Air Canada makes cuts as Canadians are still not keen on US travel

Canadians are steadfast in their refusal to vacation in the US with Air Canada withdrawing several US routes and suspending others through the winter and into summer 2027, as cross-border travel demand remains firmly below pre-pandemic levels.

Canadians have have declined to travel to their nearest neighbour as US President Donald Trump repeatedly insults and threatens them along with several other previous allies. 

The airline’s latest schedule changes come against amidst continuing weakness in Canadian travel numbers to the United States. 

Statistics Canada recorded 1.89 million return trips by Canadian residents from the US by air and automobile in September 2026, up 6.8% year on year but down about 29% compared with September 2024, news hub Travel Mole reports.

Air Canada will discontinue or suspend services to Detroit, Minneapolis, Indianapolis and New York JFK, while five additional routes have been removed from its summer 2027 schedule.

The winter changes include the suspension of Montreal–Detroit, Montreal–Minneapolis and Toronto–Indianapolis. Flights from Montreal and Toronto to New York JFK, suspended in June, will also not resume this winter. Toronto Billy Bishop–Boston is also scheduled to end on December 1, 2026, after launching in July.

Routes removed for summer 2027 include Montreal–Seattle, Toronto Billy Bishop–Boston, Toronto Pearson–Charleston, Vancouver–Nashville and Vancouver–Raleigh/Durham. 

Three seasonal Florida routes will also start later than originally planned. Ottawa-Fort Lauderdale, Montreal-Palm Beach and Quebec City-Orlando have been pushed back from October to December. 

Air Canada is nevertheless maintaining a substantial US operation. Its November schedule is expected to offer around 160 daily departures to the country, approximately 3% more than a year earlier, highlighting a strategy of reallocating capacity rather than totally abandoning the market.

Airbnb tells hosts to ease up on their demands

Remember how some Airbnb hosts used to demand that guests did a deep clean before they checked out? 

No more. 

Airbnb this week updated its global house rules policy to ban hosts from forcing guests to complete heavy check-out chores and ordered them to reduce surprise requests.

The company told hosts that starting November 20, they can choose from seven standard house rules and are “generally not allowed” to ask guests to wash dishes, strip beds, or take out the garbage, travel newsletter Skift reported.

Hosts who repeatedly violate the policy could face a notice on the listing, lower visibility in search results, or “other actions under our terms of service,” the policy says. Those can include cancelling bookings, removing Superhost or Guest Favorite status, or suspending the host’s account.

Hosts may still ask guests to place used dishes in the sink, put rubbish in designated indoor or animal-proof bins, and lock up. 

Reasonable requests/standard rules can include check-in/check-out times, quiet hours, pet restrictions, smoking rules, and guest limits. And local considerations like limiting shower time due to water restrictions may still apply. 

Guests are still expected to leave properties in a reasonable, tidy condition without excessive mess, stains, or damage.

Goodbye to one of New York's great tourism traditions?

It is the end of an era for one of New York City's most popular tourism traditions. 

New York City Council voted this week to ban horse-drawn carriages from Central Park by 2028, ending a tradition as old as the park itself, The New York Times reported.

A passenger’s death after a horse bolted in June was the impetus for the ban. 

The Council vote on the bill imposing the ban was a definitive, if not final, step toward ending a politically contentious debate over the future of the carriage industry, which some people criticise as a form of animal cruelty with no place in a crowded park and others embrace as a vestige of old-world charm, the newspaper reported.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s office helped craft the bill, which passed by 40 votes to seven, a veto-proof margin.

“The mayor will sign this bill, and the Mamdani administration is working every day to ensure we can do so while providing the strongest possible protections for the owners and workers in this industry,” said Sneha Choudhary, a spokesperson for Mamdani.

The legislation dictates that horse carriages will not be allowed to operate in the city as of June 2028. 

There are 200 owners, drivers and stable hands and an estimated 180 carriage horses.

The Transport Workers Union Local 100 has vowed to challenge the legislation in court. 

Image: https://www.centralparkcarriagetours.com/

Lark Distillery to throw open its doors

Love your whisky? Enjoy visiting Tasmania? 

Leading spirits producer Lark Distilling Co will is to throw open the doors of its Pontville distillery, formerly Shene Estate, for a day of whisky, food, music and behind-the-scenes experiences at the country’s oldest operational whisky village.

Lark's inaugural Pontville Open Day on Sunday, November 29, is an open invitation to explore the historic distillery, and discover the people, craft and provenance behind Tasmania's modern whisky story. 

There will be free hourly tours and live coopering demonstrations, along with whisky tastings, and an interactive blending experience with Lark's distilling team. 

Tasmanian whisky pioneer and Lark founder Bill Lark will be in-conversation at 11am, sharing the journey that reignited  whisky making in Tasmania more than 30 years ago, and his team’s ongoing mission to capture the essence of the island. 

Pontville Open Day will also showcase the Forty Spotted gin collection on pour. 

Running from 10am to 4pm, the free, family-friendly event will also feature a petting zoo and live music from Tasmanian artists Hugo Bladel and Charlotte Lucretia, alongside a food offering. 

“We’ve always believed that whisky is a wonderful way to connect people with Tasmania," says Bill Lark. 

"Our Pontville Open Day is a special opportunity for visitors to get a taste of what makes this place so special and experience that connection first hand."

Just 30 minutes north of Hobart, Lark’s Pontville Distillery is set within an 1800s estate that has been  restored into a fully operational whisky village, complete with bond stores, a working cooperage, and a rich sense of Tasmanian heritage. 

Bookings: Register for free at https://larkdistillery.com/

Go for a run in the Coonawarra vineyards

The Coonawarra wine region is perfect for runners, being almost entirely flat. 

The Coonawarra Running Festival returns on Saturday, November 7, with the aim of showcasing the region and bringing together runners, families, wine lovers and the wider community for a day of activity, entertainment and mental health awareness.

The running courses wind alongside picturesque Coonawarra vineyards and grazing lands, taking in local landmarks including the Coonawarra Railway Siding, Wynn’s Winery and Richings Blue Tree.

The flat course makes the festival an inviting event for runners of all abilities.

A range of distances is available to suit different ages and fitness levels, with 1km, 6km, 12km and 21km events on offer.

For those looking for a different way to experience Coonawarra, the popular Wobbly Winery Walk offers a combination of walking, wine and regional hospitality. Participants follow a 5km loop through the vineyards and visit cellar doors, enjoying tastings of five different wines along the way.

Each participant receives a commemorative Coonawarra Running Festival glass to keep as a memento of the event.

All events finish at Coonawarra Park, where participants and visitors can enjoy additional wine stalls and food available for purchase. 

A free bus service from Mount Gambier to Coonawarra, stopping at Penola along the way, may be available, subject to bookings and sufficient numbers.

One of the festival’s key initiatives has been providing free Youth Mental Health Awareness sessions to seven secondary schools across the Limestone Coast region. These sessions aim to improve understanding, encourage open conversations and support young people to recognise the importance of mental health.

See www.coonawarrarunningfestival.com.au 

New Hobart apartment hotel draws inspiration from the Tasmanian wilderness

Hobart has a new apartment hotel that draws its inspiration from the Tasmanian wilderness. 

 
Dotted across the new Adina Hobart are images taken by Elliot Doedens, a young photographer whose parents own the hotel, and who guests just might find behind the reception desk when they check in. 

 
Doedens and his mother, Annalisa, are both photographers whose striking images set the tone at the 48-room apartment hotel on Argyle Street, which boasts a mix of studios, and one- and two-bedroom apartments. 

Selected rooms can also interconnect as a three-bedroom configuration, and apartments have fully equipped kitchens and separate living spaces.

Owners Richard and Annalisa Doedens worked with the design team on interiors inspired by Tasmania’s eucalypt forests. 

Elliot’s large-scale photographs capture landscapes around Mt Field, Lake St Clair and the south-west wilderness, the colours, textures, and organic forms of which are aimed to be part of the guest experience. 

Richard Doedens said the aim was to create a property grounded in its location.

“Our goal was to create a hotel that feels intrinsically connected to Tasmania," he said. "The palette, textures and organic forms all draw from the quiet beauty of the eucalypt forests that define so much of the state’s landscape.”

Set within the same mixed-use development as the 142-key Vibe Hobart, Adina guests will also have access to Belvedere restaurant and bar, conferencing facilities, a pool, and a gym.

Adina Hobart general manager Jamie Capp said apartment-style accommodation gave visitors greater freedom to experience the city and the state.

“Apartment-style stays are increasingly important to the visitor economy because they encourage extended travel and support local operators," Capp said. "With both Adina and Vibe now in Hobart, we’re offering travellers more choice, whether they’re here for business, culture, or nature.”

Adina Hobart is owned and developed by Raadas Investments Pty Ltd and operated by TFE Hotels. 

I'm hoping to stay in the next week or two, and will report back.

See www.adinahotels.com