Tour Operators
G Adventures Extends Suspension To July 31
G Adventures is extending the suspension of all of its tours departing up to and including July 31, 2020; and it is also suspending all G Expedition departures up to and including Aug. 31, 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In making the announcement, the company said that health and safety of its travellers and staff is its main priority and the further suspension of departures is an essential measure to protect its travellers and its people at this time. All travellers booked and fully paid on a tour departing up to July 31, 2020 will receive a 110% travel credit on all...
Too Early For Predictions
Due to COVID-19, the Canadian government closed the Canadian Arctic to cruise travel entirely for 2020, and Adventure Canada was forced to cancel its entire season. “While we were disappointed, we wholeheartedly supported these measures – we visit many small, and due to their remoteness, vulnerable communities, and the health and safety of the places we have the privilege of visiting is our top priority,” Cedar Swan, the CEO of Adventure Canada told Travel Courier. “What we’ve seen in response is that the enthusiasm for polar travel is there. 48% of our Arctic clients have...
Social Media Connects Tourism, Travellers
While many companies in the global tourism industry are focusing all of their financial resources on battling the threats they face from COVID-19, GlobalData says that they still need to stay relevant and social media is a relatively cheap way to promote. The data and analytics company points out, in its “Impact of COVID-19 on the global cruise industry,” that 70% of Brazilians are now spending more time browsing social media when compared to pre-COVID-19 outbreak figures, with an enormous 34% saying they spend all day using social media. Meanwhile, a considerable number of US...
Forward To The Future
After holding virtual meetings with its top accounts and travel advisors, Michelle Palma, Vice President, Field Sales – North America, Uniworld, said they’ve gleaned incredible insights into the current market conditions. “First and foremost is that consumers still want to travel. Many clients that have travel plans for late summer and fall 2020 are optimistic and are waiting to see what happens in the coming weeks as parts of Canada and the world start to open back up,” she told Travel Courier. “That being said, there are also consumers who have written off their...
Cruise, Sunquest And More From TravelBrands
TravelBrands is providing an easy-to-use Cruise and Air packaging program for travel agents. Through its Access platform, travel agents can customize cruise and air options for their clients. Nathalie Tanious, COO, TravelBrands, explained: “We are partnered with dozens of cruise lines and over 80 airline partners giving thousands of unique travel options for those looking for a cruise getaway in the future. Now, our new package program allows agents to quickly provide travel choices for their clients and help them get the best price possible.” The new technology...
Best Practices From ACTA
ACTA has been working with a number of global travel agency associations and its Canadian travel agency members on a range of issues and sharing recommendations. The association believes that the travel industry will be stronger by working together with more efficient and consistent best practices in place – and is calling on all travel suppliers to get on board. Over the past several weeks, ACTA has been having regular meetings with the ACTA Board of Directors, the Canadian Corporate Travel Association (CCTA), and senior leaders from consortia, host agencies and ACTA’s 30...
Sunwing Celebrates The Frontline Heroes
It’s all about giving back for Sunwing, and it’s doing just that for frontline workers across Canada, giving away 100 all-inclusive vacations to Royalton Luxury Resorts. Sunwing’s Hero Vacations initiative calls on Canadians to nominate deserving frontline heroes who have helped their family or community fight the pandemic. Eligible nominees can be health care workers, emergency service providers or anyone who has helped keep Canada safe during this difficult time. Stephen Hunter, president and CEO of Sunwing, said of the initiative: “As a Canadian family-owned business,...
When Will Domestic Travel Start Again?
In a special report for Canadian Travel Press, Eric Barber writes that if the Canadian government was looking for any guidelines on how to put the travel and tourism industry in Canada back to work, they might want to consider a new report from Germany’s Kompetenzzentrum Tourismus des Tourismus and represents the first document in tourism that plots a timeline for the return of tourism in Germany based on select factors: politics, economics and science. The report identifies four phases of COVID-19, which are represented by Shutdown, Loosening, Revival & Normalization. ...