Some of the news you may have missed over the holidays: thousands of flights were cancelled globally in the face of the omicron surge; Canada Jetlines took delivery of its first plane; cruise lines are under to stop sailing again; and a former Air Canada captain was appointed to the Order of Canada…
NEWS
While the CDC warned passengers not to cruise due to the omicron variant, a US senator went a step further, calling on cruise lines to halt all cruise operations and urging health agencies to impose stricter curbs. Cruise ships are “repeating recent history as petri dishes of Covid-19 infection,” Richard Blumenthal said. At the same time, Mexico’s government said it will allow cruise ships carrying people infected with the coronavirus to dock – an announcement that came after two Mexican ports refused to allowed passengers ashore because their ships had coronavirus cases. CLIA said it was “disappointed” in the senator’s statement.
All passengers travelling to French Polynesia are new required to present a negative test result, PCR or antigen, taken within 24 hours prior to boarding. The latest details are updated on tahititourisme.com.
Global Citizen Solutions, a data-driven immigration investment consultancy firm headquartered in Portugal with offices around the world, announced the release of its inaugural Global Passport Index, which uses a quantitative scoring system across several criteria and categories to evaluate not just how many countries a passport provides access to, but also the investment opportunities and quality of life indicators of each nation. Canada ranked third, behind the US and Germany. The rest of the top included The Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, UK, Finland, Norway, and New Zealand.
DELAYED/ CANCELLED
Thousands of flights were cancelled globally last week in the face of the omicron surge, while in North America bad weather and staff calling in sick contributed to the problem. More than 6,000 flights were cancelled around the world on Christmas Eve alone, leaving passengers stranded and others unable to get home for the holidays. Lower passenger demand has carriers such as Lufthansa already expecting to reduce capacity into February at least and WestJet says it has been forced to cancel 15% of its flights in January.
BY THE NUMBERS
Canadian tourism minister Randy Boissonnault believes the tourism industry won’t be able to rely on revenue from international visitors until the third quarter of 2022. About 78% of tourism spending comes from domestic travellers but they spend less than a quarter compared to international visitors.
AIR
Citing a milestone day, Canada Jetlines has announced the delivery of its first A320-200 aircraft (photo) on Dec. 27. The start-up, which is planning to take flight this spring, is projecting a fleet of 15 aircraft by 2025.
Oman Air and Air Mauritius have joined Aeroplan’s roster of more than 40 airline travel partners.
Indonesia is lifting its ban on Boeing’s 737 Max aircraft, three years after one crashed into the Java Sea shortly after takeoff killing all 189 people on board. The country’s Transportation Ministry said that the aircraft will be permitted to fly in Indonesia, but only after airlines carry out airworthiness directives.
DEALS
“The Ultimate Upgrade Event” from Holland America continues through Feb. 28, enabling guests booking select summer 2022 through spring 2023 cruises to receive a free stateroom upgrade, $75 fares for kids on Alaska cruises, and 50% reduced deposits – plus shore excursions, beverages, specialty dining and Wi-Fi with the “Have It All” premium package. As a bonus, cruisers who book by Jan. 20, also receive up to $200 per stateroom onboard credit, depending on the length of the cruise.
Through March 2, Princess Cruises’ “Best. Sale. Ever.” offers guests five Princess perks valued at least US$695 on all cruise and cruisetour bookings to destinations like the Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, and the Mexican Riviera. The perks apply to drinks, Wi-Fi, crew appreciation, stateroom location upgrade, and specialty dining.
TOURS
A mid-December Antarctica expedition marked Tauck’s 850th trip since resuming operations a year ago in January. With passengers and crew cracking champagne, Tauck CEO Dan Mahar said, “It’s easy to forget that less than a year ago, 100% of our tours and cruises were still paused due to Covid, and that it wasn’t until January and February of (2021) that we resumed operations. We’re celebrating not only our 850th departure, but also the fact that we’ve successfully operated 96 different journeys in 36 countries on five continents around the world.”
“Tundra to Table,” is Quark Expeditions’ new and exclusive Inuit culinary experience, available on select Arctic voyages by the polar adventure operator in 2022 and ’23. The program is designed to support local Inuit chefs in the Arctic by showcasing their cuisine and the culture of Greenland and Nunavut and “the stories of their people through food.” Guests will be able to dine on dishes like beer-braised muskox served with Greenlandic mashed potatoes, mushroom sauce and berry jam; South Greenlandic lamb served with pommes Anna (layers of sliced potatoes), sweet turnip ragu, pickled angelica and wild gravy; honey-glazed ptarmigan served with turnip purée; and pickled halibut served with lumpfish dip and bread. Passengers can also forage with the chefs while learning about Arctic plant species and how they’re used in traditional Inuit cuisine.
HOTELS
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has opened The Bristol Panama, a Registry Collection Hotel in Panama City. This 125-room property, suitable for both leisure and business clients, is the second hotel to join recently unveiled brand and joins Grand Residences Riviera Cancun, which was introduced in June as the collection’s flagship property. Situated in the heart of the financial district, the hotel provides easy access to the city’s top attractions. Amenities include more than 50 works of modern art by renowned Latin American artists, full-service spa, outdoor swimming pool, and modern Panamanian fusion cuisine.
Launching this April, the Amrit Ocean Resort & Residences will comprise close to three hectares of prime oceanfront on Palm Beach County’s Singer Island. The south Florida wellness resort, a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, will extend 155 guestrooms, 34 grand luxury wellness suites, and a four-storey spa featuring meditation gardens, tranquility pools, outdoor Patanjali yoga classes, and sleep specialist services
RESORTS
Sandals and Beaches resorts is extending Sandals Vacation Assurance on all new bookings made until March 31 for travel through the end of the year. Introduced in September, the program includes a free replacement vacation guarantee for guests impacted by COVID-19-related travel interruption while on vacation. Other features include quarantine stays of up to 14 nights at no charge; complimentary testing before returning home; and more. Coverage is automatic when booked.
Canadian guests who wish to change their current booking to a future travel date at the AMR Collection resorts can do so for up to a year from the original booking date, with no additional fee or cancellation penalty. The “Move the Date, Keep the Rate” policy is in effect through Jan. 31. Guests also have the option to change to another AMR Collection resort within the same brand in a different destination with no additional fee or cancellation penalty; if the rate is lower on the new travel date, the client will be refunded the rate differential. If the client wishes to change brands, they would be responsible for any price increases.
CRUISE
Crystal has added a series of 10- to 15-night voyages visiting ports in Antarctica, South America, and Europe to Crystal Endeavor’s schedule for spring 2022 following the ship’s successful season of Antarctica voyages that began in November. Currently open for sale, the new voyages will take place from March 1 to April 29, collectively visiting 31 ports in nine countries across three continents with extended stays and several overnight calls in historic cities such as Málaga and Seville in Spain, as well as Monaco, Monte Carlo, and Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Puerto Del Rosario in the Canary Islands. The new voyages replace four cruises to West Africa that have been cancelled given ongoing uncertainty of the omicron variant.
Pre-sale reservations for Silversea Cruises’ Silver Nova, the first vessel in the ultra-luxury cruise line’s state-of-the-art Nova class of ships continue for travel advisors and loyalty program members until Jan. 6. With a planned summer 2023 launch, the vessel will be the first low-emissions luxury cruise ship with advanced hybrid technology featuring fuel cells, paving the way for the future of luxurious, sustainable cruising.
ATTRACTIONS & THEME PARKS
Universal Orlando Resort is inviting guests to kick off 2022 with a five-day/night package starting at US$89 p.p., per night, based on a family of four. To take advantage of the deal, the vacation package must include Sunday through Thursday travel dates and the booking must be completed by Feb. 9 for travel through May 27. Blackout dates and restrictions apply. Travel advisors can book this vacation package HERE.
EDUCATION
The free online CA STAR training platform for travel counsellors from Visit California now has new content. Participating agents will get the latest destination knowledge to help sell, plus access to tools and resources with images, itineraries, and webinar content. New and current members are welcome and those who complete the new chapter training will be eligible to win a California themed prize. Register HERE.
EVENTS
There is still time for Tahiti specialists (and those still working towards certification) to register for Tahiti Tourisme North America’s first virtual Tahiti Specialist Conference, Jan. 11-13, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. PST. The three-day virtual conference will consist of educational sessions, product training sessions, tradeshow, and 1:1 meetings with suppliers and preferred tour operators. Visit or register at TahitiSpecialist.org.
Building on the success of the virtual version of Caribbean Travel Marketplace (CTM) in 2021, the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), organizers of the Caribbean’s largest marketing event, are planning the return to an in-person format this Spring. Dates and locations for the event, which will mark the 60th anniversary of the CHTA, are to be announced.
PEOPLE/APPOINTMENTS
Air Canada captain Judy Cameron – the first female pilot hired by the airline in 1978 – is one of the newest appointees to the Order of Canada, named by Governor General Mary Simon. Cameron began her career at Canada’s national carrier at the age of 23 and became a captain in 1997, three years later becoming the first female captain in Canada of a Boeing 777. Throughout her 40-year flying career, she flew the DC-3, Twin Otter, Hawker Siddeley 748, DC-9, Lockheed 1011, Airbus 320, Boeing 767, and Boeing 777 to the far corners of the world.
DESTINATIONS
Arches National Park in Utah, famed for its otherworldly sandstone arches (photo) will require visitors to get timed entry tickets during its high season this year, the second Utah park, along with Zion, to implement such a system as visitation swells. Arches visitation has skyrocketed 66% over the last decade, and the park was on track to break another record 2021 with nearly 1.7 million visitors as of the end of October. The system will only be in place between April and October and first-come, first-serve tickets are only required from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. People can enter without a ticket outside those hours and months. Tickets will be available for a total of 2,700 vehicles per day and can be booked online now for $2.
Grenada’s premier sailing event, Grenada Sailing Week, will take place Jan. 27-30, at Petite Calivigny Yacht Club. The regatta will be a one-off departure from the regular week-long regatta, with a three-day blend of traditional Grenada Sailing Week races and the PCYC Around the Island Regatta. The first day, participants will sail the 50-km passage from Grand Anse, Grenada to Tyrell Bay, Carriacou. Day two will be a race around Carriacou, and day three will be the return passage to Grenada.