Destinations
US Industry Hoping For July 4 Resumption Of Travel
Leaders of the U.S. travel and aviation industry are calling on the Biden Administration to commit to a plan for reopening the country to inbound, international visitation by May 1. The U.S. Travel Association is among the 26 organizations to sign a letter urging the White House “to partner with us to develop … a risk-based, data-driven roadmap to rescind inbound international travel restrictions.” U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow, said: “Travel and tourism is the industry hardest hit by the economic fallout of COVID-19, and the damage is so severe that...
Saint Lucia Ready To Welcome Cruise Tourism This Summer
Saint Lucia is preparing to welcome its first international cruise ship since closure to the sector amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. Following considerable dialogue with local authorities, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line has signaled the return of the cruise industry to Saint Lucia after more than a year, naming it as a port-of-call on a mid-July itinerary, that will see Celebrity Millennium make its first voyage of the season to the destination, as well as to sister islands and homeports of St. Marten and Barbados on its Southern Caribbean route. Preliminary discussions with Royal...
Strength In Unity
As trials for vaccine passports roll out in an effort to ensure the flow of safe travel between international destinations, GlobalData is warning that a lack of collaboration will only further delay the recovery of international travel. The data and analytics company points out that forming an internationally recognized system as a global standard for all destinations would help ensure a traveller’s journey is as smooth and easy as possible – an essential factor to help heal international travel demand. With various certificates and passes being trialed, if all are launched,...
Work, Learn, Play With Hyatt Regency Maui
Following the completion of a multi-million-dollar renovation to its 810 guest rooms and its lobby, the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa is inviting travellers to come and work, learn and play at the resort. Feature of the package include: Work: Access to screen monitors, office supplies, and printers to work from the rooftop Learn: Astronomy lesson from a NASA Ambassador Edward Mahoney (adults and/or kids can learn) Play: Dinner at sunset on the rooftop and private stargazing experience on the rooftop where guests can see 80 out of the 88 constellations ...
CHTA Wants To Move “Forward Together”
The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) has launched “Forward Together,” a new initiative that encourages industry stakeholders to join their colleagues in supporting the trade association as the Caribbean tourism and hospitality industry continues to respond and adapt to challenges arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Vanessa Ledesma, CHTA’s Acting CEO and Director General, said that: “With the growing deployment of vaccines worldwide, we are encouraged by industry research indicating that travelers’ views towards international travel are increasingly favorable,...
Takeaways From ExploreGB 2021
It may feel like a distant memory amidst the ongoing pandemic, but VisitScotland’s Senior Insight Manager Chris Greenwood points out that it wasn’t all too long ago that destinations the world over were dealing with the issue of overtourism. “Among consumers as well, up until the start of 2020, people were increasingly aware of the impact their travel was having and were looking to offset that damage through other ways,” Greenwood said at this month’s virtual ExploreGB conference, VisitBritain’s annual travel trade event. “So, looking at more sustainable ways of...
WTTC Going Hybrid For April Global Summit In Cancun
“Uniting The World For Recovery” is the theme of the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC’s) annual Global Summit which will take place in Cancun, Mexico from April 25 to April 27. The WTTC says that as the world sees progress with vaccine rollouts, digital passes becoming more normalized and an increased regularity of health and hygiene measures that signal that countries are preparing for the restart of international travel through all the right measures and protocols, it is the “perfect time” for the summit to happen, and it will be...
Help DownUnder
Reports from Australia indicate that the government there has launched a $928 million stimulus package for the country’s travel and tourism industry. The package includes air ticket subsidies for travellers; low-cost loans for small tour companies and financial aid for Australia’s airlines in an effort to support the industry until foreign tourists return. In 2018-2019, tourism generated A$60.8 billion in GDP and employed about 5% of the country’s workforce. Qantas and Virgin Australia will receive A$200 million for the period of April to October to assist them to maintain...