Beyond the discovery of Omicron, last week was a busy one for Canadian airlines; new customs protocols in Cuba and other islands were announced; Cirque due Soleil returned to Disney Springs in Orlando, and Club Med’s readied its first Canadian resort in Quebec.
NEWS
A new COVID-19 variant from southern Africa, dubbed Omicron, set the world scrambling on Friday. See the full story in today’s publication.
Air Canada says that due to its improved liquidity position and ongoing recovery from the pandemic it is withdrawing from further federal government financial support. The support package, announced in April 2021, provided the carrier access to interest bearing loans of $5.375 billion through several separate credit facilities.
Air Transat and WestJet have agreed to cooperate on a codeshare that will soon allow customers to book transatlantic travel involving both carriers on a single ticket with through-checked bags. The cooperation will also enable transatlantic codeshare connections beyond what the carriers offer with their own flights. The codeshare agreement is scheduled to be implemented in early 2022.
Paper entry forms for travellers to Cuba are out as the country moves to advance online health and customs protocols starting Jan. 1. Travellers must log on within 72 of departure at: https://www.dviajeros.mitrans.gob.cu/ to access the new form, which will issue a QR code to be presented upon arrival.
Fully vaccinated travellers entering Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique, with a WHO-approved vaccination and a negative PCR test, taken no more than 72-hours before travel, will no longer be required to quarantine for 48-hours upon arrival in the country.
RE-OPENING/RE-START
Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam set sail from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., last week on its first cruise since the industry-wide pause began last year. The ship marks the fifth Holland America Line vessel to re-enter service, joining Rotterdam, Koningsdam, Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam.
BY THE NUMBERS
Trans Canada Trail‘s second annual Great Canadian Hike challenge, which took place between Sept. 15 and Oct. 31, attracted 12,171 participants, who logged an 122,525 hours on the Trail, exceeding the goal of 28,000 hours by more than 337%. This year’s edition of the Hike also saw an increase of 1,874 participants over the inaugural Great Canadian Hike in 2020. Participants logged a combined 379,036 km on the Trail, more than tripling last year’s collective kilometre total of 108,000 km.
AIR
Air France celebrated its first direct flight from Montreal to Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe) on Nov. 24. In attendance (pictured above) to mark the occasion were representatives from the Consulate General of France in Montreal, the Guadeloupe Islands tourism board, Atout France and Aéroports de Montréal. Flights will operate from Montreal twice weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
WestJet has begun testing touchless facial verification technology as a means of verifying passengers’ identities before getting on a flight. The pre-boarding trial, conducted in Calgary on Wednesday, is the first of its kind in Canada, and marks the first step towards government approval that would allow the airline to use the technology at Canadian airports.
The new ‘connectair by Air Transat’ virtual platform makes more than 135 additional global destinations available to Air Transat customers through such partner airlines as easyJet in Britain and Colombian airline Avianca. Additional partners will gradually join the platform to further enrich the range of destinations. Best-connection bookings also include a protection in case of flight delay or cancellation. Dubbed Dohop Connect, the guarantee will provide a replacement flight at no extra cost.
DEALS
Beginning Dec. 19, Canadians can fly direct from Toronto to St. Kitts on Air Canada every Sunday through April 24. Coinciding with the flights is the island’s “Winter Escape” promotion, which offers a range of percentage discounts, free nights, and complimentary breakfast on multi-night hotel bookings at participating hotels including participating The Four Seasons Nevis, Montpelier Plantation and Beach, Park Hyatt St. Kitts Christophe Harbour, St. Kitts Marriott Resort & The Royal Beach Casino, Royal St. Kitts. Bookings must be made by Dec. 31 for travel through April 30.
HOTELS
After a nine-month, US$50 million renovation, the Royal Sonesta Chicago Downtown has re-opened. Located at 71 E Wacker Dr. in the heart of downtown Chicago, the finished project fully refreshed the hotel’s guestrooms, common areas, private event spaces and penthouse rooftop ballroom and terrace.
Boasting 300 oversized guestrooms and 81 suites across 29 floors, Royal Sonesta Chicago Downtown offers striking riverfront and city views and with standard guest rooms averaging 37 sq. m., double the size of a standard hotel room in Chicago, the accommodations were created with work, life and play in mind.
The United Nations-endorsed GreenInitiative certification company has named Inkaterra as the first “climate positive” hotel brand in the world after measuring Inkaterra’s carbon footprint and offset. The Peruvian brand has pledged to cut global tourism emissions by at least half over the next decade and reach net zero emissions as soon as possible before 2050.
RESORTS
The first North American mountain resort for Club Med is set to open in Québec’s Charlevoix region on Dec. 3. The all-inclusive resort boasts breathtaking views of the St. Lawrence River and an array of family friendly activities and luxurious amenities. Visitors can hit the slopes to navigate challenging mountain terrain, indulge in wellness treatments at the open-air Nordic Spa, or take a thrilling ride down a 7.5-km sledging track. As part of its opening promotion, Club Med is offering a special rate of up to 45% off bookings through April 2022. The resort’s limited-edition Ready, Set, Ski! package includes lift passes, ski and snowboard group lessons, and flexible cancellations
South Florida’s iconic Boca Raton Resort and Club is embarking on “the most significant evolution in its history” this winter leading up to its 100th anniversary in 2026 and with designs on a creating a new “golden era” for the hotel, which is now known simply as The Boca Raton. The change is part of almost US$175 million in planned renovations for the former Waldorf property, among them: the resort will provide five different hotels, new restaurants, a new pool club, a redesigned spa, and a number of entertainment offerings. The result will be a Baha Mar-style resort in the fashion of the mega-, multi-hotel complex in Nassau, Bahamas, brandishing the tagline, “Five Distinct Hotel Experiences, One Iconic Resort.”
CRUISE
Disney Cruise Line has updated its vaccination requirements to include children ages five to 11. This change comes after the approval of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children in that age group. The new requirements will apply to all sailings on or after Jan. 13, 2022. Guests who are not vaccine-eligible because of age must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result (NAAT test, rapid PCR test or lab-based PCR test; antigen not accepted) taken between three days and 24 hours before their sail date.
ATTRACTIONS & THEME PARKS
“Drawn to Life,” a unique new collaborative Cirque du Soleil-Disney production has premiered at Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. The show is said to be a love letter to Disney Animation interpreted through Cirque du Soleil’s acrobatic performances, dazzling choreography, innovative design and eclectic costuming alongside all-new characters created by Disney Animation artists and an original score inspired by classic Disney music. It marks the first ever theatrical collaboration of three creative icons: Cirque du Soleil, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Walt Disney Imagineering.
EVENTS
Close to 200 Canadian agents turned out virtually for Jamaica’s Virtual Product Showcase, on Nov. 24. The afternoon affair included partner presentations and later the chance to engage with suppliers, including all of Canada’s major tour operators, directly in a host of individual break-out rooms.
Canadian travel agents are invited to register for a one-day free virtual marketplace on Dec. 15 to meet with British DMC’s and inbound operators that offer a one-stop shop for itineraries, transportation, accommodation, sightseeing, and more in the UK. The event will allow up to 24 pre-scheduled 10-minute appointments (subject to your interest) starting with a 30-minute introduction by VisitBritain. To register for the DMC/Inbound Operator Marketplace, click HERE.
PEOPLE/APPOINTMENTS
The Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) has inducted the following trio into its Canadian Tourism Hall of Fame: Joseph Kowalski (founder and president of Wilderness Tours, Ottawa), Anne Marshall (Elmhirst Resorts, Adventure Tours, Wardair, CN Hotels), and the late Charlotte Bell (former CEO of TIAC).
DESTINATIONS
As of Dec. 8, Canadians looking to travel to Dominica will be able to take advantage of new non-stop service from Miami to the island courtesy of American Airlines. Flights from MIA to Douglas-Charles Airport (DOM) will operate twice weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays with Mondays being added starting Jan. 10. Dominica’s tourism ministry says it continues to have discussions with Canadian carriers about direct flights.
The new Eiger Express, the most modern tri-cable gondola in the world is now entering its first winter season for international travellers. The new gondola whisks riders from Grindelwald, Switzerland, to the Eiger Glacier station in just 15 minutes. With a direct transfer option skiers can reach ‘Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe’ 47 minutes faster than before.
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