“It was a long time coming, but we’re thrilled to be back.” VISIT FLORIDA held their first tourism event in Canada in more than three years on Thursday, Sept. 15, taking over the 43rd floor Sky Suite at the posh Bisha Hotel during the middle of the Toronto International Film Festival. “This is our first visit to Canada since June of 2019,” Meagan Dougherty Lowe, public relations director for VISIT FLORIDA, said in a one-on-one chat during a break in the reception. “It’s so great to be back.” Representatives from The Florida Keys, Visit St. Pete/Clearwater, Destin/Fort Walton Beach, Discover Read more
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Air Canada is getting into the electric airplane business. Canada’s largest airline today announced a purchase agreement for 30 ES-30 electric-hybrid aircraft under development by Heart Aerospace of Sweden. The revolutionary regional aircraft, expected to enter service in 2028, will generate zero emissions flying on battery power and yield significant operational savings and benefits. Under the agreement, Air Canada has also acquired a US$5 million equity stake in Heart Aerospace. Saab also is buying a stake, according to published reports. “Air Canada has taken a leadership position in the industry to address climate change. The introduction into our fleet of Read more
The MICHELIN Guide has announced that 74 restaurants made the inaugural Toronto selection, including 1 Two-Star restaurant, 12 One-Star restaurants, 17 Bib Gourmand restaurants, and 44 recommended restaurants. Toronto was announced as the first Canadian MICHELIN Guide destination in May and the sixth in North America. The country’s inaugural selection brings global attention to Toronto’s diverse culinary scene. The selection includes 27 cuisine types. Japanese food dominates the top picks, but the MICHELIN tasters also singled out fried chicken, smoked meat, and Jamaican food. The only two-star selection for Toronto was Sushi Masaki Saito. Receiving one star were Aburi Hana, Read more
WestJet says leisure travel is at or above 2019 levels, and that small-to-medium sized companies are back to flying for business. Speaking to OpenJaw.com, Chuck Crowder, WestJet’s Vice President Sales and Distribution, said Canadians flocked to Europe this summer and that leisure/vacation travel was at or above 2019 levels for the Calgary-based company. “Travel is back in Canada,” he said. Crowder said large, multi-national companies haven’t fully returned to the market, but that small and medium-sized companies are booking business travel at rates similar, or even exceeding, 2019 levels. Crowder said Canadians who want to book winter packages with WestJet Read more
Western Australia’s unique destinations and experiences are epitomized as “Walking On A Dream” in a new global tourism brand for the state launched this week by Tourism Western Australia. The “Walking On A Dream” campaign invites travelers to visit WA to explore the attributes that make the destination a wondrous, dreamlike place, including its extraordinary landscapes and one-of-a-kind experiences that inspire a sense of unparalleled freedom. Editor’s note: I had a FABULOUS trip to Western Australia in May of this year. Included on my tour was a visit with Josh Koomal, an aboriginal man who runs a tour company called Read more
