AGP Executive Report

Travel Disruptions: Protests in France shut the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay and 24 Paris metro stations. Canada is urging travellers to avoid demonstrations and check plans before heading out. Winter Road Warning: RCMP advised against travel on Alberta’s Highway 63 after snow left vehicles stranded and traffic blocked. Air Connections: Air Canada is dropping five U.S. routes for summer 2027, including Charleston, while expanding its winter sun network as new research points to Canadians’ travel priorities. Tourism Investment: A historic church in Canada is being turned into a tourism hub, while new Great Lakes figures put cruise tourism’s economic contribution at $310 million.

Airline Pullback: Air Canada is dropping five U.S. routes for 2027, including Charleston, as weaker demand and a decline in Canadian travel south of the border reshape its network. Winter Sun: Jamaica is courting Canadian visitors, aiming to turn 400,000 winter airline seats into bookings as it expands service from Canada. Travel Advisory: Ottawa is warning Canadians against travel to major Saudi airports amid ongoing attacks and flight disruptions; check current guidance and airline updates before departure. Ferry Investment: The federal government is putting $7.3 million into upgrades at P.E.I.’s Wood Islands terminal to support safer ferry service.

Air Travel: Air Canada is cutting five U.S. routes for 2027 even as it expands winter-sun service. New phone bookings now cost $30 per passenger. Ferry Links: Ottawa is investing $7.3 million in upgrades at P.E.I.’s Wood Islands ferry terminal to support safer service. Tourism Economy: Great Lakes cruise tourism brings an estimated $310 million to regional economies. Two Canadian destinations also made a global list of top places to visit in 2027. Travel Conditions: Heavy snow could bring 20 to 50 centimetres to parts of northern Saskatchewan, with difficult driving and possible road closures. Canada has also advised against travel to major Saudi airports amid ongoing attacks.

Air Travel: Air Canada will cut five U.S. routes in 2027, including Toronto–Charleston, which will lose its only nonstop service. The airline is also charging $30 per passenger for phone bookings. Travel Safety: Canada advises against travel to major Saudi airports amid ongoing attacks. Cruise Tourism: Great Lakes cruises brought an estimated $310 million to regional economies this season, with 25,000 passengers and 880 port visits. Fall Getaways: Québec City tops a new autumn-colour ranking; Halifax and Saguenay also made the top 10. Canadian Stays: A new hotel has opened in Canada’s most-visited national park, while 11 B.C. resorts earned spots among the country’s top 15.

Air Routes: Air Canada is preparing 11 new long-haul A321XLR routes for 2027, including Montréal–Madrid, while cutting five more U.S. routes. WestJet has also dropped 10 nonstop routes from Toronto, including Cuba services. Canada–Türkiye Travel: Mark Carney and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan launched a strategic partnership and began free-trade talks. An expanded air transport agreement aims to improve connectivity and support tourism. Tourism Recognition: Four Saskatchewan organizations are finalists in six Canadian Tourism Awards categories, including Indigenous and sustainable tourism. Cruise Changes: Rough weather sent Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas to Halifax instead of the Bahamas; passengers were offered 50% travel vouchers. Booking Costs: Air Canada now charges $30 per passenger for flight bookings made by phone.

Airline Changes: Air Canada is adding a $30-per-passenger fee for new bookings made by phone. Its leisure airline, meanwhile, plans to add seatback screens, reclining seats and free Wi-Fi to Boeing 737 MAX 8s. Cross-Border Tourism: Detroit’s tourism bureau has stopped marketing to Canadians, citing strained relations and a 30% drop in Canadian visits over two years, though arrivals have recently ticked up. Travel Demand: Air Canada is expanding its winter-sun network as new research tracks Canadians’ travel priorities; Intrepid also reports booming demand for small-group trips. Visitor Rules: Banff’s park chief avoided a fine for an off-leash dog violation that brought a U.S. visitor a CA$1,500 penalty. Tourism Conditions: Businesses reported flat summer tourism, with inflation, wildfire smoke and an airport runway closure among the pressures.

Air Links: Air Canada is expanding its winter sun network as research points to demand for new destinations. It will also launch Vancouver–Sapporo service, opening the first nonstop link between mainland North America and Hokkaido. SWISS is adding Toulouse and increasing Montreal and Tokyo flights for summer 2027. Booking Costs: Air Canada now charges $30 per passenger for new phone bookings, a potential $120 extra for a family of four. Travel Trends: Intrepid says small-group travel is booming among Canadians, while some tourism businesses report a flat summer amid inflation, wildfire smoke and an airport runway closure. Park Rules: Banff’s superintendent was photographed walking his dog off-leash, despite rules visitors can face penalties of up to $25,000 for breaking. Parks Canada closed its investigation without saying whether he was fined.

Air Travel: Air Canada is adding a Vancouver flight to a popular winter destination and, with United, expanding cross-border routes for summer 2027. It now charges $30 for booking by phone with a service agent, and has warned of cancellations at Toronto’s Billy Bishop Airport amid a water-main disruption. Cruise Changes: Bad weather diverted a Bahamas-bound ship to Nova Scotia, surprising passengers who had packed for warmer conditions. Tourism Outlook: Canadian businesses reported a flat summer, citing inflation, wildfire smoke and an airport runway closure, while a weaker Canadian dollar helped draw more U.S. visitors.

Tourism Pulse: Canadian businesses reported a flat summer, citing inflation, wildfire smoke and an airport runway closure, while Toronto’s tourism sector also logged a strong season. Rail Spotlight: Two train trips departing Vancouver made Condé Nast Traveler readers’ global Top 20, showcasing Canada’s scenic rail options. Air Travel: Air Canada now charges $30 for phone bookings, as it and United prepare new Canada–U.S. routes for summer 2027. Canadian travel to Las Vegas and other U.S. destinations has also edged up. Travel Advice: Canada is urging visitors to avoid demonstrations in France amid unrest. Cruise Diversion: A Bahamas-bound ship has been rerouted to Nova Scotia, changing passengers’ plans.

Air Links: Lufthansa Group’s biggest summer schedule expansion since 2020 includes Edmonton among 10 new destinations, with more flights planned across the Americas. Air Canada, meanwhile, has dropped its planned Toronto–Charleston service for summer 2027, citing demand and commercial pressures. Fall Getaways: Three Canadian parks rank among the world’s top autumn-walk destinations, with Algonquin Provincial Park placing fourth. Visitor Demand: U.S. travelers are giving Canadian destinations a boost, with the favorable exchange rate making trips north more affordable. Travel Rules: Canada has clarified 11 categories of foreign visitors exempt from visa and eTA requirements; NEXUS applicants should also note that interview deadlines are set to shorten in 2027.

Visitor Demand: A stronger U.S. dollar is making Canada feel like a bargain for American travellers, helping lift visitor numbers. Airline News: Air Canada will charge $30 for bookings made by phone, while its expanded partnership with United promises more Canada–U.S. flight options in 2027. Tourism Marketing: Destination Canada, Air Canada and Lufthansa Group are teaming up to promote travel to Canada in India. Destination Spotlight: Niagara-on-the-Lake has been named among the world’s top 10 travel destinations, adding to signs of a strong summer for Toronto tourism.

Air Connectivity: Air Canada and United plan six new transborder routes for summer 2027, pending regulatory approval, expanding options between Canada and the U.S. Cruise News: Royal Caribbean extended the Oasis of the Seas’ Halifax stay after a weather reroute; separately, Vancouver cruise passengers rose 18% this season, generating an estimated $1 billion boost. Cross-Border Travel: Canadian trips to the U.S. edged up year over year in September, but remained well below 2024 levels — car travel was down 31.1% and air travel 18.7%.

Airport Access: Toronto Pearson’s Ready, Set, Fly program gave more than 200 autistic and neurodivergent participants a hands-on run-through of check-in, security and boarding, helping make future trips less stressful. Cruise Disruption: Royal Caribbean rerouted Oasis of the Seas to Canada as an East Coast storm approached, replacing a planned Bermuda call; passengers reportedly could not disembark. Air Links: United is adding flights to St. John’s as Air Canada cuts routes, while the carrier’s wider Canada–U.S. network expansion could bring travellers more summer options. Tourism Outlook: New data points to a strong summer for Toronto tourism, adding to signs of a broader tourism recovery across Canada.

St. John’s Escape: A fall or winter visit offers a quieter side of the city, with harbor views, historic Water Street and steep, colorful streets best explored on foot. Ontario Outdoors: A mini “Grand Canyon” with trails and towering boardwalks is drawing attention as a scenic provincial getaway. Air Access: United is adding flights to St. John’s as Air Canada cuts routes, while the carriers pursue approval to expand their partnership and add summer connections. Travel Advisory: Global Affairs Canada is urging travellers to avoid non-essential trips to parts of Mexico because of severe weather. Tourism Watch: Toronto reported a strong summer for tourism, while Vancouver Island was named North America’s top honeymoon destination.

Air Links: United and Air Canada plan six new cross-border routes for summer 2027. United will resume service to St. John’s and add flights from Denver to Ottawa and Quebec City; Air Canada plans new links from Louisville, Indianapolis and Newark. Cruise Disruption: Royal Caribbean has replaced a Bermuda stop with Saint John, N.B., because of bad weather—but passengers will have to stay aboard. Travel Conditions: High winds brought overturned vehicles, power outages and difficult driving along Alberta’s Highway 2 corridor. Tourism: New data points to a strong summer for Toronto’s tourism sector, while a surge in Canada-U.S. travel is reshaping business for domestic operators. Niagara-on-the-Lake was also named among the world’s top 10 travel destinations for 2027.

Toronto Tourism: International visits rose 17% in May–July, as concerts, conferences and major events helped lift the city’s visitor economy. Flights and Fares: Air Canada is adding a nonstop Louisville–Toronto route in April 2027 and seasonal Montreal–Seville service, but now charges $30 for bookings made by phone. Travel Safety: Canada is warning against non-essential trips to Saudi Arabia after attacks targeted airports, with possible flight disruptions in the region. Destination Spotlight: Niagara-on-the-Lake made a global top-10 destinations list for 2027, while Vancouver Island was named North America’s leading honeymoon destination. Park Access: Jasper plans to introduce paid parking on April 1 next year.