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Canadian Resort & Travel Association

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That offer to buy your time-share could be from a Mexican drug cartel

Source:CBC News

Notorious Jalisco New Generation Cartel is running elaborate phone scams, authorities say.

Over its ultra-violent history, the group has expanded its activities from drug production and trafficking, to kidnapping and extortion, to less predictable turf like the avocado trade and, more recently, time-share scams.

The cartel "generates substantial revenue for its multi-faceted criminal enterprise through its time-share fraud network," U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned last November.

2024-2025 Corridor Strategy Program Now Taking Applications

Source: Destination Canada

After the success of the 2023 pilot, Destination Canada is excited to launch the 2024-2025 intake of the Tourism Corridor Strategy Program. This program aims to accelerate the intentional development of tourism corridors or clusters of tourism assets across Canada.

Successful applicants will have the opportunity to work with Destination Canada to co-create a strategy, implementation plan, and investment plan to support the development of their tourism corridor in collaboration with the relevant regional partners involved.

Tourism groups worry as B.C.'s short-term rental rules change

Source: CBC News

Communities in the tourism-heavy Okanagan are among those facing new limits on Airbnb, VRBO rentals In many B.C. communities, including Kelowna, short-term rentals will only be allowed in an operator's principal residence, and one secondary suite or carriage house on the same property.

While the provincial government hopes the rule changes will free up much-needed housing for long-term residents, critics say they are also creating uncertainty for the broader tourism industry with some worrying the Okanagan will become a destination reserved for the wealthy, and businesses will suffer in the process.

Air Canada’s updated seat selection policy is on hold – for now

Source: Travel Weekly

While Air Canada passengers have typically been able to select their seats for free at check-in (or for a fee pre-check-in), the revised policy assesses a fee for seat selection at check-in (or Air Canada would select the seat for the passenger at check-in, for free).

WestJet issues 72-hour lockout notice to its Tech Ops union, AMFA

Source: Travel Press

In its statement, the WestJet Group said that issuing a 72-hour lockout notice does not mean travel disruption will occur.

However, in the coming days, the WestJet Group will take all necessary actions to manage the impacts as much as possible. A work stoppage could occur as early as Tuesday, May 7, 2024, at 12 p.m. MT, unless a deal is reached.

Could using algorithms to set hotel rates become illegal?

Source: PhocusWire

Is it illegal to estimate what hotel prices might be in the future? According to some powerful people, it could be. Plaintiffs in several class-action lawsuits argue that merely having access to algorithmically informed price insights amounts to an illegal conspiracy among business competitors — that it’s fair to assume they’ll stop competing and just fix prices instead.

Canadian Resort & Travel Association

1830 Bloor St. W Unit 1111

Toronto, Ontario M6P 0A2

Canada

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