on room rates, hotel upgrades, resort credits, Pitons cruises, cultural tours, nature excursions, and more. The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority makes it easy for travellers to check out all offers with a dedicated Cyber Monday page at www.stlucia.org/cyber-Monday-specials, or visit www.stlucia.org and click Specials. Saint Lucia is located in the southern Caribbean and is easily accessible from Canada with direct nonstop flights on Air Canada, WestJet, and Sunwing. There are no Read more
