WestJet’s controversial takeover of Sunwing is set to be approved today by the Trudeau government. WestJet also has been given federal licenses for flights to Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia. The Globe and Mail this morning (March 10) reported that the announcement will be made today, providing WestJet with a huge increase in its share of the packaged vacation business. Calgary-based WestJet and Toronto-based Sunwing announced the proposed merger in March, 2022. The federal Competition Bureau later stated that the takeover would lead to fewer choices for Canadian travellers, and higher prices. The Globe story said the Trudeau Read more
Singapore
My travel notebook for today touches on a cannabis-friendly hotel for Sin City, cruise news from Holland America, a Singapore tourism update and a wave season deal from Celebrity Cruises. OH, WOW, MAN: A CANNABIS HOTEL FOR VEGAS In a town known for its “bigger is better” philosophy, there is a new reimagined property set to bring an intimate, modern, urban, and sexy travel experience to Las Vegas, and it will make its stunning debut this spring. Open while undergoing a multi-million-dollar renovation, the once famed Artisan Hotel Boutique is evolving into The Lexi – Elevations Hotels and Resorts, a Read more
The latest ranking of world cities includes five Canadian places, with Toronto on top and Ottawa cracking the top 100. Resonance Consultancy has been tracking world cities for years. They rank them on many factors, including culture, restaurants and shopping and also look at user-generated reviews and online activity in channels such as Google, Facebook and Instagram. Toronto was tops in Canada at number 24 overall for Resonance’s 2023 study. Montreal finished 57th, with Calgary at 65, Vancouver at 69 (can’t you just hear the outrage in British Columbia?) and Ottawa at 96. Resonance ranked Kyiv, Ukraine as the honorary Read more
The CBC says four First Nations, along with the municipalities of Vancouver and Whistler, have signed an agreement with the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic committees to start exploring the feasibility of hosting the 2030 Winter Games in British Columbia. The agreement, announced in a written statement on Tuesday, means officials from the Lil̓wat7úl (Líl̓wat), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) nations, along with the mayors of Vancouver and Whistler will work with the Olympic and Paralympic committees to assess the possibility of making a bid. There are few countries willing or able to make winter Olympic bids these days, which means Vancouver/Whistler Read more
CS Global Partners, the world’s leading government advisory and marketing firm, has released its much-anticipated World Citizenship Report (WCR). The WCR showcases the World Citizenship Index (WCI), a distinctive tool that compares world citizenships from the perspective of a global citizen. The index’s methodology evaluates 187 jurisdictions across five key motivators defining citizenship for the global citizen. Reliance was placed on official statistics to evaluate a score for the defined motivators of Safety and Security, Quality of Life, Economic Opportunity, Global Mobility and Financial Freedom. Backed by research from leading data banks, interviews and a survey undertaken by over 500 Read more
