Tour Operators
Canada Extends International Travel Ban To Sept. 30
The Canadian government is extending the ban on international travel to Canada by another month. The announcement came this afternoon from Bill Blair, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and MP for Scarborough Southwest. Blair made the announcement of the extension on Twitter, stating: “Our government is extending the existing restrictions on international travel to Canada by one month - until September 30, 2020 - to limit the introduction and spread of COVID-19 in our communities.” And in a second tweet, Blair said that “Canadian citizens and permanent...
More Tours Suspended By G Adventures
G Adventures says it has taken the unfortunate, but necessary, decision to further suspend tours departing up to and including October 31, 2020, as well as the November and December, 2020 departures of its G Expedition ship due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. This is with the exception of a selection of October departures operating in Europe for travel that is possible between certain countries. Travellers can rebook their tour for a future date or book a different tour instead. All travellers booked and fully paid on a tour departing up to Oct. 31, 2020 will receive a 110%...
Monograms Expands Its Vacation Offerings
Monograms has unveiled plans to expand its all-in-one vacations packages to new seasons and cities in 2021. For the first time, travellers can enjoy the seamless vacation planning only Monograms provides – including the on-site services of a Local Host, hand-selected accommodations in the heart of destinations and customizable sightseeing – in the “off season” with savings of up to 40 percent. Further, the company has added New Orleans, Nashville, San Francisco and San Diego to its global vacation portfolio. Stéphanie Bishop, managing director of the Globus family of...
Take Planeterra’s Virtual Trek Challenge
Planeterra Foundation has launched its first annual ‘Planeterra Trek Challenge’ and is inviting the travel industry to join a virtual trek to Everest Base Camp to help rebuild community tourism around the world following the devastating impact of COVID-19. This year’s trek places a spotlight on the work of Planeterra’s partners in South Asia, including Nepal, with the challenge being for participants to walk the 65 kilometres (85,000 steps) it takes to climb to Everest Base Camp. The challenge takes place from Sept. 21 to Sept. 27, with participants ‘reaching the top’ on...
Meet Your New Competition
In conversation with Canadian Travel Press, Forrester’s chief business technology officer & head of FeedbackNow, Steve Peltzman makes it clear that “the pandemic will have a long-term effect, and the customer balance between convenience and safety will shift forever as a result.” Peltzman pointed out that real competition is no longer just other forms of travel and hospitality but rather the desire to not travel at all. He explained that Forrester’s research shows about four in 10 US adults feel comfortable stepping into an aircraft, hotel lobby, or restaurant only after...
Buy Now, Explore Later With explora
Chile-based explora, which has resorts in different South American countries, has a "buy now, explore later" offer that runs through August and gives those who buy US$1,000 vouchers an extra US$500. The offer is valid for all explora resorts, with a checkout of Oct. 31, 2022, and explora says those making a booking will be able to change that booking twice up to seven days before departure. “We want to give you the full flexibility so you can decide when and how to travel,”says, explora, adding vouchers can be used for future bookings at any of its resorts. Those wanting...
Wildlife Protection Is Critical
The TreadRight Foundation has released a short film featuring its Wildlife Ambassador and award-winning National Geographic photographer, Ami Vitale to highlight the power of sustainable travel in protecting wildlife around the world. In 2009, Ami Vitale’s journey as a photographer shifted to focus on the world’s most compelling wildlife and environmental issues, after shooting a powerful story on one of the world’s last living northern white rhinos. Travel has empowered Vitale to share stories about the interconnectedness of humanity and the natural world. The short film...
Demand Recovery Dashboard Launched By WTTC
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has launched a new in-depth data dashboard that highlights the recovery of travel demand across flights and hotels, as well as revealing the shifting intentions of travellers through online travel searches. Developed by the WTTC, with support from McKinsey & Company, the new tool provides users with easy access to qualitative and quantitative travel data at the global and regional level as well as for 33 major countries around the world, by revealing travel demand since the beginning of the year and is updated on a fortnightly...