Destinations
U.S. Extends Canada-U.S. Border Restrictions To Aug. 21
The United States is extending the Canada-US border closure to Aug. 21. Not surprisingly, ACTA president, Wendy Paradis, said that the association “is disappointed that the United States has decided to continue its land border closure until August 21, even to fully vaccinated Canadians.” Paradis pointed out that: “American leaders across political parties have called for months for Canada to open its border. And yet, despite Canadians having a higher vaccination rate and substantially lower transmission of COVID-19, they have refused to reciprocate and follow a science-based...
Rise Higher
Air Canada has unveiled its comprehensive program in support of Team Canada's journey to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which includes the launch of its new ‘Rise Higher’ brand spot. The carrier began flying Team Canada athletes, coaches and support staff from Toronto and Vancouver to Japan on July 1 onboard a 787 Dreamliner in a special livery. And Air Canada is further celebrating the country's athletes through innovative activations, exclusive access and engagement opportunities for fans. Andrew Shibata, Vice President – Brand at Air Canada, said that:...
TICO Signs On To BlackNorth Initiative Pledge
The Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) has joined close to 500 organizations in signing the BlackNorth Initiative Pledge in support of helping to end anti-black systemic racism in the workplace and beyond. Led by the Canadian Council of Business Leaders Against Anti-Black Systemic Racism, we are committed to the removal of barriers negatively affecting the lives of Black Canadians and creating opportunities for underrepresented groups. Richard Smart, TICO President and CEO, said that: “TICO recognizes the importance of addressing inequities in our workplace. We have made a...
Transat Promotes Merrill, Larose
Transat has named Lindsay Merrill as its Sales Manager, Ontario, Atlantic and Western Canada. Merrill has over 14 years of experience in various roles at Transat, including Call Outs Agent (Manifest Team), Customer Care Centre Lead Agent, Group Sales Agent & Inside Sales Representative. Lindsay has been the Inside Sales Supervisor in Ontario since October 2016. She will report to Nicole Bursey, Commercial Director. Transat has also named Marjorie Larose as its Sales Manager, Quebec and Ottawa. Larose joined Transat in 2005 and has held several positions over the years,...
Jamaica Is Ready For The Rebound From Canada
Jamaican tourism officials went the high-tech route Tuesday to update travel agents in this country on what's happening with the tourist trade in their country, a country they are hopeful is on the verge of making a significant rebound in the Canadian market after seeing visitations plummet because of the coronavirus pandemic. “Jamaica is back [flying] out of Canada,” Dan Hamilton of the Jamaica Tourist Board's Toronto office told viewers during what was billed as the Jamaica Virtual Product Showcase. The event had prominent Jamaican tourism officials providing updates and also...
WestJet, Government End Talks On Financial Support
After several months of constructive discussions, the WestJet Group and the federal government have mutually agreed to shift focus from these negotiations, and away from taxpayer-funded support, to leading the safe restart of the travel and tourism sector. The decision by the company that it is not actively pursuing financial support from the federal government comes with the encouraging rise of vaccination rates across the country, However, both WestJet and the federal government remain open to resuming financial support discussions in the future. The company also said that it...
Don’t Look Back, Look Forward
Dave Devana, president & CEO of Nanaimo Airport (YCD), will tell you that in early 2020, YCD was anticipating another record year, expecting to welcome over 500,000 passengers. On March 17, 2020, the BC Government declared a Provincial Health Emergency, and in April 2020 passenger counts plummeted by 96% to 1,903 passengers for the month. Devana offers both insight and optimism in telling Nanaimo Airport’s pandemic story, observing at one point: “In order for the travel and tourism sectors to recover fully, it’s essential that international travel is supported and critical...
Cuba Officials Working To Boost Confidence
Cuban tourism authorities are insisting that tourists can vacation in “peace and safety” on the island, charging that recent demonstrations in Havana were prompted by people outside the country. “On Sunday, July 11, in certain parts of Cuba some disturbances and incidents took place. These were the result of an opportunistic plan designed from the outside, at a time when the country is working hard to overcome the impact of the pandemic, despite the unprecedented tightening of the economic blockade imposed by the U.S. government against the Cuban people,” the Ministry of...