Thinking of a trip to Europe this fall? Try flying into Oslo, Edinburgh or maybe Madrid if you want to save money. With help from Expedia, Travel + Leisure magazine has issued a list of 11 European airports and computed the cost of an airline ticket today, compared with during the peak summer months. Here’s what they found, with the percentage decline in ticket prices from summer to today in parentheses. Oslo (-40%). Stockholm (-35%) Hamburg (-35%) Ibiza (-35%) Copenhagen (-30%) Madrid (-30%) Dublin (-25%) Brussels (-25%) Geneva (-25%) Edinburgh (-25%) Florence (-20%) That’s a fun list. Not to rain Read more
Scotland
Canada’s tourism industry can’t seem to catch a break. As if COVID-19 and tough travel restrictions for two years weren’t enough, now come summer wildfires. It was Alberta’s turn a few weeks ago, then Nova Scotia. Now we have wildfires in Ontario and Quebec that are sending smoke south into the U.S., causing American news networks to broadcast nightly segments about smoke from the Great White North. Those kind of news broadcasts, which are perfectly reasonable, seem to be having an effect on tourism. “We have had a few conversations with our members and we’re already seeing domestic and international Read more
A Canadian parliamentary committee is calling for sweeping changes to Canada’s air passenger rights rules, including better compensation regulations for those facing delayed or cancelled flights, and tougher enforcement of the rules. Canadian Press reports that the recommendations, tabled in Ottawa on Tuesday (April 18), comes after chaotic travel seasons over the summer and winter holidays brought on by soaring demand, labour shortages and winter storms. The House of Commons standing committee on transport offered 21 recommendations, including stronger monetary penalties, smoother processing of compensation claims and automatic payout offers after cancellations, significant delays or denial of boarding. The Globe Read more
WestJet today announced its 2023 summer 787 Dreamliner routes from YYC Calgary International Airport, unveiling Tokyo, Japan, as its first destination in Asia with new service to Narita International Airport. The airline is also creating greater two-way tourism opportunities and increasing connectivity between Western Canada and Europe with new service between Calgary and Barcelona, Spain and Edinburgh, Scotland along with increased frequencies on existing European routes. Today’s announcement comes as WestJet prepares for broader expansion within Canada and North America over the coming months. Open Jaw reports that flights from Toronto to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dublin, Barcelona and London Gatwick will Read more
There are many reasons to make Scotland the place to be in 2023. The list below is a selection of some of the major openings, news updates and events to look forward to in the year ahead. Top Stories Celtic Connections 30th Anniversary, January 2023 Celtic Connections, the home of world-class music, one-off collaborations, and genre-defying spectacles, is set to celebrate its 30th anniversary in January 2023. The 30th Anniversary is a pinnacle moment for the festival as it recognises the advancements and achievements of the last thirty years and everything the organisers have overcome to bring people together in Read more
