Destinations
Webinar Tomorrow: Explore Cayman Islands
Join your host Tammy Van Zyl of the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism for a free webinar tomorrow at 1pm EST to learn what sets the Cayman Islands apart from other Caribbean destinations. Discover the world-renowned culinary scene, superior scuba diving and snorkeling, and diverse range of activities the islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman each have to offer. At the end of the webinar, one lucky travel agent will win a $250 VISA gift card! What better time than now to start planning the travel experience your clients have always dreamed of? There’s still...
Barbados Looks “Beyond Summer” For Recovery
Barbados tourism minister Kerrie Symmonds is cautioning that his country's tourist trade may not be in full swing again until winter. Symmonds said during a Tuesday webinar that much of the fate of Barbados' tourism industry lies in source markets, with the country's two main markets being the United States and Britain, both of which have been grappling with the coronavirus pandemic for some time. "I foresee that summer is pretty much going to be a challenge," Symmonds said, adding tourism authorities may have to look "beyond summer" for a "more robust recovery...” "We walk...
HKTB Envisions A Brand New Tourism Landscape For The Future
In a web conference late last week, top officials of the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) provided the travel trade with an update on tourism development, along with introducing the HKTB’s strategic framework of recovery plan. Observing that COVID-19 has posed unprecedented challenges to Hong Kong tourism as it brought global tourism to a halt, HKTB chairman Dr YK Pang said that: “The tourism landscape will be reshaped. In the post-pandemic world, we will see a shift in preference and behaviour among travellers – the public health conditions of destinations, and the hygiene...
Estimated Job Losses Continue To Grow: WTTC
Based on its own research, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) says that the number of job losses due to COVID-19 have increased by over 30% in the last four weeks, growing to an estimated 100 million job losses in the travel and tourism sector. The WTTC has alerted G20 tourism ministers to the staggering extent of the crisis, as they gathered by virtual conference late last week. Of the 100.8 million jobs at risk, almost 75 million of them are in G20 countries. Its analysis also shows a sharp escalation in the economic loss to the world economy, up to US$2.7 trillion of...
No Confidence
The latest pulse check survey – conducted by the BC Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, and the Business Council of British Columbia – revealed the depth of concern that businesses have over the prospect of re-opening should the COVID-19 pandemic continue for the foreseeable future. Key findings of the survey include: 43% of those surveyed stating they can only continue to operate for up to three months under current restrictions For businesses temporarily closed, only half (53%) expect to re-open once the restrictions are eased on workplace...
IPW Taps Vegas To Host Event In 2021
In a message to delegates, Malcolm Smith, general manager of IPW advises them that Las Vegas will now welcome IPW May 10-14 of 2021, and Chicago, which had been slated for 2021, has agreed to serve as IPW’s host site in 2025. Smith observes: “We greatly appreciate the flexibility of our upcoming host cities. Other scheduled locations for IPW (Orlando in 2022, San Antonio in 2023, Los Angeles in 2024) remain unchanged.” And he continues: “When we meet next May, we'll be convening in the newly constructed West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center following its major...
Wild Times In Harrison Hot Springs
It’s Friday and we all need a bit of a lighter look at the world around us. Too much COVID-19 all the time. So, a tip of the hat to True Key Hotels & Resorts who brings a touch of humour to us today. The BC hospitality company reports that with COVID-19 keeping everyone close to home, the world is seeing the rewilding of animals in cities and towns. It points to stories of dolphins returning to Venetian canals; wild boars wandering the streets of towns in Italy and … yes, believe it or not … the return of the legendary Sasquatch to its natural habitat of the village of...
COVID-19: PATA By The Numbers
In newly updated forecasts, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) indicates that the most likely scenario for international visitor arrivals into and across Asia Pacific in 2020 is that visitor numbers are likely to reduce by 32% year-on-year. PATA says that taking into account the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the volume of arrivals is now expected to reduce to fewer than 500 million this year. And that effectively takes visitor volume back to levels last seen in 2012. At this stage, PATA says that growth is expected to resume in 2021, returning to forecast levels by...