A look back at 2014 in Canada's travel industry

There is never a dull moment in Canada's travel industry, and the same remained true throughout 2014.

Globally speaking, events such as the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 followed by the crash of MH16 in Eastern Ukraine, plus the spread of the Ebola virus, shook the travel landscape, with effects still ongoing.

Closer to home, a lower loonie, changes in the aviation landscape, and new innovations across the trade impacted business across the country. Meanwhile, the movers and shakers continued to move and shake, with various new faces joining the industry, while many familiar names changed roles.

Here is a look at some of the top headlines & most read stories from last year.

JANUARY

Changes Coming For Visas To Turkey - Click here 

Decreasing Dollar Affects Industry Pricing - Click here 

A New Brand of Vacation.com - Click here

Dave Cecco Joins WestJet Vacations - Click here 

Anne Dollendorf To Leave GNTO - Click here

New ExpertsITALIA Branding Positions CTCPI For Greater Impact - Click here

Collette's Brand Evolution - Click here

Air Passengers' Rights Debate Opens Once More - Click here

CWT Appoints New Senior Director - Click here 

IATA & Open Allies Come To Agreement On Resolution 787 - Click here

Public Meeting On Porter Expansion Draws Hundreds - Click here 

Transat Tours Repositions Vacances Tours Mont-Royal - Click here 

FEBRUARY

Canadian Named Godmother of AmaSonata - Click here 

What's In A Name? - Part 1: Click here, Part 2, Click here & Part 3, Click here

TravelBrands Inc. Appoints New Directors - Click here

NACTA Begins Making Inroads Into Canada - Click here

Air Canada Vacations Appoints New VP, Product - Click here 

The Debate On Professional Fees: What Are You Worth? - Click here

Philippe Gadbois Appointed To Helm Of HAC Board - Click here

Doors Open At Memories Grand Bahama - Click here 

The 2013 Awards of Excellence Winners Are... - Click here

Canada & Mexico Expand Air Access Agreement - Click here 

United Airlines To Cut 240 Jobs In Canada - Click here 

Heron Joins Aer Lingus - Click here

MARCH

Branson In The Air...And At Sea? - Click here 

Search Continues For Missing Malaysia Airlines Flight - Click here 

IATA: Less Profit Coming For Airline Industry in 2014 - Click here 

Israel Rolls Out New Tourism Branding, Video Campaign - Click here 

St. Martin To Get Its First RIU Property - Click here 

APRIL

Guess Who's Getting A Facelift - Click here 

American Express To Sell Half Of Business Travel Division - Click here 

Flemming Friisdahl Launches 'The Travel Agent Next Door' - Click here 

The Event: Part 1, Click here & Part 2, Click here

Here Comes Aer Lingus - Click here  

CanJet Vacations To Go On Sale This Summer With Goldberg At Helm - Click here 

Young Travel Professionals Introduces Toronto Chapter - Click here 

Vision Travel Acquires Majority Interest In New Wave Travel - Click here 

Transat Reorganizes TMR Holidays - Click here 

GNTO Names New Canadian Director - Click here 

Firdosh Bulsara Joins TravelBrands Inc. - Click here   

MAY

New Face Joins WestJet Executive Team - Click here Montreal's Mirabel Airport To Be Torn Down - Click here 

PAX magazine Makes Its Debut - Click here 

India Tourism Welcomes New Director - Click here 

VIA Rail Names New President & CEO - Click here 

Dean Moore joins itravel2000 - Click here 

Zeina Gedeon Departing Air Canada - Click here 

Connect Worldwide Canada Lands LVCVA Contract - Click here 

TravelBrands Inc. Partners With Brand USA - Click here 

Duncan Bureau succeeds Zeina Gedeon at Air Canada - Click here 

Federal Government To Allow Use of PEDs Throughout Flights - Click here 

JUNE

Sandals confirms Bettridge's departure - Click here 

Air Canada's Rovinescu named IATA chairman - Click here 

Amr Younes joins Air Canada Vacations - Click here 

The launch of Premiere Cruises - Click here 

CWT appoints Murgatroyd - Click here 

New VP & GM at AIR FRANCE KLM Canada - Click here 

Restructuring at PEAK Adventure Travel - Click here 

Christine Kelly joins Princess, Cunard - Click here 

Carlson to take 100% Ownership of CWT - Click here 

Brand USA opens Canadian Office - Click here 

JULY

Nino Montagnese Joins mywurld Solutions Inc. - Click here 

Is A New Airline Coming To Canadian Skies? - Click here 

WestJet Set To Introduce Wide-Body Aircraft - Click here 

Gardner takes full ownership of Custom Travel Solutions - Click here 

The 1 Million Mark For WestJet Encore - Click here 

Shackleford says farewell to Tourism Ireland - Click here 

Yatra Exotic Routes appoints Doug Vogl - Click here 

MAS aircraft reportedly shot down over Ukrainian airspace - Click here 

Trafalgar welcomes new national marketing manager - Click here 

Skytrax names Air Transat 'Best North American Leisure Airline' - Click here 

Nathalie Tanious joins TravelBrands team - Click here 

One part Instagram, one part Uber...100% for the travel agent - Click here 

Softvoyage introduces new sales tools to SIREV - Click here 

AUGUST

Ebola outbreak leads to travel warnings - Click here

CanJet Vacations appoints John Kirk to executive team as launch approaches - Click here

TICO names Dorian Werda VP, Operations - Click here

Peregrine Adventures officially launches in Canada - Click here

ConnectWorldwide introduces Canadian reps for the LVCVA - Click here

Sunwing introduces direct flights from Buffalo Niagara International Airport - Click here

CanJet Vacations officially launches - Click here

New Switzerland Tourism market manager in Canada - Click here

Sproul makes a move - Click here

Vision acquires Edmonton's Globetrotter Travel - Click here

Porter looks to sell Billy Bishop airport terminal - Click here

SEPTEMBER

Vision promotes Lynda Sinclair to VP, leisure travel - Click here

TravelBrands first annual Charity Golf Classic raises $114k - Click here

Kensington Tours welcomes new president Ronald Veno - Click here

Nalinie Sharma named new Canadian marketing manager for Collette - Click here

Sandals appoints new Regional Director for Eastern Caribbean office - Click here

Changes at Transat - Click here

OCTOBER

Aufgang Travel celebrates 65 years - Click here

ACTA appoints Heather Craig-Peddie as new VP - Click here

Mary Santonato joins mywurld - Click here

The Cuba Tourist Board hosts partner event, introduces new director - Click here

Larkin joins Delta Airlines - Click here

Millennium Leisure Travels Inc. cheers to 15 years - Click here

CTC names David Goldstein president & CEO - Click here

Ensemble launches into Australia, New Zealand - Click here

New appointments at BTMI - Click here

Dana Welch appointed Marketing Manager, Canada for Tourism Ireland - Click here

Collette names Ron Lonsdale as Director of Strategic Accounts, Canada - Click here

NOVEMBER

Montpetit Marketing, éminence Canada form strategic partnership - Click here

Lemay joins NACC Board of Directors - Click here

Learning Library, DWG Performance sign partnership with ACTA - Click here

TICO appoints Richard Smart as CEO/Travel Registrar - Click here

Greg Klassen leaving the CTC after 13 years - Click here

Jocelyne Faucher named director of CWT Canada Associate Program - Click here

TPI marks 20 years at Mexico conference - Click here

DECEMBER

Pisani resigns post as CEO, Contac Services, mywurld & Onewurld - Click here

Sunwing, Air Lease Corporation sign $350 million deal for six aircraft - Click here

ACV makes changes & appointments to senior team - Click here

Virgin Cruises prepares to launch - Click here

What does the future hold for Contac? - Click here

SkyLink marks "terrific" 2014, bids farewell to founder - Click here

Transat surprises first round of Confetti winners - Click here

Canada Jetlines signs purchase agreement with Boeing - Click here

CanJet, TravelBrands ink deal - Click here

Egypt Tourism closes Canada office - Click here

Vicki Theophilou appointed BDM for GTA - Click here

TravelOnly marks 40 years with Las Vegas conference - Click here

Christine Duffy named president of Carnival Cruise Line - Click here

CanJet Vacations appoints Haines - Click here