Time for a little initiative

Agent compelled to ‘give back’ to friends in the industry

[caption id="attachment_142010" align="alignright" width="264"] Scott[/caption] JOE SCOTT is the president of Year Round Travel in North York, Ontario and he’s also the founder of the Travel Industry Global Workers Assistance Initiative (TIWGAI – www.tiwgai.com). In a question and answer session with Canadian Travel Press, Scott talks about the travel industry in a time of crisis and...

 

Keeping the faith

Operators remain positive, despite pandemic challenges

IAN STALKER Soldier on! Some prominent tour operators say the travel industry tailspin resulting from coronavirus hasn't come close to leading them to losing faith in their industry. In fact, one – Goway Travel – reports that it's cautiously optimistic, while the top executive overseeing the Globus family of brands in this country actually seems somewhat bullish about the...

 

Economic impact

Experts offer views on travel restrictions, business failures in new report

BOB MOWAT A panel of economic experts offered their views in the newly released Finder.com Bank of Canada report on whether travel restrictions currently in place – including border closures, quarantine rules and the discouraging of non-essential travel – should be maintained. The monthly report – released on Sept. 3 – also canvassed the panel of 20 economic experts on when they...

 

When will the domestic travel recovery begin?

In Canada, we have now completed our fifth month of fighting COVID-19, while we wait on a possible vaccine and try to establish the “new normal.” [caption id="attachment_141989" align="alignright" width="236"] Barber[/caption]Our border to the US remains understandably closed, while our federal government takes no progressive action in opening our air borders to “safe” countries...

 

Greater Victoria Harbour Authority prepares for the future

THE CEO OF THE GREATER VICTORIA HARBOUR AUTHORITY (GVHA), Ian Robertson reflects on the impact that COVID-19 has had on the port’s operations so far in 2020 – going from a forecast of a record year to finding ways to keep its losses to a minimum. [caption id="attachment_141817" align="alignright" width="258"] Robertson[/caption]So, maybe we can start with you explaining what the role...

 

Balancing the positive, with the realistic

How are things, these days? It’s not a simple question

BOB MOWAT Over the years, I’ve had conversations – face-to-face, by phone and email – with Richard Vanderlubbe and I’ve always found that he’s a good person to talk to during times of crisis. He always seems to find the balance between the need to be positive, while recognizing that ignoring the realities of a situation is a dangerous path to tread. Lately, I’ve been...

 

On the Singletrack To Success

Carcross/Tagish First Nations creates a win-win for the community

IAN STALKER A First Nation community in the southern part of the territory that was the setting for the Jack London classic The Call of the Wild is now inviting energetic sorts to answer the call of the wheeled and, in doing so, likely seeing some of the landscapes that those who joined London on the journey to the Klondike gold fields would have traversed. The Carcross/Tagish First...

 

Leave a smaller footprint

How travellers can ensure they don’t negatively impact destinations

ANN RUPPENSTEIN For Malia Asfour, it’s important that travellers have a local mindset when travelling. The Director of the Jordan Tourism Board, North America, suggests visitors find out more about where they will be staying and consider factors like: is the food sourced locally? Is the electricity solar? Do they give back to the local community — what and how? “What percentage of...

 

Palladium protecting its guests from ‘check-in’ to ‘check-out’

IAN STALKER The Palladium Hotel Group has begun reopening its Mexican and Caribbean properties and at the same time taken what it says is a highly unusual step to reassure potential guests that they can feel comfortable at Palladium properties during these days of coronavirus. Sergio Zertuche, Palladium’s chief sales and marketing officer, told a Tuesday webinar that the Spanish company...

 

Cuba welcoming tourists back in its own way

IAN STALKER Cuba says the non-mainstream manner in which it re-entered international tourism should reassure potential visitors who may be uneasy about travel these days as the coronavirus pandemic continues. July 1 saw the reopening of a cluster of islands off Cuba’s north coast that to date have been coronavirus-free and are only home to those working in the travel industry, with those...