Destinations
WestJet Launching Calgary-Amsterdam Flights
WestJet is poised to expand its international network, with plans to launch 787 Dreamliner flights from Calgary to Amsterdam beginning Aug. 5, 2021. John Weatherill, WestJet’s chief commercial officer, said: “We are committed to putting international investments in place, as leaders of the travel and tourism industry, to support a safe restart to international travel and further Canada’s economic recovery.” Weatherill continued: “With flights set to begin later this summer, we look forward to helping connect Canadians to their loved ones in Europe, while continuing to...
St. Kitts & Nevis Makes Some Changes
St. Kitts & Nevis has implemented a period of restriction of movement. The new guidelines were announced by the country’s Prime Minister, Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris. The restrictions were put in place on June 12 and continued to June 26 and include: Movement is restricted from 6:00 p.m. of each day until 5:00 a.m. the following day. International borders remain open for travel by commercial air and sea vessels. During this period of restriction of movement, visitors vacationing in place are being asked to verify with their hotels prior to arrival the respective...
Without A Plan, Industry Is At Risk
Canada’s travel and tourism industry continues to put pressure on the federal government to provide the sector with a comprehensive, national plan to reopen the economy, ensure the free movement of Canadians across the border and implement a clear vaccination certification program that allows entry to international travellers. That message was delivered loud and clear in Ottawa yesterday (June 14) by representatives of the Canadian Travel & Tourism Roundtable that included: Perrin Beatty, President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce; Beth Potter, President & CEO of...
Dominican Republic Keeping Visitors Safe
The Dominican Republic's Ministry of Tourism is ensuring that the country's tourist centres are being kept open under strict protocols to guarantee the safety of visitors. With countries making progress in the vaccination process and world tourism beginning to reactivate, the Dominican Republic says it's maintaining a safety leadership position in Latin America that's recognized by international agencies. Tourism officials are crediting what they're labelling a responsible recovery strategy implemented in September. Measures in the plan have ensured that the country's tourist...
The Comeback Kids
In the early days of travel restrictions and cancellations, many predicted that there would be an uptick in travellers using the services of a trusted professional post-pandemic after book-it-yourselfers were left scrambling on hold for hours on end with no one in their corner. On the precipice of international travel resuming, Travel Courier caught up with advisors from across the country to learn why they are increasingly confident more people will turn to the trade in the aftermath of COVID-19. Check out the latest issue of TRAVEL...
Remove Advisories, Reopen The Border
Well, here’s some good news. In a recent survey, the Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada (THIA) found that 40% of Canadians believed that the government should remove travel advisories to the U.S. and reopen the border to make travel to America easier. THIA’s survey also discovered that when restrictions have been eased, the U.S. is the top travel destination for Canadians. Also of note, is that vaccinated Canadians are twice as likely to travel internationally this year. And as the vaccine rollout continues across the country, nearly one-third (31 per cent) of...
Intrepid, MEET Partner On Sustainable Initiative
Through a new partnership with MEET Network Association, Intrepid Travel is introducing new sustainable travel experiences in Europe that are designed to benefit local communities. Through the partnership, Intrepid has now included MEET experiences within two of its new tours to lesser-visited regions of Croatia and Crete, with more to come across Europe and the Mediterranean over the next few months. Zina Bencheikh, Intrepid Travel managing director EMEA, said: “We are very excited to work with MEET Network to bring these fantastic experiences to our travellers. These projects...
St. Barts Now Open To Fully Vaccinated U.S. Travellers
St. Barts is now welcoming fully vaccinated U.S. travellers in accordance with new vaccination mandates from the French government. Upon opening (June 9), all restaurants, boutiques, nautical activities and services will be open as usual. New mandates require visitors to provide documentation of a negative RT-PCR COVID-19 test performed within three days of arrival, in addition to proof of vaccination. Alternatively, an antigen test performed within 48 hours will also be accepted. Visitors under the age of 18 will not need any proof of vaccination and those below 10 are not...