Destinations
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...
Summer Travel Intentions Skyrocket In Europe
Interest in travel is on the rise as Europe begins to emerge from months of lockdowns and restrictions. The European Travel Commission’s (ETC) latest “Monitoring Sentiment for Domestic and Intra-European Travel – Wave 7” reports that two-thirds of Europeans intend to take a trip by the end of November 2021. Only 15% remain uncertain, and 15% are not willing to travel. The speedy progression of COVID-19 vaccinations in Europe coupled with the recent introduction of the EU Digital COVID Certificate and the upcoming summer season are boosting Europeans’ travel spirit. The...
Swoop Adds Three To Mark Anniversary
Swoop will add three new U.S. destinations to its network with non-stop flights to San Diego (SAN), St. Pete-Clearwater (PIE) and Orlando Sanford (SFB) beginning this winter. Bert van der Stege, Swoop’s head of commercial & finance, said: “Swoop is celebrating three years of bringing ultra-low fares to Canadians and we are thrilled to continue expanding on our success with the introduction of San Diego, Orlando Sanford and St. Pete-Clearwater to our network.” The addition of the three new sun destinations to Swoop's network comes as the airline readies to celebrate its...
Advocacy Works, ITAC Secures Temporary Funds, Needs More
Through its funding advocacy campaign, the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) has been able to secure just enough funding from partners to maintain basic operations with a modest domestic marketing campaign for this summer. Through that funding, ITAC will be able to promote Indigenous tourism operators from coast to coast to coast – though efforts will continue to be scaled back as the federal government didn’t allocate the $68.3M of funding over four years requested in ITAC’s Strategic Recovery Plan and COVID-19 Second Wave Response in the 2021 Federal...