Destinations
St. Vincent and The Grenadines Provides Update
St. Vincent and the Grenadines have provided an update on the La Soufriere eruption and the ongoing relief efforts. Officials report that since the April 9 eruption of the volcano, there have been at least 30 identifiable explosive events since the start of the eruptive phase, and the volcano has begun to generate pyroclastic flows along with the accompanying ash fall of similar or larger magnitude to the initial eruption. It was the first eruption of the volcano since April 13, 1979 and it caused thousands of people to be evacuated from areas considered to be of high hazard risk....
Los Cabos Earns Sharecare Verification
Sharecare, the digital health company that helps people manage all their health in one place, and the Los Cabos Tourism Board have announced that Los Cabos has achieved Sharecare health security verification, becoming the world’s first VERIFIED™ travel destination. To achieve this designation, the Los Cabos Tourism Board successfully led an effort to make Sharecare health security verification with Forbes Travel Guide a universal standard among the region’s hotels and resorts. In Los Cabos, which encompasses the coastal towns of Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo,...
Get Ready To Meet With Ireland
Tourism Ireland, in partnership with sister agencies, Failte Ireland and Tourism Northern Ireland, is welcoming operators to a virtual travel trade fair this week. The annual event provides a platform for Irish tourism operators to meet new contacts and to create new business opportunities and partners. This week, from April 20 to April 22, industry partners are attending the virtual workshops, with pre-arranged scheduled appointments between Irish trade partners and overseas buyers. These events are among the most important in the Irish tourism event calendar, allowing industry on...
Virtuoso Welcomes Anguilla
The Anguilla Tourist Board has been accepted into Virtuoso’s portfolio of luxury travel partners, comprised of more than 2,000 preferred suppliers in 100 countries. Stacey Liburd, director of tourism for the Anguilla Tourist Board, says that its inclusion in Virtuoso will open up new sales and marketing opportunities to the network’s luxury travel advisors and their highly desirable clientele. Virtuoso agencies worldwide sell an average of (U.S.) $25–$30 billion annually. Said Liburd: “Virtuoso’s acceptance process is incredibly selective, so becoming a preferred partner...
Sunwing Set To Take Off From Thunder Bay
For the 16th consecutive year, Sunwing will be back offering vacation packages to Mexico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic from Thunder Bay in 2021. Flights begin in December 2021 and will run weekly until the middle of April 2022. Andrew Dawson, president of tour operations for Sunwing, said: “Supporting regional airports and providing Canadians across the country with more convenient ways to head to the tropics has always been important to us here at Sunwing.” Dawson continued: “Our seasonal flight service from Thunder Bay has been consistently popular over the years and...
Budget 2021: Industry Welcomes Support But More Will Be Needed
For the travel trade, let’s call the first federal budget in two years a further reprieve. The industry asked for the extension of a number of key support programs like the wage and rent subsidy and the lockdown support programs and all of them are being extended until Sept. 25, 2021. However, the budget papers state that the government will “gradually decrease the subsidy rate, beginning July 4, 2021, in order to ensure an orderly phase-out of the program as vaccinations are completed and the economy reopens.” Not surprisingly, ACTA’s initial response indicated that it...
ITAC Named Official Host Of RVC+ 2021
The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada – in partnership with Destination Canada (DC) and the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) – will be the official host of the Rendez-vous Canada+ (RVC+) 2021 Event, set to take place from May 17 to May 20, 2021. For the past five years, ITAC has been working with its members and partners to offer an Indigenous pavilion during the RVC trade show, helping export-ready Indigenous tourism operators shine in the international tourism landscape and demonstrating the richness of Indigenous culture across the country. This year,...
Australia, New Zealand Launch Trans-Tasman Bubble
Australia and New Zealand launched a two-way, quarantine travel bubble today (April 19) Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison observed: “Today’s milestone is a win-win for Australians and New Zealanders, boosting our economies while keeping our people safe and just in time for ANZAC Day.” Prime Minister Morrison observed that: “Both countries have done a remarkable job in protecting our communities from COVID and two-way flights are an important step in our road out.” New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern said: “It is truly exciting to start...