Destinations
Caribbean Sees Positive Indicators Despite Omicron
The president of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association insists her region remains a safe one for visitors as global concerns over the latest coronavirus variant continue to rise, reports Press Today's Ian Stalker. Nicola Madden-Greig told a Wednesday CHTA presentation on the Caribbean's prospects for the coming winter that she's convinced that travellers needn't be nervous about visiting the Caribbean, even as the spread of the Omicron variant prompts many governments in other parts of the world to consider measures that would hamper international travel. "We (those in the...
Days Inn, JOURNIE Rewards Team For Sweepstakes
Days Inns Canada is collaborating with JOURNIE Rewards to launch a sweepstakes designed to generate awareness and drive business to its hotels. From now through Jan. 31, 2022, consumers can enter for a chance to win one prize consisting of six two-night FREE stays at any Days Inn location in Canada PLUS a $0.10 off per litre (or up to $200) for a year in the form of 12 JOURNIE Rewards promo codes – enough to unlock fuel savings for themselves and 11 lucky friends or loved ones. The promo codes are redeemable at more than 1,100 Parkland retail gas and convenience stores...
Looking Ahead To 2022
In its Economy 2022 global outlook, Mastercard Economics Institute assesses five fundamental factors – savings and spending; supply chains; digital acceleration; global travel; and a growing list of economic risks – that will continue to shape the global economy. In it, Bricklin Dwyer, chief economist and head of Economics Institute, Mastercard Economics Institute, writes that: “For nearly two years, the pandemic has obscured the global view of what’s to come. While a vaccine-fueled vision on how to re-emerge formed intermittently across the world, we’ve learned progress is...
We’ve Been Here Before
It appears that the federal government will reinstate the non-essential travel advisory – which was only recently lifted in October of this year -- as well as new and stricter testing measures. The moves – reported by multiple media sources – come following a meeting between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the first ministers of the provinces and territories. During that meeting, a range of options for travel restrictions were discussed, including everything from banning non-essential foreign travellers, ramped up testing and more as the federal, provincial and territorial...
CHTA Says Region Should Stay The Course
In a letter to the head of the CARICOM, the region’s heads of government as well as health and tourism leaders, the president of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), Nicola Madden-Greig is calling for the continued adherence to health safety protocols and stepped up vaccinations, but is cautioning that rushing to close Caribbean borders and impose difficult and costly travel barriers could delay the recovery and have severe consequences for the region's economies. Writing to the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, who currently serves as Chairman of...
Malta To Host 2022 USTOA Board Meeting
Malta -- originally selected as the host destination for United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) annual Out-of-Country Board Meeting pre-COVID -- will host the meeting now rescheduled for May, 2022 at the Corinthia Palace Hotel. Turkish Airlines will be the official USTOA Malta Board Meeting air carrier and will provide flights to Malta for all the USTOA attendees. Turkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA) will host a two-day tour of Istanbul on the return from Malta as part of the USTOA Board Meeting’s event program. The announcement was made during a...
ACTA Sounds The Alarm
With new testing rules and travel restrictions weighing heavily on travel agencies and the industry at large, ACTA is sounding the alarm, telling Ottawa that for travel agencies who have been without financial support since October, they could be facing bankruptcy if Bill C-2 is not passed before the holiday break. Wendy Paradis, president of ACTA, said: “The recently added testing regime for travellers, along with new travel restrictions, have caused a lot of concern and confusion -- and customers are calling travel agencies looking for clarity asking what they will have to do,...
Things Are Developing In The U.S. Virgin Islands
The U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) is buoyed by investor interest in the Territory and the wider Caribbean. During the recent Caribbean Hotel Investment Conference & Operations Summit (CHICOS) in The Bahamas, USVI Tourism Commissioner Joseph Boschulte was encouraged by the strong sense of hope and optimism that permeated the three-day conference. Commissioner Boschulte said: “I think there’s a lot of money that has been sidelined over the past 20 months that’s ready to go to work. They’re trying to find investment areas to go and we’re hopeful that the U.S. Virgin Islands...