WestJet will offer direct flights between Halifax and Amsterdam this summer as the travel industry in Canada sees an increasing demand for European destinations.
Halifax Stanfield International Airport said this week that the service to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol will operate up to six times a week, beginning May 29.
Amsterdam is the fifth direct flight to Europe WestJet is offering out of Halifax this summer. The other destinations are Dublin, Edinburgh, London-Gatwick and Paris.
Seasonal direct flights to Frankfurt, Zurich and Reykjavik are also available from Halifax. Flights to London-Heathrow and Saint-Pierre are available year-round.
Amra Durakovic, a spokesperson for Flight Centre, said Friday she is seeing more demand from Canadians to travel to Europe.
Durakovic said there are many factors driving the demand, but she said the Trump administration’s tariff announcements and the weaker Canadian dollar are part of it.
“I’ve spent a lot of this past month on our shop floors talking to our Flight Centre customers,” she said. “The overall sentiment to me suggests there’s a lot of caution amidst all this uncertainty with the U.S., so it’s not surprising Canadians are shifting their focus to other destinations.”
While Amsterdam has its own attractions, Durakovic noted that its proximity to other European destinations is another selling point. She said Denmark, France, Spain and the U.K. are also trending upwards as destinations for Canadian travellers.
Durakovic said 64 per cent of respondents prioritized cost when choosing their travel destination in a recent survey conducted by Flight Centre.
“With more frequent flights between Canada and Europe, it just makes sense, it makes it easier, it’s more accessible and — depending on where you’re going in Europe — you can make your dollar stretch,” she said.
Anyone wanting to travel to Europe this summer should book soon, Durakovic said.
For people choosing to travel within Canada, she said the East Coast is becoming a more popular destination.
“So maybe for all those locals in Halifax, they might want to leave because we might have too many Canadians visiting you guys,” she said.
If you're planning a European getaway, whether it's sipping wine in Paris, cycling through Amsterdam, or soaking up the history of Rome, you'll want to check Ca
WestJet will offer direct flights between Halifax and Amsterdam this summer as the travel industry in Canada sees an increasing demand for European destination
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