Destinations
Tourism & Hospitality Forward
Choose Chicago has unveiled Tourism & Hospitality Forward, a new initiative to spur Chicago’s tourism industry post-coronavirus and help expedite the city’s economic recovery. To date, a coalition of more than 250 local tourism, hospitality, meeting and event-related organizations and businesses have committed to focus on alignment, collaboration and socially responsible tourism and hospitality that will instill confidence in visitors as they return to Chicago. Glenn Eden, chair of the Choose Chicago Board of Directors, commented: “This current crisis has been simply...
Hong Kong Picks Its Webinar Prize Winners
The Hong Kong Tourism Board has drawn the names of five winners from last week's Hong Kong webinar which was presented by Yuen Kan Wong and hosted/moderated by Dan McDonald. Attendees who stayed for the entire duration of the webinar were entered to win five e-gift cards valued at $200 each. The names of the five lucky winners are below: Len March, TravelOnly Fawna Assman, Maritime Travel Burlington Theoni Mihalopoulos, Crowfoot Travel Solutions Isabella Fung, Campbell Travel Janet Marunde, CAA South Central Ontario In last week's 'edutaining' webinar, agents...
Discover Canada With TDC And CanaDream
Transat Distribution Canada (TDC) is partnering with CanaDream, a recreational vehicles (RV) rental and sales company in Canada. CanaDream has pick up locations at seven gateways in Canada and a fleet of more than 1,300 luxury vehicles and offers the perfect option for couples and families of all ages looking to get away this year. Louise Fecteau, TDC general manager, said: “Transat Distribution Canada is always proactively looking for suppliers that will enhance what our members have to offer their customer.” Fecteau explained that: “The recent feedback we've received...
New Zealand Reconnects
100% Pure New Zealand is reconnecting with friends and past visitors around the world to share a reflection on what is important in life, as early signs of recovery begin to emerge for the island nation. Despite borders remaining closed to international visitors for now, the team behind New Zealand’s tourism efforts felt it was an appropriate time to share a message of reflection, hope and aroha [love] as they begin to recover and look forward to welcoming visitors again in the future when safe to do so. A newly released video reinforces deeply important values embedded in the New...
Breaking Barriers
ForwardKeys reports that domestic air travel in China -- which has been recovering slowly in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak -- has now reached more than 50% of what it was at the equivalent moment in 2019, based on issued air tickets. As well, analysis of flight ticketing data reveals a significant uptick in last minute domestic flight bookings in China between May 11 and May 21. During that period, the lead time between ticketing and travel shortened dramatically; 72% of flight tickets were issued within 4 days of the travel date, compared with 51% at the equivalent point in...
France Moves In The Next Phase
France is moving into the next phase of its plan to end the country’s lockdown today (June 2) following “a significant improvement” in the country’s health situation. As well, the French government has indicated that it is in favour of reopening the internal border of the European Union – including both the Schengen area and the United Kingdom – as of June 15 if the health situation permits and without the obligation of a fortnight’s quarantine for travellers coming from European countries. France also indicated that it will apply the principle of reciprocity for those...
More Support Needed BC Tourism Leaders Say
Additional government support is paramount for one of the province’s hardest hit sectors to successfully get back to work under BC’s Restart Plan say leaders of the largest associations representing tourism, hospitality, and accommodation. While the path forward is welcomed, working capital is vital for businesses to remain solvent until a full path to recovery can be met. The $20.4 billion tourism and hospitality sector was effectively shut down when borders closed and both residents and visitors were told to stay home as COVID-19 unfolded in British Columbia. Since...
Destinations Ease Restrictions, Remain Cautious: UNWTO
New research from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) indicates that destinations are cautiously easing travel restrictions introduced in response to COVID-19 as they move towards reopening. The UNWTO’s newly released Global Guidelines for Reopening Tourism signal a transition into gearing up for stronger and better recovery, with 3% of all global destinations having now taken steps to ease travel restrictions. UNWTO has been monitoring the global response to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. The fourth edition of its COVID-19 Related Travel Restrictions: A Global...