The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the voice of the global business travel industry, today announced Arlene Dickinson as a featured keynote speaker for GBTA Conference 2019 – Toronto, taking place April 15-17, 2019 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. “It will be a true pleasure to welcome yet another iconic Canadian, Arlene Dickinson, to the stage at our 15th annual Toronto conference,” said Nancy Tudorache, GBTA director of operations, Canada. “Ms. Dickinson is a household name having been on…
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Swoop releases its full summer schedule, adding seven new markets
Press Release Today Swoop released its full summer schedule with non-stop flights available for booking from April 28, 2019 through October 26, 2019. Along with three new destinations of London ON, Kelowna B.C. and Oakland, California, the schedule boasts five new domestic markets, two new transborder markets and an extension of two international routes. The new domestic markets include service between London and Halifax six times per week and daily service from London to/from Abbotsford and Edmonton. Service between Kelowna and Winnipeg will be offered three times a week. The schedule also sees the return of the seasonal route…
Amex Meetings & Events launches platform for sourcing small meetings
Press Release American Express Meetings & Events (M&E), a division of American Express Global Business Travel (GBT), today announced the launch of Meetings Express. The platform provides users with a single global interface for sourcing small, simple and recurring meetings. To provide the most relevant local content, Meetings Express is supported by carefully selected third-party technology providers in different regions. Users can work with these providers: Groupize in North America; MeetingsBooker.com in the United Kingdom and Nordics; Bizmeeting in France;…
Stronger growth in tourism expected this year after a weak 2018
Press Release The number of overnight visits from both within Canada and international markets is projected to increase by 2.0 per cent in 2019, according to The Conference Board of Canada’s Travel Markets Outlook reports. While Canadian households are expected to face growing economic and financial challenges heading into 2019, domestic travel volumes are still projected to increase. According to our travel intentions survey, a growing share of Canadian households plan to take a winter vacation, and among those, a slightly higher share plan to…
Alternative accommodations gain ground in Expedia’s 2019 Travel Trends Report
Press Release With a new travel year in full swing, Expedia analyzed thousands of data points from 2018 to identify where Canadians will travel in the year ahead. The results show that the fastest-growing trends in travel include international destinations and non-traditional lodging options such as tentalows and tree houses. From an activities perspective, Canadians are embracing their love of the slopes, with ski activities such as equipment rentals seeing the biggest growth in this space year-over-year, and particularly in Western…
Red Roof enters the Canadian market in Calgary, Alberta
Press Release Meeting the continuing and growing global demand for the brand, Red Roof is expanding its presence into the Canadian market, with its first property in Calgary, Alberta. The company has partnered with FANS International Hospitality Group, an international hotel management company, to grow the brand beginning with the conversion of a former Travelodge hotel property at Calgary Airport into a Red Roof PLUS+ & Suites. This is the first of multiple properties that Red Roof plans to convert in Canada, over the next…
Egencia reveals 2019 top 100 preferred corporate hotels
Press Release Today Egencia, business travel from Expedia Group, announced the winners of this year’s prestigious Top 100 Preferred Corporate Hotel awards program. With hundreds of thousands of properties available worldwide through Egencia, this program aims to recognize hotels that are committed to putting the customer’s experience first, both through providing the best overall service to business travellers and overall value for corporate clients. Ranging from large hotel chains to independent hoteliers, finalists for the fourth annual awards program were…
TD and Air Canada enter into credit card loyalty program agreement
Press Release Further to the announcement of Air Canada completing its acquisition of Aimia Canada Inc., the Toronto-Dominion Bank confirmed today that the previously announced long-term loyalty program agreement with Air Canada has been entered into and is now effective. Under the Loyalty Agreement, TD will be the primary credit card issuer for Air Canada’s new loyalty program when it launches in 2020. “This agreement is a key milestone, providing our customers with confidence and continuity, while securing the long-term…
Air Canada completes acquisition of Aeroplan loyalty business
Press Release Air Canada announced today the successful closing of its purchase of Aimia Canada Inc., owner and operator of the Aeroplan loyalty business, from Aimia Inc. Air Canada also confirmed that Aeroplan Members’ Miles will be honoured on a one-to-one basis in Air Canada’s new loyalty program when it launches next year, in 2020. “Air Canada is creating an industry-leading loyalty program that aims to provide unmatched flexibility, choice and convenience for customers when it debuts in 2020. With…
Québec City Q&A: A planner’s take on Québec’s capital destination
Québec City is a go-to destination for event planners from Canada and internationally, offering a uniquely Canadian setting that not only draws meeting planners and their conference delegates, but keeps them coming back for personal vacations. Heather Dow, Senior Manager for Events & Management Plus Inc., (EM+) is among the many planners who have experienced the allure of Québec City first-hand. She has brought her events to the capital city more than a dozen times over the last decade and…
