Tour Operators
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. ...
Globus Extends Suspension Through August
The Globus family of brands – Globus, Cosmos, Monograms and Avalon Waterways – has extended the suspension of travel worldwide through August 31, 2020. (Previously, the Globus family of brands had suspended travel through June 30, 2020). For travellers affected by this new suspension, the Globus family is extending its Peace of Mind Travel Plan. The company envisions a return to Europe – and likely, additional worldwide destinations – by September. Scott Nisbet, president and CEO of the Globus family of brands, observed that: “There is still uncertainty in travel with...
A Taxing Situation, Make Sure To Report It
This week, travel law experts, Doug Crozier and Tim Law of Heifetz, Crozier, Law respond to to a travel agent’s question about the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). Q: I’ve applied for CERB, and have gotten my first payment. Is it taxable? A: Yes. According to https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/cerb-application/questions.html#self-employed-independent-workers: “The Benefit is taxable -- you will be expected to report it as income when you file your income tax for the 2020 tax year.” Note that (unlike the case with EI payments) the Government is...
Safe Travels
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has unveiled a range of new worldwide measures to restart the sector. The new measures are have designed to rebuild confidence among consumers so they can travel safely once the restrictions are lifted. Called Safe Travels, the new protocols provide consistency to destinations and countries as well as guidance to travel providers, operators and travellers on the new approach to health and hygiene in the post COVID-19 world. The health and safety of travellers and workers is put at the heart of the new global protocols, which have been...
Voices In The Mist
2020 was shaping up to be a banner year for travel with endless itinerary options, a bounty of direct flight routes and a slew of travellers eager to embark on adventures. The Travel Corporation had its centennial to celebrate, Goway Travel planned on promoting its 50th anniversary and G Adventures was gearing up to mark 30 years in business. Instead, plans were turned upside down by COVID-19 and tour operators were forced to make tough decisions and enforce drastic cost saving measures resulting in layoffs, terminations and downsizing as international travel came to a grinding...
“We Have A Chance To Reset Everything”
As Bruce Poon Tip was heading into 2020, which marks the 30th anniversary since launching G Adventures, bookings were coming in hot. “We were riding on the top of the world — December, January, February, were record months for us — 40% growth in January, 25-30% growth in December, it was absolutely incredible, we were absolutely crushing it,” Poon Tip said when asked what he’d do differently if he knew ahead of time that COVID-19 would hit during a press conference yesterday (May 11) coinciding with the release of his first free e-book titled Unlearn: The Year the...
TICO Postpones AGM
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Board of Directors of the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) has decided to postpone the Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled for June 30, 2020 to September 17, 2020. The event is scheduled to be held at the Corporate Event Centre, 5110 Creekbank Road in Mississauga, Ontario. A revised First Notice of meeting has been posted on the website. While it is hoped that this postponement will allow TICO to hold a customary AGM, as the COVID-19 circumstances are fluid, changes to the usual arrangements, including...