USA: Air Canada Flight From Toronto To LAX Diverted To Salt Lake City After Passenger Was Found Dead

A plane flying to Los Angeles had to be diverted after a passenger was taken ill onboard and later died.

The Air Canada service from Toronto, Canada, to LAX was diverted to Salt Lake City after a passenger reportedly suffered a medical emergency.

He could not be revived and sadly died.

The Air Canada service from Toronto, Canada, to LAX was diverted to Salt Lake City after a passenger reportedly suffered a medical emergency.

He could not be revived and sadly died.

Speaking to US media, Air Canada confirmed flight AC795 left Toronto International bound for Los Angeles when it was diverted to Salt Lake City in Utah.

The plane left Toronto at 4.35pm local time on Monday afternoon (9.35pm BST).

It was expected to land at LAX at 6.53pm Pacific Summer Time (2.53am Tuesday BST).

The plane was expected to touch down at LAX in Los Angeles last night

But instead, it was diverted to Salt Lake City.

It finally landed at LAX at 9.24pm local time (5.24am BST).

According to Air Canada, the aircraft was met by medical services after landing.

The airline didn't give an update on the passenger's status.


Tourism Observer

CANADA: Air Canada Rouge Goes To Bucharest From Montreal And Toronto

Air Canada Rouge inaugurated new service from Montreal to Bucharest on Thursday and events were held on both sides of the Atlantic to celebrate the new service to the Romanian capital.

Air Canada Rouge president Duncan Bureau and his team flew on the inaugural flight.

Air Canada Rouge is the only North American airline flying to Romania, the largest European market without trans-Atlantic flights.

And so the new, seasonal route from Montreal to Bucharest, as well as seasonal Toronto-Bucharest service which launched on June 9, are the only direct air links between North America and Romania, and the first from Canada in over 16 years.

In the departure lounge at Montreal-Trudeau, passengers sampled Romanian treats, while a troupe of Romanian dancers in traditional costume entertained.

Several dignitaries then addressed the room including Adrian Ligor, Romanian Ambassador to Canada, Ioana Gabriela Costache, Romanian consul general in Montreal, Stephane LaPierre, Aeroport de Montreal’s vice president operations, and Adina Georgescu, president of the Romanian Chamber of Commerce of Quebec.

This new link will make it easier for investors and tourists from both Romania and Canada to travel either for business or pleasure. said Ambassador Adrian Ligor.

It also brings closer families and friends of the large Canadian-Romanian community in the Montreal area. I wish Air Canada every success with its new direct service to Bucharest.

This direct connection with Romania comes at the right time. At a time where Europe is at our doorstep and where the business relationships between Canada and our European neighbours will only get stronger with the coming into force of the CETA Agreement - Canada EU Trade Agreement, said Adina Georgescu.

It paves the way for the deepening of bilateral trade between Romania and Canada, be it commercial, personal, cultural or tourist.

I congratulate Air Canada and Aeroports de Montreal for their initiative and efforts to put this service in place. Air Canada can count on our support to help make this new direct air link a success.

Duncan Bureau, who was recently named president of Air Canada Rouge, welcomed and thanked passengers.

Thank you for joining us today on our inaugural flight to Bucharest. Bureau said.

We're extremely proud of this new route…This route opens up new economic ties between Canada and Romania, also tourism, cultural exchange, and a great opportunity for people to get home to visit their friends and family.

He then introduced the crew on the flight, saying We have a tremendous crew, one of the best crews in the world, and some of them are here, they’ll be with you today and I’ll be joining you as well, so I’m looking forward to flying over to Bucharest with all of you on this very, very first flight.

Following cake cutting and ribbon cutting ceremonies, it was time to board the aircraft for the eight hour and 55 minute flight from Montreal to Bucharest, the nonstop flight cutting three hours off the typical travel time between the cities when you factor in connections.

Following a smooth flight, we touched down just a few minutes early at Bucharest’s Henri Coanda airport, and what a welcome we received.

In addition to a water cannon salute from the airport’s fire department, which is customary when an airline begins flying to a new destination, Henri Coanda Airport also rolled out the red carpet, with a host of Romanian and Canadian dignitaries on hand to welcome the flight.

Also on hand were throngs of local media, who literally swarmed the tarmac, interviewing passengers as they deplaned on a hot, bright, sunny day. The arrival of Air Canada flight 1928 was big news in Bucharest, with the arrival even featured on that evening’s TV news programs.

Once all passengers had deplaned, and following another ribbon cutting ceremony, a press conference was held with local media.

Responding to a question from one reporter asking if Air Canada Rouge planned to expand service, Bureau responded We’re very happy with the advanced bookings and for the month of June we have a 90 per cent load factor and for the rest of the summer we’re very, very strong.

Typically what happens with these routes, we’ll start out with a few flights a week and then we’ll grow that operation as we start to see the market react.

Nothing would please us more if we could go to daily service if we get the support from the markets. So we’ll wait and see how the market reacts.

While most of the passengers between Canada and Romania will be VFR - Visit Friends and Relatives, Bureau said Canada that the Canada-Romania business communities are behind the new service and that there’s still a significant tourism opportunity as well.

Kevin Hamilton, Canadian Ambassador to Romania, was also on hand and had the opportunity to speak with him one-on-one about Air Canada Rouge’s new service and what it means for Canadians and Romanians.

First of all, it reinforces those people-to-people ties, which are already so strong. We have 200,000 Canadians of Romanian descent, and so the family ties across the ocean are already very strong and so this will make it that much easier for family reunifications.

For people to visit one another’s country. So that’s the most immediate impact over the summer.

Of course we hope that business-to-business ties are going to grow as well. We’ve got the new Canada-EU Trade Agreement, which is effectively in force right now, and so with Visa free travel especially, this is going to provide an opportunity for Romanian and Canadian business communities to get together more often.

In November 2016, Canada dropped the Visa requirement for Romanian nationals visiting Canada, although Visa-exempt travellers like Romanians must still obtain an eTA - Electronic Travel Authorization, prior to travelling.

From a tourism perspective, Hamilton seconded Bureau’s remarks adding Canadians more and more are looking for that sweet spot, between adventure tourism and all the comforts of home at the same time.

You get that in Romania. You’ve got a lot wild parts of the country, in Transylvania for example, but you’ve got larger, really dynamic cities with great nightlife and food.

And so I think you’re going to see Canadians attracted to that sense that Romania is still a little bit exotic. It’s an up and coming country for tourism and there’s lots to do and lots to see.

Air Canada Rouge’s service from between Montreal and Bucharest will operate twice weekly until October 4, 2018, while their twice weekly Toronto-Bucharest service will end on October 6.

Flights will operate using Air Canada Rouge Boeing 767ER aircraft equipped with 24 Premium Rouge seats and 258 seats in Economy class.

Schedule details:

- AC1928 departs Montreal on Mondays and Thursdays at 6:00 PM, arriving in Bucharest at 9:55 AM the following morning, until October 4, 2018. Flight duration is approximately eight hours and 55 minutes.

- AC1929 departs Bucharest on Tuesdays and Fridays at 1:45 PM, arriving in Montreal at 4:20 PM the same day, until October 5, 2018. Flight duration is approximately nine hours and 30 minutes.

- AC1964 departs Toronto on Tuesdays and Saturdays at 5:30 PM, arriving in Bucharest at 9:55 AM the following morning, until October 6, 2018. Flight duration is approximately nine hours and 30 minutes.

- AC1965 departs Bucharest on Wednesdays and Sundays at 1:45PM, arriving in Toronto at 5:00 PM the same day, until October 7, 2018. Flight duration is approximately 10 hours and 15 minutes.

Air Canada Rouge’s new Montreal-Bucharest service is one of ten new destinations launching from Montreal in 2018, alongside domestic flights to London, Windsor and Victoria, transborder service to Phoenix, Pittsburgh and Baltimore, and International flights to Tokyo-Narita, Dublin and Lisbon.


Tourism Observer

CANADA: Air Transat To Start Toronto And Montreal To Athens Flights

Air Transat, Canada’s leading leisure airline, this season has increased capacity from Athens by 14 percent in comparison to last year, making over 43,800 seats available to Canada until October.

Flights connecting Athens to Toronto and Montreal for the 2018 peak spring/summer season launched recently and are available through the GDS.

The Athens market has high demand and Canadians know what the Greek capital is all about, that it is a wonderful destination, Gilles Martin, Air Transat Director Sales and Distribution, said.

Air Transat is interested in increasing flights between the two countries in the future.

During a recent event in Athens organized by the airline’s general sales agent (GSA) in Greece, Gold Star Aviation, Martin gave a full presentation of the airline to a group of Greek travel agencies.

Air Transat recently launched its seasonal service from Athens to Toronto and Montreal for the 2018 peak spring/summer season with up to six direct flights per week.

3 flights per week to Montreal every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and three flights per week to Toronto every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.

Connecting flights from Athens to Vancouver and Calgary are available every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.

The airline’s flight program from Athens to Toronto and Montreal will run until October.

Despite the popularity of the Greece-Canada link via Air Transat, according to Martin, the issue of establishing all year round flights are not included in the company’s future plans at the moment.

Although there is demand from the ethnic market in Canada, it is not enough to operate flights during the winter, he said, adding that if and when the time comes.

Air Transat would reconsider operating the service also from November until April.

Michael Flerianos, the general manager of Gold Star Aviation, echoed this statement.

Establishing a year round service between Greece and Canada is something that we are concerned about and have discussed, but it must be profitable.

The demand of the Greek community in Canada is not enough to keep the line running in the winter. Canadians in the winter season do not travel to Europe but prefer the warm waters of the Caribbean, Flerianos said.

Moreover, Air Transat this season is promoting domestic travel in Canada from Greece as it offers the possibility of stopover to three Canadian cities for bookings through the GDS.

The offer gives passengers from Athens the opportunity to travel to Toronto and Montreal and also fly to three Canadian cities at no extra cost.

This offer is expected to create a new trend, especially to young travelers from Greece who want to experience the journey and explore Canada, Flerianos said.

In addition, during the presentation, Greek travel agents were informed that Air Transat is planning fleet upgrades.

The company’s fleet for winter 2018 will include 6 Airbus A310, 18 Airbus A330 and 23 Boeing 737 aircraft.

In May 2019, the newer A321neo LR will be introduced.

Based in Montreal, Air Transat flies to some 60 destinations in the Americas, Europe and the Middle East, offers domestic and feeder flights within Canada and carries nearly 4.5 million passengers every year.


Tourism Observer

USA: Only 46% Of Americans Have Valid Passports

Six weeks into his presidency, and Donald Trump has yet to leave the United States on a foreign trip. One might even be tempted to call it a self-imposed travel ban.

Trump’s two immediate predecessors, Barack Obama and George W. Bush, were far quicker to leave American soil after their inaugurations. Less than a month after being sworn in, Obama went to Ottawa in 2009, while Bush jetted off to Mexico in February 2001.

By now, though, we should know that it’s a mistake to measure this president against the leaders who came before him. Trump is more interested in being in sync with his voters than with institutional history — and on this business of getting out of the country, the new U.S. president and many of his voters are simpatico.

A couple of months ago, while travelling outside of Canada, as it happens, I ran into a young American couple and we got to talking politics (naturally.) They were from rural areas of the United States, but they had been working in big cities and getting ready to make their next career move to the Boston area.

When the subject turned to the November election results, these two young voters were quick to say they hadn’t voted for Trump; that he was kind of embarrassing to have as a president. But most of their family members, on both sides, had backed him. How did they explain the difference?

“Well, we’ve travelled,” they explained. “A lot of people in our families haven’t.”

So, looking back, would that have been a good predictor of who would be a Trump supporter in the 2015 election? If we had looked at foreign-travel data among Americans last year, would we have more likely to see the Trump victory coming?

As it happens, someone has already tackled that very question and the answer seems to be Yes. The Expeditioner website, in a December post, matched election results to passport data in the United States to see whether there was any connection between travelling and political leanings in the presidential contest.


First, less than half of the American population — 46 per cent — has valid passports. Maybe it’s just a coincidence, but the final election results gave 46 per cent of the popular vote to Trump and 48 per cent to Hillary Clinton.

But it gets better, or, as The Expeditioner put it, “this is the fun part.” When Matt Stabile, the founder of the site, put the election results beside state-by-state passport data, here was the result:

“There is a striking correlation between the states that voted for Trump in 2016 and those states with the lowest number of passport holders,” he wrote. “Those states that voted for Clinton had the highest percentage of passport holders.” (The exception was Alaska, but that state is an outlier in a number of ways, owing to its physical distance from the rest of the U.S.)

The analysis shows that the 19 states with the highest percentage of passport holders — California, New York, New Jersey to name a few — were all Democrat territory. The 11 states with the lowest percentage of passport holders — Mississippi, Alabama and Kentucky, for instance — all went for Trump.

By this measure, incidentally, this country is more outgoing than the United States. Canadians, compared to their American neighbours, are generally far more likely to hold passports. According to 2014-15 figures from Passport Canada, 67 per cent of Canadians have valid travel documents. That’s a good deal higher than the state with the highest percentage of passport holders — New Jersey, where 62 per cent of citizens have passports, according to figures cited by The Expeditioner.

So if there is a connection between fondness for travelling and likelihood of supporting the new president, you could probably put Canadians in the non-Trump-supporter category, along with California and New York.

The name Trump has already acquired some negative associations around the whole idea of travel. It’s not just travel out of the U.S. either — all of Trump’s talk of border walls and travel bans is threatening to seriously dampen tourism into the States as well.

The BBC called it the “Trump slump” in a story this week and cited cancelled Canadian school trips across the border as part of the wave of people around the globe scrapping plans to go to the United States this year.

But Trump didn’t singlehandedly create this climate of travel aversion. With the fondness he’s so far displaying for sticking close to home, staying within U.S. borders, Trump is representative of a huge slice of his own electorate — citizens who believe that “America First” is a good rule of thumb about travel, too.

Worship of Corn in El Salvador

The origin of the corn plant is still nowadays a mystery but its history can be traced more than 4,700 back in time.

In 1492 Christopher Columbus returned from a trip to Cuba, when his men informed him of the existence of a plant of dry grains which taste like flour and called "maiz" by the locals. The Spanish conquerors did not realize that corn was more precious than gold to the indigenous people, since it was their main food.

As time went by these corn plants were found all throughout the American continent from Canada to Chile. Spanish conquerors did not realize back then that this plant was even more precious than gold to the people, since it served as their main food.

Currently, there is not one country in the continent that does not cultivate corn and even countries in Asia have started to do so.

Every year during the second or third week of August Corn festivals are held; to thank the gods for the harvest - jut like our ancestors used to do. During the festival hundreds of meals from corn are made, among others: pupusas, riguas, tamales, atoles, etc.

HONG KONG: Hong Kong Airlines Introduces Daily Flights To Vancouver, Canada

On 30 June 2017 Hong Kong Airlines, an internationally-acclaimed full-service airline, will operate daily direct flight between Hong Kong and Vancouver by Airbus A330 aircraft. Canada is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2017, fly to Canada to join the nation-wide festivals with Hong Kong Airlines at HK$3,700* up.

Long accredited one of the world most livable cities, Vancouver in Canada is a year-round destination for all kinds of travelers, a mix of natural charm and bustling city life. In winter, Grouse Mountain in north Vancouver or nearby Whistler is the ultimate paradise for skiers and snowboarders; in spring time get enchanted by the flower beds in the world’s best park Stanley Park; summer in Vancouver is the season of beaches and festivals and in fall, the city turns into a gigantic palette of yellow, orange and red colours.

Mr. Li Dianchun, Chief Commercial Officer of Hong Kong Airlines said, “This new route service is Hong Kong Airlines’ debut in North America, we wish to attract as many visitors as possible to see the beautiful city of Vancouver, as well as encourage family reunions or business co-operation. The new route will also open up more opportunities for travelers worldwide to leverage our connectivity in Asia, hence bringing more diverse and convenient travel options for travelers from Hong Kong, the Pearl River Delta region, Oceania and North America.”

“Hong Kong Airlines is a well-known, family-friendly airline based in a world class city, and we are thrilled to be able to offer the public even more options to travel between Vancouver and Hong Kong,” said Craig Richmond, President and CEO, Vancouver Airport Authority. “Every new airline that chooses to fly to YVR means more jobs for the local economy and creates new opportunities for British Columbians.”

PHILIPPINES: Department Of Tourism Eyes More Indian Tourists

The Department of Tourism (DOT) expects the influx of 100,000 Indian nationals into the country as a result of the agency’s recent promotional roadshows in Kolkata, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai.

Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo noted that India has been one of the major source markets accounting for nearly 75,000 visitors last year, posting 22.36 percent year-on-year growth.

From January to June this year, the DOT recorded 44,294 arrivals, just tailing the top 12 international tourism markets.

“The four Indian cities we targeted are important feeder markets, hence we are working on strengthening our relations with their local travel partners to assure sustainable growth,” Teo said.

The DOT chief further also noted that increased Indian visitor arrivals are facilitated by the free-entry privilege extended to Indian nationals bearing visas from the United States, Japan, Australia, Canada, Schengen, Singapore and United Kingdom.

DOT’s Market Development Group led by Director Verna Buensuceso headed the mission in India, bringing along representatives of hotels, resorts, spas, tourist attractions and tour operators from the Philippines to interact with over 400 Indian trade partners.

Nash Dias, offline sales manager of India’s leading travel agent Stic Travel Group, expressed optimism that the Philippine roadshow will get an excellent response from the Indian market.

Francesca Alberto, vice-president for domestic sales and marketing of Ark Travel Express, said, “The market has high potential for luxury and honeymooners. Quality of agents here are good and they are gaining more knowledge about the Philippines.”

Abhay Maheshwari, India district sales manager of Thai Airways said, “At present, we have ten flights servicing the Mumbai-Bangkok-Manila route, and in October, we are going to increase the number of flights.” (DOT)

RAAF’s Major Multinational Large-Force Employment Exercise Begins

RAAF’s major multinational large-force employment exercise, Pitch Black, is under way.

Up to 115 aircraft and 2,500 personnel from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand and the US are participating in the three-week long Exercise Pitch Black 2016, which officially began on July 29 and continues through to August 19. Flying operations began on Monday with aircraft operating out of RAAF Bases Darwin and Tindal in the Northern Territory to utilise the Northern Territory’s vast Delamere Range Facility and Bradshaw Field Training Area.

Major exercises such as Pitch Black are essential in ensuring Air Force remains ready to respond whenever the Australian Government requires Air Commodore Christopher Sawade, Head of Special Events, said.

Fast jets participating in Pitch Black include Thai and Indonesian F-16As, Singaporean F-15SGs and F-16Ds and RAAF Hornets and Super Hornets. Transport aircraft include Canadian and USMC KC-130 Hercules tankers, a Royal Thai Air Force C-130H Hercules and a New Caledonian-based French air force CN-235, as well the RAAF’s KC-30A tanker transport.

The general public can get a taste of Pitch Black with an aircraft handling display over Darwin’s Mindil Beach on Thursday August 11 and an open day at RAAF Base Darwin on Saturday August 13. There is also a publicly accessible viewing area located off Amy Johnson Avenue on the eastern side of RAAF Base Darwin.

NIGERIA: 60 Million Nigerian Fraudster Arrested By Interpol

A Nigerian behind an online fraud network which engineered scams worth more than $60 million (54 million euros) has been arrested in southern oil city of Port Harcourt, Interpol said on Monday.

“The 40-year-old Nigerian national, known as ‘Mike’, is believed to be behind scams totalling more than $60 million involving hundreds of victims worldwide,” the international police organisation said in a statement.

“In one case, a target was conned into paying out $15.4 million,” Interpol said, indicating that the arrest was carried out with the support of Nigeria’s anti-graft agency the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

“The network compromised email accounts of small to medium businesses around the world including in Australia, Canada, India, Malaysia, Romania, South Africa, Thailand and the United States,” it said.

The suspect ran a network of at least 40 people working from Nigeria, Malaysia and South Africa which used malware and carried out the fraud, and he also had money laundering contacts in China, Europe and the US who provided bank account details for the illicit cash flow.

“Following his arrest in Port Harcourt in southern Nigeria, a forensic examination of devices seized by the EFCC showed he had been involved in a range of criminal activities including business e-mail compromise and romance scams,” it said.

The suspect and a fellow fraudster, 38, who was also arrested in the city, face charges including hacking, conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretences.

IRAN: Iran And Armenia Open Borders For Cooperation

After the partial lifting of the international sanctions against Iran, Tehran has figured out the need to develop the tourism industry. Within the framework of the state program of tourism development, the Iranian authorities are studying the possibility of introducing a visa-free regime for citizens of 60 more countries. Iran has already lifted visa requirements for travelers from Azerbaijan, Turkey, Lebanon, Georgia, Bolivia, Egypt and Syria to stimulate the tourism industry in the country. Citizens of these countries can stay in Iran without visas from between 15 to 90 days.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif recently signed a memorandum on liberalization of the visa regime between the two countries in Tehran. The director of the Caucasus Institute, Alexander Iskandaryan, explained to Vestnik Kavkaza that the decision of Tehran and Yerevan came from a longstanding background: "Iran and Armenia have good-neighborly relations, which are developing in the economic and communication spheres. Iran is one of the two countries with which Armenia has open borders. Political relations between them are also quite favorable – there are many Iranian tourists and businessmen in Armenia."

Iranian citizens have prevailed among people receiving visas to Armenia for years, they are ahead of citizens of the US, Turkey, Israel, Syria, Canada, Japan, Lebanon, India and Iraq. In 2013 Armenia unilaterally ratified the visa regime for citizens of 27 EU Member States, as well as 4 non-EU members, but to which regulations of the Schengen-area apply – Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland: they can visit Armenia without visas and stay in the country for 90 days.

According to Iskandaryan, the abolition of visas is advantageous for Iran in economic terms: "Relations will develop, because the process of lifting the sanctions against Iran has started, while there were economic problems between Armenia and Iran in the absence of political problems – that is, some decisions were taken, but there was a problem with money. The fact is that Iran's hands were financially tied. Now, due to the gradual removal of sanctions, Iran will feel freer in a financial sense and can continue developing its partnership."

A senior research fellow of the Institute for Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladimir Sazhin, also praised the abolition of visas.

"When they lift the visa regime, they remove barriers to human communication. Given the fact that Armenia and Iran have thousands of years of common history [there are more than 150 thousand ethnic Armenians in Iran now], the abolition of visas is a positive thing. Recently, Armenians have visited Iran, and Iranians have visited Armenia, including on vacation. All this, of course, is also a positive thing," Sazhin told Vestnik Kavkaza.

However, according to him, there is the political aspect in this process: "Relations between Tehran and Yerevan are good both economically and politically. Despite the fact that Iran is a Muslim country, while Armenia is a Christian country, there are almost no fundamental contradictions between them. Nevertheless, the Karabakh problem exists. Iran seeks and offers itself as a mediator in resolving the very difficult relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia".

IRELAND: British Tourists Spending In Ireland Goes Up 18%

Spending by British tourists visiting Ireland rose by 18 per cent in the first three months of 2016 compared to the same period last year, according to the latest Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures.

The latest travel data shows that increasing numbers of European and non-EU tourists continue to visit Ireland, with spending on the rise among all nationalities.

Tourists visiting Ireland from Great Britain spent €33 million more between January and March 2016 than during the same period in 2015, marking a rise of 18.2 per cent.

British tourists spent €214 million in the first three months of this year compared to €181 million during the same period last year. Visitors from Great Britain spent a total of €971 million last year.

Spending by tourists from France, Germany, Italy, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand also rose between January and March of this year, with North Americans spending €144 million, a rise of of €19 million on the same period last year.

The overall number of overseas trips to Ireland by non-residents rose by more than 15 per cent, with 1,785 million trips in the first three months of the year, up 254 million on last year.

The duration of visitors’ stay in Ireland remained the same as last year, with people opting to spend an average of 6.5 nights.

Ireland’s total tourism and travel earnings during the first three months of 2016 rose by 18.7 per cent on the same period last year, increasing from €780 million to €926 million.

Meanwhile, the number of Irish people travelling overseas increased by 13.1 per cent from 1.306 million between January and March 2015 to 1.478 million during the first three months of this year. The CSO figures also reveal Irish people are spending more nights abroad than last year.

2015 marked a record-breaking year for tourism with 8.6 million trips made to Ireland.

The latest travel data follows news earlier this week that Dublin is facing a shortage in visitor accommodation options over the next two years, limiting the potential for tourism growth in the longer term.

A report commissioned by Fáilte Ireland found that while additional bedrooms are due to be created for visitors, most will not be available until after 2018 or later.

The report also warned that most of the new accommodation stock was not guaranteed and said the capital was facing “a capacity challenge” over the next two years.

Between 2010 and 2015, the number of tourists visiting Dublin rose by 33 per cent while the availability of accommodation fell by 6 per cent, according to Fáilte Ireland.

Air Canada To Fly Direct From Montreal To Mexico City

Canada Air Mexico’s general manager told a press conference that the additional flight will bring to five the number of weekly flights between the two points.

Luis Noriega said Air Canada’s traffic between Mexico and Canada traffic is growing faster than its international traffic.

The new flight will be seasonal, and will operate from June 6 until October 16.

Another new seasonal flight will operate weekly between Montreal and Puerto Vallarta beginning November 18 and on December 21 that will increase to three flights a week. This route will run until April 21.

Last year Air Canada’s Mexico traffic was up 11% to 623,000 passengers, the airline said.

It’s a figure that the company expects will grow further when the Canadian government fulfills its promise to lift the visa requirement for Mexican travelers.

Traffic from Mexico to Canada is still recovering from the rule requiring Mexicans to obtain a visa, imposed in 2009, Noriega said.

Mexican aviation authorities say 2.872 million passengers traveled between Mexico and Canada last year, up 52% from 2010, making Canadian traffic the second-highest international traffic for Mexico after the United States.

Travelers Should Expect To Meet Robots On Holidays By 2020

A survey of more than 6,000 travellers in Asia, Europe, North America and South America reveals nearly 80% of respondents expect robots to play a big part in their lives by 2020, with three quarters believing they will make their lives significantly better. Almost two-thirds of respondents would be comfortable with robots being used in the travel industry.

Travelzoo, a global media commerce company, conducted the research as part of its Future of Travel project exploring consumer acceptance of robots in the travel and tourism industry. Richard Singer, Travelzoo’s European President, will make a keynote speech on the findings at this year’s ITB Berlin – Europe’s largest travel trade show. On March 11, Mr. Singer will share the stage with Toshiba’s Chihira Kanae – one of the world’s most human-looking robots, who will make her European debut at the event.

According to the survey, international travellers are largely comfortable with robots playing a role in their holiday, though some nations appear more cautious than others. German and French respondents were the most averse, while Chinese and Brazilians were the most positive about how robotics and artificial intelligence could enhance a holiday or travel in general – 92% of Chinese were comfortable with the idea.

The main advantages respondents see in robots are related to general efficiency, data retention and recall. More than three-quarters of respondents think that robots would be better than humans at handling data (81%) and dealing with different languages (79%), while 76% believe robots have better memories. 81% of respondents selected their untiring energy as an advantage.

Commenting on the survey’s findings, Mr. Singer said, “Right now is a very exciting moment in the history of the travel industry – groundbreaking technology is revolutionising what is possible from the perspective of customer service, entertainment and personalisation. Robots and artificial intelligence are making their debut on the tourism stage, and our research into global acceptance of robots working in the travel industry is largely positive. Most nations are starting to open up to the idea of robots in travel and see the tangible benefits heading our way in the very near future.”

Singer continued, “While the advent of technology such as robot butlers and bartenders is hugely exciting, it’s also very clear from our research that consumers see the combination of robots and humans working in tandem in customer-facing roles as the ideal solution.”

“Consumers still want humans in the picture, as otherwise there is a genuine fear that cultural nuances, humour and irony will be missed and the holiday experience could become too impersonal. If we don’t respect the desire for the human touch, we risk ‘robophobia’ setting in, when in fact technology can significantly improve the holiday experience when used appropriately.”

Professor Stephen Page of Bournemouth University, which is one of the leading global authorities on travel and tourism, said, “Robots represent a major innovation in the tourism sector and their potential impact and use offers many new avenues to enhance and develop the visitor experience of travel and hospitality. Understanding how consumers will embrace and interact with this new technology will be critical to their adoption and dissemination in an industry that is one of the market leaders in the use of technology.”

Toshiba is pioneering ‘human-looking’ robot technology and has created three ‘communication androids,’ two of which are already being used in Tokyo in a hotel reception and a shopping mall. Hitoshi Tokuda, Chief Specialist at Toshiba’s Research and Development Division said, “Chihira Kanae is a taste of things to come – we look forward to working with the travel industry to refine her, so that she can enable better holiday experiences for consumers.”

The survey for Travelzoo’s Future of Travel project was conducted via an online questionnaire by third-party research agency Norstat. The questionnaire was completed by 6,211 travellers in Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.

German Passport Most Powerful, Afghan Least In The World

The Afghan passport has been identified as the least powerful in the world for the restrictions the countrymen face in terms of visa-free travel, an index by a London-based consulting firm showed on Friday.

The index found Germans held the most powerful passports in the world for third year in row in 2016, Tolo news reported on Friday.

A number of the European nations and the US, Japan and Canada closely follow Germany as the top nations holding the most powerful passports in the world.

The countries listed below Afghanistan were South Sudan and Palestinian territories, according to the index South Sudan being the youngest sovereign state in the world and Palestinian territories less diplomatically recognised by countries in the West.

The index update by Henley & Partners attempts to quantify the power of passports based on the judgements in the world by the amount of visa-free travel they entitle their owner to.

The update comes as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) imposed restrictions on Afghan nationals' visit who were heading towards Dubai for business and tourism.

The issue with the UAE emerged with the issuance of the new electronic Afghan passports amid concerns that the citizens of the other countries misused the Afghan passports.

However, the issue was later resolved as an agreement was reached between the two countries to improve the information quality of the newly issued e-passports.

Meanwhile, the demand by Afghans for passports has increased last year with the deteriorating security situation across the country, forcing many Afghans to travel abroad, specifically to the Western countries by risking their lives and travelling through dangerous routes.

NETHERLANDS: TUI Airlines Netherlands

TUI Airlines Netherlands (formerly Arkefly and shortened to Arke in the corporate design to match the travel agency)is a Dutch charter airline headquartered in Schiphol-Rijk on the grounds of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands. It is the charter carrier of the Dutch arm of the German travel conglomerate TUI Group and its main base is Schiphol Airport.

TUI Airlines Netherlands, before Arkelfy traced its roots to Air Holland, which was founded in 1981. After financial problems Air Holland was taken over by the Exel Aviation Group and took a new start as HollandExel in March 2004. In May 2005 the Exel Aviation Group was declared bankrupt. The German TUI Group took over the airline's activities and renamed it ArkeFly. It is now wholly owned by the TUI Group. Its name was based on the biggest Dutch tour operator, Arke, which is also a subsidiary of the TUI Group. The newly reorganised airline operated its first flight in September 2005.

Operations in Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles, began on 15 July 2004 as DutchCaribbeanExel, which was originally part of the Exel Aviation Group, but was later taken over, together with parent airline, HollandExel, by the TUI Group, and renamed ArkeFly Curaçao.ArkeFly started weekly flights to St. Maarten from Amsterdam on 2 December 2007, but discontinued this service in November 2008. TUI holds that flights may resume if the volume of tourists travelling to St. Maarten increases. Operations to Orlando, Miami and Israel began in 2011.

In October 2013, Arkefly changed its marketing name to Arke to reflect the partnership with the travel agency of the same name.

On 13 May 2015, it was announced by the TUI Group that all five of TUI's airline subsidiaries will be named TUI, whilst keeping their separate Air Operator's Certificate, taking over three years to complete. Arke was the first to undergo the change, and was renamed TUI on 1 October 2015.

TUI Airlines Netherlands carries out regular and chartered flights, although most of the chartered flights are operated for the Dutch tour operator Arke. It operates to destinations in the Mediterranean, Canary Islands, Red Sea, Mexico, Caribbean, United States, Canada, Africa, Asia, Brazil and the Dutch Caribbean.

TAIWAN: EVA Air Increases Flights To JFK Airport

EVA Air of Taiwan will be adding three additional weekly flights on their direct Taipei (TPE) – JFK route effective July 7, thus bringing the airline’s total number of New York flights to ten weekly.


The Star Alliance member first began service to the New York area in 1992 with service to Newark via Seattle. With the delivery of new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft the route went nonstop in 2008, although a technical stop in ANC in one direction was still required. In 2011 the airline moved to JFK with nonstop flights and eventually increased to a daily frequency.

The additional flights will operate during daylight hours on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday – a great opportunity for local spotters to finally catch the airline’s fun array of ‘Hello Kitty’ inspired aircraft. EVA recently introduced a new corporate livery and has announced intentions of adding Chicago and Washington, D.C. to their route map in the United States.

The airline currently serves Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, and San Francisco, in addition to Toronto and Vancouver in Canada. Further growth is expected with orders for Boeing 787 aircraft.

EVA Air joins other Asian carriers who have recently increased their JFK frequency, many adding a second rotation on certain days of the week. Among these include ANA, JAL, China Eastern, and Air China who have all added to the market.

Schedule:

BR030 TPE0750 – 1045JFK 77W 246
BR032 TPE1910 – 2205JFK 77W D

BR031 JFK0125 – 0455+1TPE 77W D
BR029 JFK1245 – 1615+1TPE 77W 246

IRELAND: Irish Tourism To Rise Due To Filming Star Wars Movie On Skellig Michael

Tourism in Ireland hit an all-time high this year and is set to feel the force even more with a new Star Wars campaign.

Over the past 12 months 7.9 million visitors from overseas have visited our shores adding €4.2billion in revenue to the economy.

And Tourism Ireland said it hopes the filming of the latest Star Wars movie on Skellig Michael, off the coast of Co Kerry, will help to draw even more in the coming months.

Boss Niall Gibbons added: “Following a record 2015, ambitious targets have been set for 2016
and beyond.

“This week’s release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens – which will feature Skellig Michael – also presents Tourism Ireland with a truly unique opportunity to highlight the South West and Ireland in 2016.”

Tourists from the US, Canada, Germany, France, Spain and Australia have come to Ireland in record numbers this year.

There was also a 10% jump in visitors from Britain, our largest tourism market.

The latest figures from the Central Statistics Office showed an extra half a million holidaymakers came here in the first nine months of the year – a rise of 19%.

And more importantly for the economy, revenue from overseas visitors jumped by 18% during this period – an additional €500million compared to 2014.

Star Wars filming will help bring 8.2m tourists to Ireland in 2016.

Tourism Ireland said a number of its key promotions around the world including the 150th anniversary of the birth of WB Yeats and its Ireland Says “I do” campaign helped to increase numbers.

Mr Gibbons added: “Throughout 2015 Tourism Ireland undertook a packed programme of promotions to bring Ireland to the attention of travellers everywhere.

“A major focus of our activity was the Wild Atlantic Way. Other important themes have included ID2015 [Year of Irish Design] and Yeats2015.”

USA:Airbus Seeks Sale Of Services Unit Vector

Airbus Group SE is exploring a sale of Vector Aerospace Corp, a unit that services and maintains aircraft, in a deal that could be valued at more than $800 million, people familiar with the matter say.

Airbus, Europe’s largest aerospace group, is currently selling several businesses to focus its defense division on warplanes, missiles, launchers and satellites.

Airbus has hired investment bankers to run an auction for Vector, which has annual earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of around $80 million, the people said.

The sources asked not to be identified because the sale process is confidential. Vector and Airbus declined to comment.

Toronto-based Vector Aerospace was purchased in 2011 for about $640 million by European aerospace giant EADS, which was renamed Airbus in 2014.

Vector provides maintenance services to military, commercial and private helicopters and airplanes. It has 2,300 employees and facilities in the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Australia, South Africa, Kenya and Singapore.

Other aircraft services companies have recently been sold for hefty prices. BBA Aviation Plc agreed to buy Landmark Aviation from Carlyle Group LP for $2.1 in September.

Airbus also aims to pick a buyer for its defense electronics unit by the end of 2015 as part of its plan to dispose of assets with combined revenues of around 2 billion euros ($2.13 billion), Chief Executive Tom Enders told a German newspaper last month.

Based on its asset sale program, Airbus’ board has authorized a 1 billion euro share buyback, to be completed by the end of June 2016.

CANADA: Tourists Flocking To B.C. ,Visitors From Japan Highest

Tourism officials in B.C. say the latest visitors numbers show the province is leading the way in Canada for drawing tourists.

The provincial government says the latest overnight custom entries from Statistics Canada show that the number of visitors are up by 238,000 people for the first eight months of this year. That is a 7.1 per cent increase compared to the same time last year.

In September the province also touted an increase in visitors to B.C. based on July numbers for this year compared to 2014.

"Visitors want to enjoy a world-class tourism experience and that's what B.C. offers," said Shirley Bond, minister of jobs, tourism and skills training, in a release.

"The growth we are seeing in key markets in Asia and the United States proves what a remarkable summer tourist season we've had."
Japan leads

Leading the way were visitors from Japan with an increase of 15.8 per cent over last August. Visitors from India are up 13.2 per cent and visitors from Australia are up 5.8 per cent.

There were also slightly more visitors from the United States to B.C. this past August than in 2014.

The province says it invests more than $90 million annually into the tourism sector.

"I am delighted to see the impact we are making, together, to bring visitors to our province," said Marsha Walden, who speaks for Destination British Columbia.

Walden says she expects more that 19 million trips in 2015 within or to B.C.

"That's an increase of more than three per cent over last year, and is setting the pace for Canada," she said in the release. "It truly is an exciting time for tourism in B.C."
Tourism economic driver

There are more than 19,200 tourism-related businesses in B.C.

In 2013, the tourism industry generated $13.9 billion in revenue with a direct contribution to B.C.'s gross domestic product of $7.3 billion and accounted for four per cent of the province's total GDP.

As part of the government's release, it is promoting "staycations" as a way to keep tourism money circulating in the province.

USA: Cargojet And UPS Canada Enter Long-term Cargo Relationship

Cargojet Airways (Hamilton) has announced the company has entered into a new Air Cargo Service Agreement with United Parcel Service Canada Ltd. (UPS). This Agreement replaces the agreement originally entered into in 2003 to provide domestic overnight air cargo services throughout Canada.

The initial term of the agreement is for a ten-year period with two, three-year renewal options.

Cargojet is Canada’s leading provider of time sensitive overnight air cargo services and carries over 1,000,000 pounds of cargo each business night. Cargojet operates its network across North America each business night, utilizing a fleet of all-cargo aircraft consisting of 5 Boeing 767-300 ER, 5 Boeing 767-200 ER, 5 Boeing 757-200 and 9 Boeing 727-200F aircraft.