Destinations
Swoop Marks Three With Hamilton-Kelowna Link
Swoop Airlines marked its third anniversary by linking Hamilton with the sunny interior B.C. destination of Kelowna -- a route the airline expects will quickly gain a following as Canadians opt to vacation at home as the coronavirus pandemic continues to complicate international travel. Bert van der Stege, Swoop's head of commercial and finance, told a June 18 webinar that the airline – which launched the Kelowna-Hamilton service on June 20 – expects the new route to quickly become its most-popular route during a time “of great opportunities to explore the country.” The...
JNTO, Air Canada Webinar Prize Winners Announced
Last Thursday, Air Canada and the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) jointly hosted a webinar for all interested travel professionals. We had travel agents and consultants from all across Canada in attendance. Acting as MC for the webinar was Mark Hashimoto, Specialty Sales Manager for Asia with Air Canada, and we also saw presentations from Maria Liu on behalf of Air Canada and Priscilla Portsmouth on behalf of JNTO. The webinar also featured some very inspiring content presented by Chef Masaki Hashimoto in the form of a riveting video presentation on Japanese culinary...
Tourism Roundtable Says Canadians Expected More
Canadians expected more. That’s the takeaway from the federal government’s decision to lift some quarantine restrictions for Canadians and permanent residents who are fully vaccinated, starting July 5 according to the Canadian Travel & Tourism Roundtable (The Roundtable). While acknowledging that the move is an improvement on the current restrictive measures, the Roundtable said that the changes represent a small first step and what Canada urgently needs is a proper plan and a policy on travel that is based on science, is in line with what other countries are doing, and one...
Hong Kong Loosening Quarantine Rules
The Hong Kong has announced that the quarantine requirements for persons arriving at Hong Kong who have received COVID-19 vaccination will be adjusted in phases. Except for those who had stayed in extremely high-risk or very high-risk places (Group A1 and A2 specified places), fully vaccinated persons with a positive result of serology testing for antibodies will be subject to a further shortened compulsory quarantine period of seven days upon arrival. Additionally, the restriction from entry to Hong Kong will also be relaxed for fully vaccinated non-Hong Kong residents who have...
Around The World In 23 Days
After the first departure of its Cultural Treasures: Around the World by Private Jet journey sold out rapidly, luxury travel company Abercrombie & Kent added a second date for the once-in-a-lifetime trip. “This is a journey that circumnavigates the globe in 23 days. It connects our guests to the people and cultures in eight incredible destinations from Taipei to Nepal, Bhutan, Agra for the Taj Mahal, Uzbekistan, Abu Dhabi, Petra in Jordan, and then finally Palermo, Sicily before ending in Boston,” Stefanie Schmudde, VP Product Development & Operations at Abercrombie &...
Caribbean Wants Cruise Passengers Vaccinated
Heads of government from across the Eastern Caribbean have thrown their support behind calls made last week by U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) Governor Albert Bryan Jr. to encourage the state of Florida to allow cruise lines to enable vaccination checks for Caribbean-bound passengers. In a letter to the USVI leader, Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica and Chairman of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), expressed the sub-regional group’s deep appreciation to Governor Bryan for writing to Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis seeking special...
Japan: Discovering The Ultimate Wonderland Safely
The appearance of the new director of the Japan National Tourism Organization's Toronto office underscores that Japanese take coronavirus safety protocols seriously. Ken Toyoda noted during a June 17 Baxter Media webcast that his hair is now longish as he hasn't been able to get a haircut in months as barbershops have been closed because of pandemic restrictions. Japanese are careful to abide by the safety protocols, not surprising to those who are familiar with a country that Toyoda praised for both being clean and safe. Tourism authorities have created...
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...