Destinations
Viking Continues Its Restart With New Sailings
Viking says that it is continuing to restart limited operations with a collection of sailings around Bermuda and Iceland beginning in June 2021. As a result of strong demand among past Viking guests in the United Kingdom, Viking has also added two additional sailings of the England’s Scenic Shores itinerary in June 2021. All of Viking’s new Welcome Back voyages will be available exclusively for vaccinated guests, in accordance with local entry rules in many of the destinations that will welcome Viking ships -- and as a complement to Viking’s new health and safety protocol...
The Safe Options
In a newly released survey, more than 70% of Canadians indicated that they viewed RVing and camping as the ‘safest travel options’ for 2021. The findings of the survey (conducted by Abacus Data) were released by RVezy and highlight the impact of COVID-19 on the travel plans of Canadians this year. Along with viewing RVing and camping as ‘not risky’ travel activities, the survey also highlighted that 93% of Canadians mentioned "doing something safe" as a top priority for their vacation plans. Key reasons that Canadians are considering an RV trip this summer include: ...
Fighting The Good Fight
You might say that March went out like a lion for the Association of Independent Travel Advisors (ACITA), wrapping it up with a long-awaited meeting with the Transport Minister Omar Alghabra. During the meeting, ACITA clearly laid out the many ways that travel agencies, travel advisors, and specifically independent travel advisors are slipping through the cracks of government assistance, showing him that the Prime Minister's cheery reassurance of “Don't worry, we've got your back” does not apply to them. Most are being turned away from CEBA, RRRF & Provincial Funding...
Cautious Optimism
In its latest tracking study of American travellers, Longwoods International reports that 88% of those travellers now have travel plans in the next six months, the highest level in more than a year. However, it cautions, less than a third of them are likely to visit a tourism attraction or business which does not have clear COVID-19 safety protocols, such as mask requirements and social distancing, in place. Amir Eylon, President and CEO of Longwoods International, said that: “It’s obvious from the data that Americans are ready to travel again, but only if they believe they can...
Making Memories In Ireland: An Insider’s Look
Belfast-born Derry Girls star Tara Lynne O’Neill -- known on screen as Erin Quinn’s mom Mary on the hit series -- knows there’s no place like home. “I think if we’ve learned one thing about life in these strange times it’s to appreciate what we have more. Not just our friends and our family, but what we have just on our doorstep,” O’Neill says. “Most of us have rediscovered our local parks or found beauty in our local areas that we never knew existed. You’re only a hop, skip and a jump away from another adventure.” In Discover Northern Ireland’s latest campaign...
CDC Says Fully Vaccinated Can Travel
The US Centers for Disease Control has updated its travel advice, indicating that fully vaccinated people can resume domestic travel and do not need to get tested before or after travel or self-quarantine after travel. Updated on April 2, 2021, the CDC also indicates that fully vaccinated people do not need to get tested before leaving the United States (unless required by the destination) or self-quarantine after arriving back in the United States. And while the CDC has updated its travel advice, it continues to discourage non-essential travel. Reacting to the CDC announcement,...
Back To The Beginning
Following a year of uncertainty -- along with constantly changing attitudes and policies toward travel – there is now unprecedented optimism from leisure travellers in advance of the summer travel season. That’s the good news in the 2021 spring edition of MMGY Travel Intelligence’s In it, the Traveler Sentiment Index (TSI) rose to 119 (pre-pandemic levels), affirming that U.S. adults are thinking much more positively about travel than they were throughout this past year. Yet while there is much optimism, concerns for safety continue to affect demand, although not...
Discover Canada And New England With HAL
Holland America is setting a course for the East Coast of North America in 2022, with sailings of Zaandam and Nieuw Statendam. In fact, bookings are now open for May through October 2022 sailings that will allow passengers to discover why a cruise to Canada and New England is as much about the journey as it is about the destination. Zaandam and Nieuw Statendam will offer a series of six- through eight-day “Canada & New England Discovery” departures featuring New England’s quintessential towns and Canada’s undeniable Old-World French flair. Aboard Nieuw Statendam,...