Despite the financial challenges posed by inflation and high gas prices, a significant majority of Canadians remain determined to embark on road trips this summer. Conducted among members of the Angus Reid Forum, the 2023 edition of the annual Toyota Canada Summer Road Trip Survey found 74% of those polled are still planning a road trip, but fuel efficiency and other ways to cut costs are very much top of mind this year. Cost-cutting and affordability are top of mind Of those who are planning a road trip this summer, 43% say rising gas prices have impacted their plans. And, Read more
travel agents
After months and months of travel discontent across Canada, the Canadian government today said it will spend $1.8 billion over five years to improve airport operations and passenger screening, and to address a backlog of airline complaints to the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA). Canadian Press reports the Trudeau government also is “proposing to strengthen the rules around compensation for Canadians whose travel plans are disrupted, and to give the CTA more authority to resolve passenger complaints.” That will no doubt play well with consumers who were angered by flight delays and cancellations over the Christmas holidays, but probably not with Read more
The number of air passenger complaints to Canada’s transport regulator has more than tripled over the past year, soaring past 42,000 as of this month, Canadian Press reports. Complaints totalled about 13,400 as of March 31, 2022, before skyrocketing to unprecedented highs in the ensuing 12 months, according to Canadian Transportation Agency reports. They hit 36,000 in late January, and rose by another 17 per cent since then. Ottawa recently announced $75.9 million in new funding to help deal with the backlog. Canadian Press reports another $11 million was given to the CTA last year, and that the number of Read more
Experts are warning Canadians that travel is about to get very busy again. And they say we need to be prepared. “Yes, I am getting many requests for bookings,” Toronto-based travel advisor Amy Urquhart of Pure Magic Vacations told me. “People are still looking to book getaways for March Break and into later spring and summer. The demand is overwhelming at times.” “As far as bookings go, I am well above where I was in the same time period of 2019 pre-pandemic,” said Canadian travel agent Brenda Slater, an Ontario agent and Travel Concierge with Beyond The Beach. “The Read more
Following is a Sunwing statement on holiday travel disruptions for Association of Canadian Travel Agencies and Travel Agency Leaders Advisory Group To our valued travel advisors, At Sunwing, we have always remained steadfast in our purpose of making vacation dreams come true and travel advisors are integral to that process, helping our mutual customers choose from a wide variety of all inclusive resorts located in a number of popular vacation destinations. We know the past three years have been challenging and we have navigated through each obstacle together. Of course, this past month has been particularly difficult for travel advisors Read more
