Destinations
February Reopening For The Cove
Atlantis Paradise Island will reopen The Cove, on Feb. 11, 2021. Nestled along a protected cove between two private white sand beaches and offering exclusive experiences and personalized service, the elegant retreat is perfect for luxury travelers, from couples seeking a romantic getaway to families and friends in need of a relaxing oasis. Enhancements throughout the property will debut later next year, including updates to the hotel’s beautiful Nave lobby, coveted beachfront cabanas, and its 22nd-floor guestrooms and club lounge. Returning guests will delight in The Cove’s...
Hong Kong Counting Down To 2021
Pandemic or not, nothing is going to stop the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) from sharing festive cheers and the appeal of Hong Kong with the rest of the world. This New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31, 2020), for the first time, the HKTB’s signature “Hong Kong New Year Countdown Celebrations” will go online. Everyone around the world can join in the celebration wherever they are located using their mobile phones or via computers. On Dec. 31, the HKTB’s website (www.discoverhongkong.com) and social media platforms (Facebook and YouTube) will begin showing a live countdown clock at 11...
Making The Connection
According to GlobalData, the Canadian government’s plans to connect 98% of Canadians to high-speed internet by 2026 will only accelerate online travel demand. The global data and analytics company points out that the online travel intermediary market value already easily exceeds that of offline, reaching US$14.1 billion in 2019 compared to US$9.2 billion for in-store in Canada. GlobalData said that a significant investment of US$1.75 billion to develop universal broadband across Canada will only increase internet penetration and accelerate online travel bookings. In its third...
Jamaica Sees Holiday Season Arrivals Uptick
Clearly, the holiday season has been good to Jamaica. The popular Caribbean island recently reported its highest seven-day cumulative arrival figures since reopening borders on June 15. Preliminary statistics from the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) show that for the period Dec. 22 to Dec. 28, just over 21,000 passengers arrived on the island. Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay welcomed 16,841 and 4,203 additional passengers arrived at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston. Donovan White, Jamaica’s director of tourism, said: “This is welcome news for...
St. Kitts & Nevis Suspend BA UK Flights
St. Kitts & Nevis has temporarily suspended British Airways flights from the UK. The suspension began on Dec. 26, 2020 and will continue to Jan. 2, 2021. And officials noted that an update will be given in relation to the Federation resuming service. In addition, any International Traveller who arrives from the UK will be required to quarantine at their hotel and not “Vacation in Place” for the duration of their stay or mandatory 14-day quarantine in the Federation, for Dec. 26, 2020 to Jan. 2, 2021. The UK has reported a new strain of coronavirus which, according to the...
COVID-19 And Canadian Travel Intentions
In its Winter Travel Intentions Outlook for the Winter of 2020-2021, Outbound Canada reports that: “As would be expected, the COVID-19 crisis continues to have a substantial impact on the travel activity of Canadians. The most recent travel intentions survey indicates that just 36% of adults plan to take a leisure trip between November 2020 and April 2021, a significantly smaller share than last year (64%). And it continues that: “Compared to last year, the proportion of respondents who are currently planning any leisure travel has decreased most dramatically in British...
Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival A Success
Officials in Hong Kong are celebrating the success of the 2020 Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival. It was the first time the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) had adopted an “online + offline” format for the mega event, ensuring that the public could take part without worrying about the COVID-19 outbreak. The event was held during the five consecutive weeks (Nov. 11 to Dec. 15) and the Festival had laid a full table of gastronomic experiences. Meanwhile, the HKTB leveraged the event to promote and sustain Hong Kong’s exposure to visitor source markets. The Online...
Still Time To Join The Feast
Indigenous Culinary of Associated Nations (ICAN) is extending its Indigenous Feast Boxes campaign throughout the holiday season. Due to overwhelming interest and the support of many generous donations across the country, ICAN is closer to reaching its goal to feed up to 1,700 families (approximately 8,500 people) and is confident it can reach its target of $60,000. People now have until Jan. 10, 2021, to donate to the campaign aimed at supporting Indigenous chefs and their teams across Canada and providing meal kits to Indigenous families and community members in...