Destinations
When Will The Domestic Travel Recovery Begin?
In Canada, we have now completed our fifth month of fighting COVID-19, while we wait on a possible vaccine and try to establish the “new normal.” Our border to the US remains understandably closed, while our federal government takes no progressive action in opening our air borders to “safe” countries such as the EU Schengen countries, and most of us in the travel industry are trying to stay optimistic about the future, despite all the obvious encumbrances. For Canadian hoteliers, we have all been hoping for a resumption of domestic short haul travel as most of the country...
Staying Safe And Sound In Dominica
The director of tourism for Dominica says visiting Canadians needn't fear that a Dominica vacation will be a confining experience during these days of the coronavirus pandemic. Colin Piper told a Sept. 4 webinar that Dominica has placed Canada into the "medium" category when it comes to ranking countries on how well they've handled the pandemic. "Even as a medium classified country ... you do have a lot of freedom (when visiting Dominica)," Piper said, adding there's no need for Canadians to "despair... "We're keeping you safe and sound." Dominica reopened to international...
Looking Forward In The Bahamas
The Bahamas Minister of Tourism & Aviation, Dionisio D’Aguilar unveiled additional details of the forward-looking recovery and reopening plan for The Islands of The Bahamas. D’Aguilar reiterated the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism’s commitment to revitalizing the country’s tourism industry while emphasizing that the health and wellbeing of citizens, residents and visitors of The Bahamas remain paramount. Beginning Oct. 15, The Bahamas will enter Phase 3 of the Tourism Readiness & Recovery Plan ahead of the busy holiday season, which will include the reopening of beaches...
St. Kitts & Nevis Gets CDC Upgrade
In its latest update on travel recommendations by destination, the CDC has upgraded St. Kitts & Nevis COVID-19 Risk Assessment Level as “No Travel Health Notice: COVID-19 Risk is Very Low.” The CDC’s assessment classification reinforces that St. Kitts & Nevis is among the safest destinations worldwide for individuals considering travel at this time. St. Kitts & Nevis is one of only 10 Caribbean countries to have this CDC classification. The Hon. Lindsay F.P. Grant, Minister of Tourism & Transport, said that: “The recent assessment by the CDC is a...
Easing Restrictions, But With Extreme Caution
According to the UNWTO, in the seventh edition of its ‘COVID-19 Related Travel Restrictions: A Global Review for Tourism,’ 53% of destinations around the world have now begun to ease travel restrictions that were introduced in response to the global pandemic. And while many of those destinations remain cautious in view of the development of the pandemic, there is an ongoing trend towards the gradual restart of tourism. Up to Sept. 1, research carried out by the UNWTO found that a total of 115 destinations (53% of all destinations worldwide) have eased travel restrictions, an...
Let’s Go There
The US travel industry is sending a message to Americans as part of a newly launched campaign that tells them: “It’s OK to start planning your next trip -- whenever it may be.” Hilton is one of the key backers of the “Let’s Go There” campaign, which is the result of an industry-wide collaboration of more than 75 businesses and organizations that spent months examining the question: What is the right message to potential travellers while the nation navigates the realities of a pandemic? And the answer: Take advantage of the demonstrated personal benefits of travel...
Answering Questions About Travel To Japan
Baxter Media invites travel agents and other travel professionals to attend an exciting and informative webinar next Wednesday (September 16) at 2 p.m. EST (11 a.m. Pacific Time). To kick off this webinar, Questions about Travel to Japan, Athena Ho, Director of JNTO Toronto, will present the findings from a recent survey entitled ‘To measure the impact of COVID-19 on Japan Travel'. Then, Adam Waxman, journalist and a member of the Advisory Board appointed by the Commissioner of Japan Tourism Agency, MLIT, will present several off-the-beaten-path gems to discover in...
Oklahoma Revs Up Route 66 Passport, Guide
From colourful roadside photo ops to quaint small-town diners, Oklahoma's 400-plus miles of Route 66 are lined with fascinating attractions. The new Oklahoma Route 66 Passport from the Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department will help Route 66 travellers find new destinations to explore and earn great prizes along the way. Oklahoma Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, who is also the state's Secretary of Tourism & Branding, said: “We think this new passport is going to be such a fun experience for our many Route 66 travellers to complete. We've got so many stops to show off, and the...