Destinations
Finding A New Mission
With a storm rolling in calling for rough seas with strong nautical winds and up to six metre swells, eco-tourism operators Kevin Smith and Russell Markel knew they were racing against time to remove the lift bags filled with tons of marine debris their crew and colleagues had collected over the last five weeks off the north coast of BC. “There’s no way we can be there in those conditions and we were worried that the bags were going to be washed out to sea,” says Markel, the owner of Outer Shores Expeditions, one of five small ship tour operators that made up the Marine Debris...
Guanajuato Gets Back To Business
The central Mexican state of Guanajuato, home to such colonial jewels as San Miguel de Allende and the state’s capital, Guanajuato City, has begun reactivating its tourist trade with the launch of its new brand that uses the slogan “Guanajuato, live great stories.” "We are inviting our visitors and tourists to be the protagonists of their own history, taking as a setting the tourist wealth of our state, as well as our World Heritage Cities, Magical Towns, archeological zones — every corner of Guanajuato,” said Governor Diego Sinhue Rodríguez Vallejo. “Today, from the heart...
Don’t Miss Tomorrow’s Sun Peaks’ Agent Webinar
Join Megan Nelson, Senior Market Development Specialist at Tourism Sun Peaks, on Thursday, October 15th at 10am (PST) for a Sun Peaks Webinar. Learn why Canada’s 2nd largest ski area is the ideal destination for your clients this winter. Whether they are skiers or snowboarders, looking to explore the outdoors through unique winter experiences or wanting to cozy up in a condo by the fire with a private hot tub, there is something for everyone. This educational session will include an overview on the destination in both winter and summer, accommodation, activities, terrain and...
A Difficult Decision
WestJet has announced that it will be indefinitely suspending operations to Moncton, Fredericton, Sydney and Charlottetown while significantly reducing service to Halifax and St. John's. The suspension eliminates more than 100 flights weekly or almost 80% of seat capacity from the Atlantic region starting Nov. 2, 2020. Ed Sims, WestJet president and CEO, explained: “It has become unviable to serve these markets and these decisions were regrettably inevitable as demand is being obliterated by the Atlantic bubble and third-party fee increases.” And Sims continued: “Since the...
Solomon Islands Records First Positive COVID-19 Case
Solomon Islands Prime Minister, the Hon. Manasseh Sogavare has confirmed the previously COVID-19-free country has recorded its first positive case of the virus. Addressing the nation on the weekend, the Prime Minister said the positive case was a student returning to the Solomon Islands onboard a repatriation flight from the Philippines. According to the Solomon Islands Ministry of Health & Medical Services (MHMS), while the student tested negative for the virus before leaving the Philippines, he subsequently tested positive on arrival in Honiara and was placed into immediate...
Experience France 360
Atout France will host its first large-scale trade event in the Americas since the beginning of the health crisis. From Oct. 19 to Oct. 22, tourism professionals from Canada, the United States, Mexico, Brazil and other Latin American countries will once again be able to connect with French suppliers and representatives of tourist sites and destinations in France. In addition to one-on-one virtual appointments (reversed workshop), France 360 will offer travel industry professionals training sessions and conferences to help adapt their sales strategies to various market segments and...
Belize Going Gold With Reopening
Belize reopened its borders for international leisure travel and the beginning of October and in doing so, it's making the health and safety of both travellers and locals a top priority. To that end, Belize has introduced a Tourism Gold Standard Recognition Program and tourism safe corridor. The Gold Standard Recognition Program aims to certify accommodations and tour operators that have adapted new behaviours and health and safety procedures while ensuring minimal impact on guest experience. In this first phase of reopening, only Gold Standard hotels approved to reopen within...
Don’t Miss Tourism Sun Peaks’ Webinar For Travel Agents
Join Megan Nelson, senior market development specialist at Tourism Sun Peaks, on Thurs., Oct. 15 at 10am (PST) for a Sun Peaks Webinar. Learn why Canada’s second largest ski area is the ideal destination for your clients this winter. Whether they are skiers or snowboarders; looking to explore the outdoors through unique winter experiences; or wanting to cozy up in a condo by the fire with a private hot tub, there is something for everyone. This educational session will include an overview on the destination in both winter and summer, accommodation, activities,...