Destinations
Feds Extend Support, Industry Breathes Easier
This country’s travel and tourism industry breathed a sigh of relief today as the federal government announced that it was extending crucial COVID-19 support measures for Canadians and Canadian businesses in recognition that uneven economic reopening across regions and sectors means workers and businesses continue to need support. The extension was announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland and the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion. The extensions include: ...
Air Transat Is Back And Flying Far And Wide
Air Transat is back. The airline operated its first commercial flights on July 30 -- Montreal-Punta Cana, Punta Cana-Montreal and Montreal-Vancouver. The flights kick off the carrier’s summer program, which will include 24 routes to 16 destinations in Canada, the United States, the South and Europe. Annick Guérard, President and CEO of Transat, said that: “It is with great joy and excitement that we return to the skies after these long months of suspension. We are thrilled to finally reunite with our travellers and allow them to reconnect with their favourite destinations...
StudentUniverse Names de Blois As Managing Director
Stephen de Blois has been named as the new Managing Director for StudentUniverse -- Flight Centre Travel Group’s (FCTG) online travel booking platform for students. He replaces Mike Cleary who spent almost a decade with StudentUniverse, the last 4 years at the helm. As Managing Director, de Blois will be responsible for leading all aspects of the business across the 4 countries in which StudentUniverse operates (USA, Canada, Australia and the UK), including Product, Engineering, Design (UX), Data/Analytics, Marketing, Operations, Finance, Travel Services/Account Management, Call...
Future Of Ontario Place Unveiled By Province
Therme Group is working with the Ontario government and the City of Toronto to contribute to the revitalization of Ontario Place. Therme Canada | Ontario Place will continue Ontario Place's heritage revitalizing its original vision – celebrating the province and its culture and bringing a first-of-its-kind experience to Toronto's waterfront. Therme Canada | Ontario Place will be a family-friendly experience with indoor and outdoor pools, waterslides and a wave pool, natural spaces to relax, sports performance and recovery services, and botanical gardens. Programming will...
St. Kitts & Nevis Clarifies Cruise Protocols
St. Kitts & Nevis has clarified that there are no capacity limitations on the number of passengers that can enter the Federation on a cruise ship during the current phased re-opening of the cruise tourism sector. Officials made it clear that an Aug. 2, 2021 Royal Caribbean blog that stated that: “St. Kitts recently announced a new policy which only allows 700 guests to visit their island per ship. The Allure of the Seas sailing on August 8 will now visit Philipsburg, St. Maarten instead,” was not accurate. Minister of Tourism, Transport and Ports, the Honourable Lindsay...
A Rare Opportunity From Maple Leaf Adventures
Maple Leaf Adventures is offering Canadians a rare opportunity to experience one of its Great Bear Rainforest expeditions that typically sell out up to a year or more in advance. The trips take only a limited handful of people into the remote wilderness onboard Cascadia (an expedition-style yacht), Swell (a classic, converted 88-foot tugboat) and Maple Leaf (a 92-foot sailing ship), they feature special access to wildlife havens and personalized adventures among coastal fjords and archipelagos. Maureen Gordon, co-owner of Maple Leaf Adventures, said: “We’re seeing an...
SVG Gearing Up For 2021 Peak Season
With the 2021 peak tourism season in St. Vincent and Grenadines (SVG) set to begin Aug. 7, when the first cruise ship – the Seabourn Odyssey – of the season docks in Port Elizabeth, Bequia, there will be lots of celebrating. Minister of Tourism, the Honourable Carlos James reports that 224 cruise ships are expected to call at the various ports throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the upcoming months. The Minister stressed, however, that this number may increase or can be negatively affected due to the fluidity of the global impacts from the pandemic. He also indicated...
Trust In Travel
In the first of a two-part conversation, Travelport’s vice president & managing director, North America, Maurita Baker admits that while it’s hard to predict what the recovery will look like, what’s clear is that travel will recover and travel advisors have a chance to start with a clean slate as the world moves away from travel restrictions and people prepare to travel again. Baker pointed out that “pent up demand is evident, and we’ve been tracking the “shopping” trends in our own MIDT data that confirms people want to travel and they’re ready to...