Destinations
Vaccinations Raise Hope For Europe Travel
IATA is welcoming the relaxation of COVID-19 border measures for vaccinated passengers and the broader use of affordable antigen testing adopted by Spain and France. However, the global airline industry association said that this is tempered by ongoing disappointment at the failure to implement harmonized measures across Europe and deep frustration at the lack of coordination among governments worldwide for a data-driven risk-managed approach to re-establishing the freedom to travel. Earlier this week (June 7), Spain opened its borders to most vaccinated travellers from around the...
Troubled Waters?
The governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Albert Bryan Jr. wants Florida governor, Ron DeSantis to honour the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and reconsider state’s legislation – relating to the vaccination of cruise passengers -- which could impact the health and wellbeing of millions of Caribbean residents when cruises to the region resume. Governor Bryan believes that -- with an increasing number of Americans receiving COVID-19 vaccinations -- ensuring the cruise industry reopens with vaccinated passengers is essential to the tourism economies of...
On The Border
TIAC president Beth Potter is calling on authorities to provide those in the tourism trade with advance notice of a reopening date for the Canada-U.S. border, saying an industry that's been “cut off at the knees” by the coronavirus pandemic will need time to prepare for the return of clients. Potter told a Thursday webinar that many tourism firms in this country have been “shuttered for 15 months,” and “they've already lost one summer. They don't want to lose a second summer.” Summer is the pivotal season for this country's tourism trade. But Potter warned that...
WestJet Says Aloha To Hawaii
WestJet is growing its Hawaii network, with the addition of more Dreamliner flight options from Western Canada to Maui, along with a new non-stop service from Calgary to Kona and Lihue this winter. In total, WestJet will operate 57 weekly roundtrip flights on 10 nonstop routes. John Weatherill, WestJet’s chief commercial officer, said that: “With easing travel restrictions, we know our guests are planning to turn their long-awaited Hawaiian getaway dreams into a well-deserved reality.” Weatherill continued: “We've increased our winter service to Hawaii by more...
It’s All About Working Together
As the region’s ‘bread and butter’ tourism sector rebounds from the global pandemic, the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism is indicating an interest in collaborating on ‘tourism-enhancing initiatives’ with its Caribbean neighbours. Following meetins with public and private sector stakeholders in Jamaica, Joseph Boschulte, U.S. Virgin Islands Commissioner of Tourism, said that discussions with Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett and other private sector officials focused on the potential for regional economic revitalization with the unleashing of pent-up...
Hey Mr. Postman, Why’s It Taking Such A Long, Long Time
Make safely restarting U.S.-Canada travel an immediate priority. That’s the message in a joint letter from ACTA president, Wendy Paradis and ASTA president and CEO, Zane Kerby to Canada’s Minister of Transport, Omar Alghabra and Minister of Health, Patty Hajdu and US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken and US Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas Paradis and Kerby write: “We are writing on behalf of our trade associations – the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) and Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA), respectively – as well as the close...
Uncharted Waters
The Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) is making clear that it fully supports the cruise industry, announcing that it has established a National Cruise Committee (NCC) that will advocate for the sector and make it clear that it should be treated no differently than other sectors of the travel industry in Canada. Committee members – from Canadian organizations that operate in the global cruise industry -- will act in an advisory capacity to identify cruise industry issues and provide regular updates and recommendations to TIAC’s Recovery Committee. They will represent...
Curaçao Is Open For Summer Travel
As it prepares for the summer season -- with demand growing from North America -- Curaçao has released the island’s latest coronavirus statistics, entry requirements and special offerings for travellers. Curaçao is reporting that 86,000 people -- of those eligible -- have been vaccinated, and over the past three weeks, documented a record-low positivity rate of 0.15%. And with the “significantly reduced numbers,” the nightly curfew has been removed for the first time in over a year. As well, on-island restrictions have been lifted with outdoor restaurants, bars and...