Destinations
U.S. Travel Reacts To Extended Border Restrictions
The U.S. Travel Association has reacted to the extension of border restrictions on Mexico and Canada through to Sept. 21, 2021. In a statement, USTA’s executive vice president of public affairs and policy, Tori Emerson Barnes said that: “Travel restrictions are no longer protecting us from the virus – vaccines are. Every day that our land borders remain closed delays America’s economic and jobs recovery, causing greater damage to the millions of people whose livelihoods depend on travel and tourism.” Emerson Barnes continued: “For each month the status quo continues at...
Industry Gathers For The ‘Social Event Of The Summer’
TravelOnly members are clearly willing to travel. TravelOnly agents Pat Probert and Mary de Almeida organized an Aug. 19 travel industry Toronto gathering that Probert notes drew TravelOnly members from far and wide. "Agents travelled from Ottawa, Sault Ste Marie, Windsor, London, St Catharines, Keswick and many other places … It was just amazing that they come from all over the province to be here," Probert reports. Indeed, a particularly prominent TravelOnly figure was on hand for the event and happy to make an appearance. "What a great time for so many in the travel...
WestJet Restarts Calgary-Paris Service
WestJet has restarted its non-stop route between Calgary and Paris using 787 Dreamliner aircraft. With the restart of service to Paris, WestJet becomes the airline serving the most European destinations, direct from its global hub in Calgary. WestJet introduced twice-weekly, non-stop, service between Calgary and Amsterdam on August 5 and is currently serving London (Gatwick) two times weekly, with both markets increasing to three-times weekly in September. John Weatherill, Chief Commercial Officer for WestJet, said: “We are thrilled to bring back this historic route between...
IATA Travel Pass Recognizes EU, UK Digital Certificates
IATA has announced that the EU Digital COVID Certificate (DCC) and UK NHS COVID Pass can now be uploaded into the IATA Travel Pass as verified proof of vaccination for travel. Travellers holding an EU DCC or UK NHS COVID Pass can now access accurate COVID-19 travel information for their journey, create an electronic version of their passport and import their vaccination certificate in one place. That information can be shared with airlines and border control authorities who can have the assurance that the certificate presented to them is genuine and belongs to the person presenting...
A Heavy Burden
Rosario (Ross) de Gregorio of Manditours International Inc. in Richmond Hill, Ontario is not happy with the Ontario government and is urging the industry to speak up about policies that are impacting travel agencies in the province. De Gregorio reports that last week Richmond Hill Travel, a successful applicant for the COVID-19 Small Business Support Grants, received the following message from [email protected]: “An audit of the program has now been completed. We regret to inform you that, despite your attestation, and after several reviews of your file, it has been...
St. Kitts and Nevis’ List Now Includes Mixed Vaccination
St. Kitts and Nevis has updated its vaccination information for international travellers and Canadians who have taken mixed vaccine two-dose regimens using World Health Organization (WHO) approved vaccines, will be considered fully vaccinated. The Ministry of Health states that Canadians who received their first dose of an mRNA vaccine followed by a second dose of different brand of mRNA vaccine, as well as those who received a viral vector vaccine such as AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD followed by an mRNA vaccine, will be considered Fully Vaccinated by The Federation. WHO approved...
VFR Will Drive The Recovery
After a year of lockdowns, GlobalData says that the desire to reconnect with family and friends is likely to be greater than a leisure getaway in 2021 and, as a result, the power that VFR will play in the recovery of travel shouldn’t be underestimated. Johanna Bonhill-Smith, travel & tourism analyst at GlobalData, observed that: “GlobalData’s forecasts suggest that visiting friends and relatives (VFR) travel will experience higher growth, with a 17% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2021-25, compared to leisure, growing at a 16.4% increase between the same time...
Aeroplan, LCBO Launch New Loyalty Partnership
Aeroplan and the LCBO have announced a new strategic partnership allowing Aeroplan members to earn points when shopping at LCBO stores across Ontario. The new partnership is expected to launch in late 2021. Mark Nasr, Senior Vice President, Products, Marketing and eCommerce at Air Canada, said: “We're thrilled to come together with the LCBO to offer our members a new way to earn and redeem Aeroplan points in Ontario. When we relaunched Aeroplan last year, we made a commitment to earn our way into consumer's everyday lives. Marquee partnerships like the LCBO and other...