Destinations
Smooth Sailing Ahead
A federal district court in Tampa has granted Florida’s request for a preliminary injunction against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) No Sail Orders that have prevented cruise lines from sailing out of Florida ports. Florida governor, Ron DeSantis hailed the ruling as a major victory, pointing out that Judge Steven Merryday concluded the CDC’s restrictions are likely unconstitutional and overstepping their legal authority. The order goes into effect on July 18, however, the CDC can offer a ‘narrower’ proposal by July 2. A statement from the...
Air Canada Adds Montreal To Cairo Service
Air Canada has added non-stop service between Montreal and Cairo to serve the large Egyptian community established in Montreal and throughout North America, and providing an additional gateway to Africa. Mark Galardo, Senior Vice President, Network Planning and Revenue Management, said: “Air Canada is pleased to offer its first scheduled flights to Egypt. We are strategically rebuilding our international network by adding new routes that support leisure and visiting friends and family travel. With few non-stop options to Egypt from North America, we see opportunities to launch new...
ACTA Says Continued Federal Support Is Essential
Be perfectly clear that the fact that the federal government reiterated its advice to Canadians to avoid all non-essential travel in today’s (June 21) announcement that it was cautiously easing some of the border restrictions in place, make it essential that it also continue its financial support to travel and tourism businesses that have been hammered by the global pandemic. That’s the message from ACTA, with the association noting that it was disappointed by the announcement and made it clear that it will aggressively lobby the government to extend federal business support...
ITAC Launches The Original Original To Mark Indigenous People’s Day
It seems more than fitting that on Indigenous People’s Day (June 21), the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) is launching a new campaign, The Original Original. The new campaign is aimed at educating travellers, modernizing their perception of Indigenous experiences and rebuilding the Indigenous tourism industry – disproportionately devasted by the pandemic. Keith Henry, president and CEO of ITAC, explained that: “Our greater mandate at ITAC is to leverage tourism to help support the revitalization and broader understanding of Indigenous culture in a way that...
No More Bits And Pieces
A step in the right direction, but still ‘far short’ of the recommendations of Health Canada’s Expert Advisory Panel report that was released at the end of May. That's the message from the National Airlines Council of Canada. In taking note of the federal government's announcement that as of July 5, fully vaccinated Canadians and permanent residents will be exempt from hotel quarantine and mandatory 14-day quarantine, NACC repeated its plea that Canada desperately needs a clear and comprehensive re-start plan for international travel, and an end to one-off piecemeal announcements...
Welcome To The First Phase
The federal government has rolled out details of the first phase of its approach to easing border measures for travellers entering Canada. Beginning July 5, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. EDT, fully vaccinated travellers who are permitted to enter Canada -- which includes Canadian citizens, permanent residents and persons registered under the Indian Act; and to foreign nationals eligible to enter Canada as outlined in the current travel restrictions -- will not be subject to the federal requirement to quarantine or take a COVID-19 test on day-8. In addition, fully vaccinated travellers...
Destination Canada Making It Easier To Explore Canada
Domestic travel by Canadians will be key to the recovery and revitalization of the industry here. And to that end, Destination Canada has launched two new portals designed to drive conversion for its partners. On the Canadian Packages Portal, tour operators have built out itineraries for domestic travellers to explore and experience the best of Canada, however many Canadians might not be aware of these packages and unique experiences that exist in our own backyard. In order to connect tour operators with Canadian travellers, Destination Canada has created a new tour...
Moving To The Next Level
With over 65% of its local adult population vaccinated, the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board has received an Alert Level 1 from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The new CDC designation represents a major milestone in the Turks and Caicos Islands’ vaccine campaign, which began in January 2021 and has resulted in more than 65% of the adult population receiving at least one dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The country’s strong vaccination rate combined with the success of its safety protocols has curbed the spread of COVID-19 and allowed for continuous safe travel...