Destinations
Mask Up In The Florida Keys
Officials and businesses in the Florida Keys are reminding visitors that carrying and wearing facial coverings and practicing social distancing continue for the island chain to protect against the spread of coronavirus, despite the easing of some statewide restrictions. Stacey Mitchell, director of the Florida Keys tourism council, said: “We ask our visitors to continue protective measures such as wearing facial coverings, social distancing when they are close to others and frequent hand-washing. The beauty of the Keys is that there are plenty of...
Dubai: COVID-19 Updates and the State of Tourism
Baxter Media invites travel agents to attend an exciting webinar with Dubai Tourism on Wednesday, October 28, at 12 p.m. (EST). The webinar will be presented by Soraya Al Olama, Head of North America for Dubai Tourism, and moderated by Dan McDonald from Baxter Media. It will update agents on Dubai's current state of tourism; they'll get to learn about the safety measures that have been implemented in the city, and what is open right now. Agents who attend the full duration of the webinar will be entered for a chance to win two FIRM Y-class tickets from Toronto to Dubai on...
Low Fares, Last Minute Trips To Sunspots Spur Rebound
Noting that it’s common knowledge that the global pandemic has wreaked destruction on the travel industry -- with total international arrivals in the third quarter of the year 94% down on the same period in 2019 – ForwardKeys is reporting that there may be a glimmer of hope immediately south of the USA. The data analytics company indicates that bookings for travel to holiday hot spots in Mexico and various Caribbean islands in the fourth quarter of the year, are looking significantly less bad than almost everywhere else in the world. As of Sept. 19, flight bookings globally for...
Canada-US Border Closure Extended
Public safety minister, Bill Blair announced on Twitter this morning that: “We are extending non-essential travel restrictions with the United States until Nov. 21, 2020.” Blair said that: “Our decisions will continue to be based on the best public health advice available to keep Canadians safe. The current border closure was set to expire on Oct. 21 and has now been extended for another 30 days. For more, go to https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/services/covid/menu-eng.html...
Caribbean Travel Marketplace Set For Spring 2021
Caribbean Travel Marketplace is being planned for Spring 2021, and organizers are seeking innovative ideas and expressions of interest from tourism stakeholders. Karen Whitt, Chairman of Caribbean Travel Marketplace, and Executive Committee Member of Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), which organizes the annual leading marketing event in the region, said that based on partner feedback, Marketplace, traditionally held in late January, will be postponed to late April-early May 2021. Said Whitt: “This will be a time when travel partners and members will be more...
BoC Could Hold Rate Until At Least 2023
According to half of the economists (47% or 7 out of 15) on Finder’s BoC Interest Rate Forecast panel, the Bank of Canada could hold the interest rate until at least 2023. A third of the panel expect the rate to hold until some point in 2023 while an additional 13% say it will hold beyond then; with Scotiabank deputy chief economist, Brett House believing the rate will remain unchanged until at least the end of 2023. Said House: “We forecast that the Bank of Canada will keep the overnight rate target on hold until the second half of 2023 owing to the magnitude of the output gap,...
Yucatán Taking Giant Steps
Yucatán entered the second phase of its tourism reactivation plan in September, reopening cenotes and archeological sites, including Chichén Itzá; most tourist activities and tours; and haciendas, hotels and restaurants, along with limited operation of its congress and conventions centers — all under strict compliance with new sanitary measures and regulations. All businesses must be certified with the Certificate of Good Sanitary Practices developed by the Ministry of Tourism of the state of Yucatán and undergo an on-site review of their facilities by the Yucatán Health...
HKTB Launches Standardized Hygiene Protocol
In a significant stepping up of the city’s fight to control the virus, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) launched a standardized hygiene protocol in partnership with the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency (HKQAA), one of the leading conformity assessment bodies in the territory. The protocol aims to provide a unified set of guidelines on hygiene and anti-epidemic measures for tourism-related industries that customers and visitors can easily recognize and understand to better prepare Hong Kong for the resumption of inbound travel. Dr YK Pang, chairman of the HKTB, said, “The...