FLOODING cuts off eastern Australia towns SEVERE flooding is threatening parts of New South Wales and Queensland in eastern Australia, with towns cut off and thousands of residents evacuated. More than 10,000 people in communities affected by the floods have

  Official opening of Panorama Lounge next month THE official opening of VIA’s new Panorama Lounge is scheduled for March 12. The new 6,200 square foot area is located on the ground level of Toronto’s Union Station. It has been

  First Underwater Museum for KenyaNATIONAL Museums of Kenya (NMK) is planning to salvage a Portuguese warship and turn it into a tourist attraction.  Just before the Portuguese surrendered to the Arabs in 1697, there was an intense battle for

  Riu to open fourth Cancun property RIU Hotels and Resorts has announced plans to inaugurate the Riu Palace Peninsula on May 4.The hotel will feature 562 rooms located in a 17 storey building and villas. Activities will include windsurfing,

  Weather watch Snowfalls abound BLIZZARD blowing through Denver to OmahaAS predicted a raging snowstorm and even a blizzard are on the way from the east slopes of the Colorado Rockies to part of the central Plains today and into

  Security warning for Dominican Republic airports TRAVELLERS making use of the Dominican Republic’s major airports have been warned to be vigilant following a spate of criminal incidents, a special report by a Houston based security company says. According to

  Ottawa reduces staff at Syrian embassy FOREIGN Affairs Minister, John Baird, and Diane Ablonczy, Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas and Consular Affairs), issued the following statement regarding Canada’s embassy in Syria “Due to the growing instability in

  Weather watch Blizzards forecast for US and Alaska Weather watch Blizzards forecast for US and AlaskaACCORDING to Accuweather forecasters, a modest snowfall over the northern Rockies will turn into a raging snowstorm and even a blizzard for part of

  Around the globe Volcano could erupt, disrupt air travelOFFICIALS are monitoring a remote Alaskan volcano that could erupt and launch an ash cloud, potentially threatening intercontinental flights, CNN reports."Eruptive activity" of Cleveland Volcano was detected in satellite data, according

  Planned strikes in Italy Several transport bodies in Italy have announced possible strike action in February February 7 A 24 hour strike by Falconara Marittima, handling and cleaning aircraftFebruary 7 Aviapartner Handling VeniceFebruary 10 Alitalia Fiumicino to strike 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 India – Exercise high degree of cautionIt is illegal to import or

  Around the globe Eurotunnel confirms plan for new ferry serviceEUROTUNNEL confirmed yesterday that it had set up a separate company to buy three of the four ships operated by the collapsed cross Channel ferry operator, SeaFrance. The company's executive

  Weather watch UK colder than the Pole? Britain set to be colder than the South Pole BRITAIN is set to be colder than parts of the South Pole as forecasters expect the big freeze to continue until the end

  Sunquest pays the tax EFFECTIVE immediately, Sunquest is paying the tax on air only flights to select destinations.Valid on all new bookings made between January 31 and February 6 for travel from February 1 to 29, Sunquest will pay

  Food to go at YTZ PASSENGERS at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) can now enjoy a range of premium food options on sale in each lounge. The result of a new partnership between City Centre Terminal Corp., a

  Cruise industry announces operational safety review In response to the Costa Concordia incident and as part of the industry’s continuous efforts to review and improve safety measures, the Cruise Lines International Association, Inc. (CLIA), speaking on behalf of the

  Around the globe Green light for Chapman’s office blockTHE Chapman’s Peak four lane toll plaza and massive two storey office will soon become a reality according to Robin Carlisle, the Minister for Transport and Public Works in the Western

  Weather watch Big freeze alert for UK Big freeze alert for UK, snow for EuropeSCATTERED snow showers and freezing temperatures could cause icy conditions on roads in parts of the UK, forecasters have warned. According to the UK press

  Around the globe Table Mountain Cableway to close for maintenance THE Table Mountain Cableway will be closed for annual maintenance from July 23 to August 5 and will reopen on August 6 if weather permits. The Cableway Visitor Centre

  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 Colombia – Exercise high degree of cautionForeign Affairs are advising against all

  Weather watch More snow on the way, Iggy weakens Met Office issues another snow warningTEMPERATURES across the UK are set to plummet to as low as 10C this week, according to forecasters. A high pressure system hanging over Scandinavia

  Concordia guest reimbursement detailed FOLLOWING its initial announcement on compensation for guests who have returned home after the Costa Concordia accident, the line has now provided a detailed breakdown of what the compensation entails.The compensation package for Costa Concordia

  YVR to increase fees VANCOUVER Airport Authority (VAA) announced Wednesday a 10 year strategy outlining C$1.8 billion in improvements designed to keep Vancouver International Airport (YVR) competitive and an economic generator for British Columbia.“YVR is facing increasing competition from

  Around the globe New airfare rules take effectYESTERDAY saw the start of a new era in air travel with airlines now no longer allowed to advertise prices without showing all of the fees. New rules from the US Transportation

  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 travelCanadians should exercise particular caution on the

  Belgian strike to cause travel chaos THE national strike set to take place in Belgium on Monday is expected to cause major disruption across Belgian air and rail services. Three of the largest trade unions in Belgium have called

  Weather watch More snow for the weekend... and a cyclone Cyclone Iggy prompts shutdowns TROPICAL cyclone Iggy, which is headed for the Pilbara coastline and is likely to develop into a category four over coming days, has forced communities

  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 Libya – Avoid all travelForeign Affairs and International Trade Canada advises against

  Globus launches French language tours STEPHANIE Bishop, managing director of the Globus family of brands, has announced that the company will be offering for the first time in its 80 year history European tours for French speaking vacationers.There will

  Around the globe Fiji operational despite state of disaster FIJI has declared a state of disaster over flooding and landslides that have killed at least six people and displaced thousands. According to officials at least 3,500 people are now

  Indus launches women only Canada tours Indus is expanding its women only programme with new destinations including Canada and Iran and plans to launch tours to Myanmar, Uzbekistan and Russia later in the year. The Women Only Worldwide (WOW)

  Mexico issues statement on recent attack THE Mexican Government in Sinaloa issued the following statement regarding the attack on Sheila Nabb, the Canadian woman found beaten at the Hotel Riu Emerald Bay in Mazatlan over the past weekend.“With regard

  Weather watch Australians brace for cyclone Met Office issues weather warning for UKTHE Met Office has issued a yellow "be aware" warning for Scotland, north England and Northern Ireland. Forecasters said ice was expected to form on untreated roads

Around the globe London Underground to have Wi Fi for OlympicsTRANSPORT for London has announced that commuters will be able to access the Internet in advance of the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Telegraph reports.  Following a successful trial at

  Costa clarifies discounts and promotional offers With reference to news reports on discounts and promotional offers, Costa Cruises has issued a statement saying it feels bound to point out that the company has never offered any discount on future

  Weather watch Rain and snow heads for US, Canada Rain and snow heads for US, CanadaACCORDINGto Accuweather.com the same storm set to bring a new round of severe weather to parts of the South this week will bring mostly

  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 Bahrain – Exercise high degree of cautionThe potential for civil unrest remains,

  Around the globe No repairs will be done on Big Ben RENOVATION work on the Palace of Westminster will not begin until at least 2020, an MPs' committee has said. According to the BBC the decision came after surveyors

  Weather watch Cyclone continues to threaten Mozambique Tropical cyclone continues to threaten MozambiqueTROPICAL cyclone Funso has continued to lash central Mozambique with flooding rain and damaging winds, even as it drifts away from the immediate coast.  At least 10

  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 Barbados – Visa updateTourist visas are not required for stays up to

Ottawa to streamline aviation security The Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, Denis Lebel, announced earlier this month that the Government of Canada will be taking steps to streamline the Canadian Aviation Security Regulations and ensure they reflect the current

Around the globe Strike by rail workers suspendedA STRIKE by rail signal workers in the west of Scotland has been cancelled. According to the BBC, more than 30 staff based at a control centre in Glasgow had been due to

  Weather watch Cyclones, snow, rain and tornadoes forecast Cyclone threatens Mozambique coastA TROPICAL cyclone in the Mozambique Channel is threatening the southeastern coast of Africa with potentially damaging winds and flooding rain this week. Tropical cyclone Funso is currently

Weather watch Weather causing travel headaches Weather causing travel headaches ICE is falling on top of snow, causing major problems at Seattle Tacoma Airport, bringing trees down and causing power outages in the Northwest. Flight delays and cancellations have been occurring

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 precautionsPetty crime, such as pick pocketing and purse

Wondering which countries are the most popular travel destinations? Each year, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) compiles a list of the most visited countries according to the number of international tourist arrivals for every country. In the last three years, European destinations like