Tour Operators
An Important Shift In Thinking
Northern Kenya's Reteti elephant sanctuary makes it clear that it doesn't want to provide indefinite pachyderm parenting to those it's caring for. In fact, the sanctuary notes its goal is to see the weighty orphans that it's nurturing eventually returned to their own kind, becoming part of a burgeoning area elephant population, with that growth a contrast to what's happening in many other parts of Africa that are seeing elephant numbers falling at alarming rates. Reteti opened in August 2016, with the first orphaned elephant arriving in September of that year. Since then, more than...
Travel Is Back
Even as president of a 96-year-old travel company, Tauck's Jennifer Tombaugh was caught by surprise multiple times by how much travellers were eager to lock in post-pandemic trips ahead of time. “We have never seen the level of advance bookings for 2022 than we have right now,” Tombaugh tells Travel Courier. “It really speaks to the pent up demand and that energy that people have to get out and explore the world again.” Although bookings are not yet at 2019 levels, the resurgence is giving the tour operator hope for the remainder of 2021 as it prepares for a robust year...
Forget Revenge, Travel To Reconnect And Revitalize
Drop revenge from your travel vocabulary and add reconnection and revitalization travel to your travel descriptors. While the term ‘revenge travel’ - the urge to travel to make up for lost time in lockdown - gained popularity over the course of the pandemic, a recent survey suggests Canadian travellers are now prioritizing ‘reconnection travel’ - reconnecting with the planet and its people - when they take their next adventure travel tour. And with an overwhelming 94% of travellers saying travel is important to their wellbeing and mental health, Canadians are also looking to...
Intrepid Making Sure Everyone Gets Their Jab
Intrepid Travel has a new campaign to advocate for the safe return of international travel and improve equal access to COVID-19 vaccinations around the world. Current data shows only 0.3% of doses worldwide have been administered in low-income countries, a number that the tour operator says must be corrected to save lives, restart economies, and meaningfully rebuild the tourism industry. The tour company’s global vaccine equity campaign will focus on three actions: improving vaccine access and education, mandating vaccines for travelers and tour leaders, and a donation (via The...
ACTA Applauds Suppliers’ Commission, Up Front Payment Initiatives
ACTA is applauding announcements by several suppliers indicating that they will protect agent’s commissions on cancelled files and pay commission at time of booking. Wendy Paradis, ACTA president, said that: “This is exactly in line with ACTA’s recommended Best Practices released last year. The pandemic has illustrated the vulnerabilities for travel agencies and travel agents with regard to former policies on commission recall and commissions paid only when clients travel.” Paradis continued: “Going forward, we hope to see all suppliers change their policies. Travel agents...
Air Transat Is Back And Flying Far And Wide
Air Transat is back. The airline operated its first commercial flights on July 30 -- Montreal-Punta Cana, Punta Cana-Montreal and Montreal-Vancouver. The flights kick off the carrier’s summer program, which will include 24 routes to 16 destinations in Canada, the United States, the South and Europe. Annick Guérard, President and CEO of Transat, said that: “It is with great joy and excitement that we return to the skies after these long months of suspension. We are thrilled to finally reunite with our travellers and allow them to reconnect with their favourite destinations...
Sunwing Takes Off To The Sun
Late last week, Sunwing Airlines’ first flight to the sun since January took off from Toronto Pearson International Airport and Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. Those flights marked Sunwing’s partial return to service amid Canada’s soaring vaccination rates, easing border measures and increasing demand for travel. Weekly service will initially be offered from Toronto and Montreal, with additional routes expected to follow. Mark Williams, president of Sunwing Airlines, said that: “After a long seven months, we’re thrilled to be returning to the skies...
A Rare Opportunity From Maple Leaf Adventures
Maple Leaf Adventures is offering Canadians a rare opportunity to experience one of its Great Bear Rainforest expeditions that typically sell out up to a year or more in advance. The trips take only a limited handful of people into the remote wilderness onboard Cascadia (an expedition-style yacht), Swell (a classic, converted 88-foot tugboat) and Maple Leaf (a 92-foot sailing ship), they feature special access to wildlife havens and personalized adventures among coastal fjords and archipelagos. Maureen Gordon, co-owner of Maple Leaf Adventures, said: “We’re seeing an...