Destinations
CAC Picks Pasher As Interim President
The Canadian Airports Council (CAC) has appointed Monette Pasher as its interim president, effective Jan. 24, 2022. Pasher has 20 years of executive leadership and tourism marketing experience and possesses extensive knowledge of Canada's airports and policy landscape. She brings a wealth of experience in government and media relations, strategic planning, aviation and tourism marketing to this interim position. As executive director of the Atlantic Canada Airports Association, Pasher successfully supported her members both prior to and throughout the pandemic, raising the profile...
Turkiye Signs Deal With GSTC
Türkiye has signed a collaboration agreement with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). The signing of the agreement marks an exemplary step toward sustainability, as Türkiye’s government becomes the first in the world to sign an agreement to develop a national program with GSTC. The Turkish tourism industry will be restructured as part of the three-year agreement signed with GSTC, which sets the best and most widespread standards in sustainable tourism. In the first stage of the agreement, national program criteria will be established and inspection firms will...
What Will The Industry Look Like After The Pandemic
So just what will the travel industry look like once the coronavirus pandemic is well and truly behind us? Well, that depends upon who you ask, with some predicting that, for instance, familiar travel industry faces will be commonplace for those who ride out the pandemic, while others suggest the pandemic’s lingering nature may mean there will be plenty of permanent industry personnel departures. Dallyce Macas, Canadian representative for South American resort company explora, says the travel industry has already seen many leave for good. “Tourism has in the past two years...
Aruba Revises Entry Requirements
Aruba updated its entry requirements for residents from Canada and the US (high risk countries) as of Jan. 18, 2022, providing them with the option of taking an antigen test one (1) day prior or a PCR test up to two (2) days prior to traveling to the island. It should be noted that since Dec. 27, 2021 residents from high risk countries do not have the option to test upon arrival. Visitors 12 and older, who have tested positive using a molecular COVID-19 test by nasopharyngeal swab between 10 days and 12 weeks prior to travel date to Aruba, and do not show any symptoms, will be...
Staying Afloat In 2022
What started out as a challenging time for travel advisor Brittany Rayner quickly turned into the opposite. “I was thinking ‘wow, this is going to be a tough few coming months’ because the requests haven’t being consistent but I’ve actually had a lot more requests than I have in a long time,” says Rayner, who is with Dream Adventures. “I have clients going to Mexico — Rivera Maya, Cuba, Puerto Plata and Punta Cana.” She credits the resurgence in bookings this month to clients feeling the need to get away after the latest round of restrictions across the...
Thailand Launching Test & Go Pass
Starting Feb. 1, fully vaccinated travellers from any country in the world can apply for a ‘TEST & GO’ Thailand Pass, which allows a quarantine-free travel in Thailand. All new applications must submit proof of prepayment for 2 RT-PCR tests and accommodation (SHA Extra Plus (SHA++), AQ, OQ, or AHQ) on Day 1 and Day 5, as well as a prearranged transfer on Day 1. All travellers must have the following documents for entering Thailand: A Thailand Pass, which can be applied via https://tp.consular.go.th/ A Medical Certificate with an RT-PCR lab result indicating that...
Flight Update From St. Vincent and the Grenadines
St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority (SVGTA) is reminding Canadians that although Air Canada recently announced it was suspending its flights to the destination (along with a number of other sun destinations) they can still visit by travelling via Barbados. Glenn Beache, CEO for the SVGTA, said that: “While the suspension of Air Canada’s direct flights from Toronto to St. Vincent is certainly disappointing, we want to remind Canadians that alternatives are available, including via Air Canada’s weekly direct service from Toronto (YYZ) and Montreal (YUL) to Barbados...
ACTA Joins Call For Changes
ACTA is joining the industry’s call for the federal government to lift the mandatory arrival testing and quarantine requirement for fully-vaccinated, asymptomatic travellers so that those tests can be used to support Canada’s domestic testing needs. Wendy Paradis, president of ACTA, said that: “It is important that the Government of Canada remove these temporary measures – as well as others introduced over the past two years-- in a timely manner based on science, data and information gathered globally.” Nationally, provinces are experiencing significant shortages of...