Around the globe Island solves water shortage ST. THOMAS, which has been affected by a water shortage since November, has fixed its water system, allowing it to resume service to the island, the tourism board says. As reported previously, cruisers

Ottawa Voluntary evacuation of Syria FOREIGN Affairs Minister John Baird and Diane Ablonczy, Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas and Consular Affairs), have issued the following statement “We would like to remind Canadian citizens in Syria that our government's

Grand Palladium Vallarta Renos Complete GRAND Palladium Vallarta Resort and Spa, a beachfront resort located in Riviera Nayarit, Mexico, recently completed its $20 million renovation.This all inclusive resort is a tropical paradise suited for couples and families alike. Sunquest guests

Cruise round up Carnival revamps CMI websiteCarnival Cruise Lines’ website for meeting, corporate event and incentive planners, www.carnivalmeetings.com, has been revamped with more intuitive, user friendly features. The enhanced site consists of up to date and detailed information on the

  Weather watch Near blizzard conditions for US Near blizzard conditions for USAN arctic cold front ploughing across the Great Lakes is bringing a near blizzard and dangerous travel conditions to the region, Accuweather.com reports. Snow has been falling from

Alerts Travel updates from Ottawa TRAVEL reports   Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada have issued the following updates on the travel.gc.ca website to the following countries Chad– Avoid all travelForeign Affairs and International Trade Canada advise against all travel

Weather watch Winter weather and cyclones cause chaos Cyclone moves inland after passing through WA TROPICAL cyclone Heidi is moving inland in Australia as it begins to lose strength. The worst of the cyclone is over for many communities in

Sandals embarks on major upgrades Sandals’ parent company, Sandals Resorts International, has announced a $500 million investment plan to expand and enhance its properties in the Caribbean over the next decade.   Clients will be able to experience upgrades and renovations

Alerts Travel updates from Ottawa TRAVEL reports   Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada have issued the following updates on the travel.gc.ca website to the following countries Egypt – Avoid non essential travelRegional warning – Sinai Peninsula (except coastal resorts)

Around the globe Green light for high speed rail network DESPITE strong opposition, the UK government has given the go ahead for a £33bn high speed rail network. According to the BBC reports, phase one of HS2, between London and

Weather watch Australia braces for cylone, Alaska snowed in Tropical cyclone nears West Australian coast TROPICAL cyclone Heidi is aimed for northwestern Australia, packing high winds and torrential rain. Heidi will target the Pilbara coast with potentially damaging winds and

Sunwing tax buster sale SUNWING is busting the tax on Southern destination vacation packages  Count on Sunwing’s “Tax Buster” Sale to make it easier than ever to enjoy a sun vacation.  For a limited time only Sunwing will save C$200

Around the globe Heavy snow blankets West Austria HEAVY snow continued to block roads and rail services to Austria's western province of Vorarlberg for hours on Monday. Officials said that up to 60cm snow had fallen overnight into Monday and

Alerts Travel updates from Ottawa TRAVEL reports   Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada have issued the following updates on the travel.gc.ca website to the following countries Congo (Kinshasa) – Avoid all travel Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada advises

Alerts Travel updates from Ottawa TRAVEL reports   Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada have issued the following updates on the travel.gc.ca website to the following countries Kenya – Exercise high degree of cautionThere is a heightened risk of terrorism

Around the globe Tourists warned over terror threatTHE UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office has warned tourists in Kenya have been urged to exercise extra vigilance following an alert of a heightened threat from terrorist attacks in Nairobi. The Kenyan authorities

Snow heads for New Mexico, TexasTHE storm that brought snow to Utah and Colorado will push south and spread snow into New Mexico and parts of West Texas into tonight, Accuweather.com reports. As the storm pushes southward, snow will work

Alerts Travel updates from Ottawa TRAVEL reports   Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada have issued the following updates on the travel.gc.ca website to the following countries Kazakhstan – Exercise high degree of caution Regional warning – Mangghystau Province Avoid

ETS forces airlines to increase fares ACCORDING to USA Today, UA CO (United Continental), US (US Airways) and DL (Delta) all have added a US$3 surcharge each way on fares between the US and Europe.  This move follows the European

Myanmar’s third international airport opens MYANMAR’S third international airport has opened for business close to Myanmar's capital city, Naypyitaw. Naypyitaw Airport is situated 16 kilometres away from the capital and commercial operations there were launched on 19 December by Doctor

Around the globe Government delays ban on weed for tourists ACCORDING to the Associated Press the Dutch government says it is delaying plans to ban tourists from buying marijuana until at least May 2012. Under the country's tolerance policy, marijuana

Alerts Travel updates from Ottawa TRAVEL reports   Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada have issued the following updates on the travel.gc.ca website to the following countries Chile – Exercise normal security precautions  The Torres del Paine National Park, located

LH warns ticket prices to rise BEGINNING this year, all airlines are required to hold emission rights in the form of CO2 certificates for flights to and from Europe. In 2012, 82 percent of the necessary certificates will be awarded

DL amends baggage fees and policies DELTA Air Lines is amending its baggage policies to introduce a second bag fee for intra Asia economy class travel on Delta operated flights. This change is being implemented to provide improved policy alignment

Alerts Travel updates from Ottawa TRAVEL reports   Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada have issued the following updates on the travel.gc.ca website to the following countries Chile – Exercise normal security precautions  The Torres del Paine National Park, located

UK storms affecting flights SEVERE disruption is affecting Scottish airports due to gale force winds sweeping the UK. Edinburgh airport was forced to stop handling inbound flights this morning and suffered 42 cancelled services.Departing flights were being assessed on an

Delta offers new bag tracker app DELTA has introduced a new bag tracker application for smart phones as part of the latest Fly Delta 1.6 software release. Customers who download the latest update to the Delta app will be able

VAT refunds for Tanzania tourists NON CITIZEN passengers departing to foreign destinations from Tanzania from either Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR) in Dar es Salaam or Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) outside Arusha, will finally be able to receive VAT (Value

Samoa Switches Time Zone SAMOA will lose a day when they switch their time at midnight tonight, Thursday, December 29.  They will wake up tomorrow morning and it will be Saturday, December 31.  The country will be returning to their

What Foreign Affairs Can and Can Not Do DIANE Ablonczy, Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas and Consular Affairs), issued the following statement reminding Canadians of the importance of careful planning for safe travel and what consular officials can

Passport Canada’s notice on damaged passports PASSPORT Canada recommends that Canadians whose passport has been damaged apply for a new passport as soon as possible.  This notice comes as a result of WestJet’s advisory in December advising all Canadians that

Alerts Travel updates from Ottawa TRAVEL reports   Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada have issued the following updates on the travel.gc.ca website to the following countries Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip – Exercise high degree of

Be Whisked Away to Jade Mountain JADE Mountain, one of the top resorts in the world and Saint Lucia’s multiple award winning resort, is offering cruise ship couples arriving on the island a daytime excursion like no other.The resort's "Whisk

Turkey, Greece to boost cruise tourism GOVERNMENT ministers from Turkey and Greece both made announcements that will give cruising in the region a major boost.George Nikitiades, Greek Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism, confirmed that Greece's cabotage restrictions were to

Alerts Travel updates from Ottawa TRAVEL reports   Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada have issued the following updates on the travel.gc.ca website to the following countries Kenya – Exercise high degree of cautionTerrorist attacks could occur at any time

Changes coming to airport security ACCORDING to a report from the Vancouver Sun, the Federal government will be making an announcement Thursday that will reportedly see changes to the screening process which will make it easier for air passengers going

Brazil approves airline takeover BRAZIL’S antitrust agency, Cade, last week approved the takeover of local airline TAM by Chile's LAN Airlines with some conditions, allowing the companies to form Latin America's largest carrier, according to Reuters.Cade removed the final regulatory

Strike updates Belgium, Peru, Brazil, France BELGIUM public sector strikeREUTERS reports that Belgian workers in public transport, schools, hospitals and government buildings went on strike on Thursday in protestat pension reforms in the new government's austerity plan to reduce thebudget

Weather watch US ACCORDING to accuweather.com, holiday travellers face potential weather related travel problems at some of the major hubs in the U.S., such as Denver, Atlanta and New York City.From snowstorms in the Rockies to gusty winds across portions

Floods hit Filipino island of Mindanao FLASH flooding over the weekend has devastated parts of the Filipino island of Mindanao, with some 650 people killed and 800 missing, reports the BBC.Coastal communities were hit by the flooding after tropical storm

Airlines must advertise fees, taxes CANADIAN airlines will soon be required to include all fees and taxes in their advertised prices as part of plans by the Canadian Transportation Agency to develop regulations regarding airfare advertising. The regulatory process is

Christmas strike called in Peru AIR traffic controllers in Peru announced a 72 hour strike on Thursday from December 22 to 25 timed to wreak havoc with Christmas holiday travel, according to a report from Skynet news.The labor action is

CTA ruling against cats onboard THE Canadian Transportation Agency has ordered Air Canada and WestJet to institute a ban on carrying cats as pets in the aircraft cabin, change their ventilation systems or provide a separate seating area for cat