Destinations
Holland America Sets A Course For Greece
Holland America Line is set to sail from Greece beginning in August. Working in close coordination with the government of Greece, Holland America confirmed that it has received approval to restart cruising from Piraeus (Athens) in August with four departures aboard Eurodam. Bookings for these cruises will open today (May 6). The line-up for sailings include: The Idyllic Greek Isles which departs Aug. 15 and Aug. 29, and featuring calls at Kotor, Montenegro, as well as the Greek isles of Kékira (Corfu), Thíra (Santorini) and Mykonos. “Ancient Wonders” departs Aug. 22...
Testing Costs Could Stall Recovery
According to IATA, the high costs of COVID-19 testing could put travel out of reach for individuals and families and the airline industry association is calling on governments to ensure that this doesn’t happen And IATA makes it clear that COVID-19 testing must be affordable – as well as timely, widely available and effective – in order to facilitate an efficient restart of international travel. In sampling the costs of PCR tests -- the test most frequently required by governments -- in 16 countries, IATA found wide variations by markets and within markets. The findings...
Finder.com Tracks Canadians’ Short-Term Travel Plans
According to Finder’s Global Travel Index, just 16% of Canadians – or an estimated 5 million people -- plan to do any travelling in the short term. The index also reports that while more Canadians plan to travel domestically than they do internationally, the numbers remain somewhat flat month-to-month. As well, Finder’s Global Travel Index also found that Canadians are most likely to travel domestically in May and plans in this month have risen with each iteration of the survey, with just 2.25% saying they planned to travel domestically in May in the February survey, rising...
Dominican Republic Reports Positive Recovery Numbers
The Dominican Republic is reporting positive data as international tourism to the Caribbean destination recovers. In March, the D.R. welcomed 263,857 non-resident foreign passengers, a 56% increase compared to February, and 3.4% over March 2020. Over 70% of those arrivals were American tourists, and more than 40% of travellers arrived through Punta Cana International Airport. As of March 28, 3,142 flights from 100 airlines from more than 40 countries have arrived in the country, a 39% increase compared to February. For the first time, in the last week of March, the flight...
Brokjans Joins VoX Team As GNTO Director In Canada
Anja Brokjans will be joining the VoX International team as Director for the German National Tourist Office (GNTO) effective immediately. Brokjans brings extensive experience in marketing, public relations, trade and communications to the position. Her previous experience includes a 20-year tenure as the spokesperson for one of the world’s largest trade show companies, Deutsche Messe, where she was responsible for developing and executing marketing plans for international events and companies. Commenting on her appointment, Brokjans said: “I am very excited to join VoX...
France Has A Reopening Plan
France is getting ready to re-open for international visitors from outside the European Union beginning June 9, 2021. International visitors would be required to present a health pass which would provide proof of vaccination, or a negative PCR test or a proof of their immunity (COVID-19 recovery certificate). The pass would be in the form of a QR code, in a paper or a digital format. In announcing the plans for reopening, it was also indicated that as the terms and conditions of the health pass are not yet known, Canadian tourists wishing to travel to France should check the...
Party In ‘Da Backyard’ With The Bahamas
The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation is throwing a party – virtually, of course – to show its appreciation of the travel agency community on May 6. Both Ellison ‘Tommy’ Thompson, Deputy Director General as well as Bridgette King, Executive Director Global Sales will host “Da Backyard” party and will be joined by other members of the Bahamas Tourism Office team for a fun, interactive afternoon featuring Bahamian music, a video montage, updates on what’s happening in The Bahamas, games, a cocktail/mocktail demo, a virtual photobooth, as well as prize giveaways for...
U.S. Vaccine Skepticism Could Weigh On Recovery
According to GlobalData, vaccine skepticism and COVID-19 concerns will continue to affect the US outbound travel recovery in 2021 and potentially in 2022, COVID-19 concerns are high in the US, with the data and analytics company’s Q1 2021 consumer survey reporting that 52% of US respondents stated they were ‘extremely concerned’ about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in general, which is 10% higher than the global average. Yet GlobalData’s Live Verdict Poll found that 23% of respondents in North America did not intend to take a vaccine against COVID-19 – which was...