Take a cruise, one travel advisor suggested, as cancelled flights in and out of Puerto Vallarta emerged as the latest obstacle in a rocky season for Canadian travellers – and the travel advisors who book (and sometimes must help retrieve) them – with Mexico joining troubled Cuba and muted interest in the U.S. in a perfect storm of uncertainty when it comes to travel ahead of March break and beyond.
WestJet, Air Canada, Flair Airlines, Air Transat and Porter Airlines all cancelled or diverted flights (since restored) that were headed to popular Puerto Vallarta earlier in the week, as violence erupted after the leader of a major drug cartel was killed in a government operation.
Others back in Canada who had been considering plans to visit Mexico are now in wait-and-see mode, said Richard Vanderlubbe, president of Hamilton-based tripcentral.ca.
“We’re sort of in the eye of the storm,” Vanderlubbe said in a phone interview. “Does this have an impact? Sure, like it’s going to cause a temporary pause at the very best. And if it causes concern, typically what happens is it manifests itself in the price.”
Vanderlubbe said that while Canadian tourism to Mexico might suffer in the coming weeks, that would likely lead to cheaper fares, which could eventually spark fresh demand from travellers.
While the popularity of Puerto Vallarta could take a hit in the near-term, other Mexican tourism hot spots such as Cancun – located far from the region affected by the government’s shelter-in-place order – are still attracting interest, said Anita Emilio, executive vice-president of Flight Centre Canada.
“When you look at our bookings, only about 10% of what we sell to Mexico would be the Puerto Vallarta region,” said Emilio.
But she said alternative sunny destinations, such as the Dominican Republic, could benefit if unrest within Mexico continues to spread. Emilio said she’s also advising clients to consider taking a cruise, which carries the benefit of being able to divert should issues arise in a given region.
Cuba woes
These latest tourism woes come on the heels of another major disruption for the sector after travel was halted to Cuba, where a humanitarian crisis is emerging due to a U.S. oil blockade.
All Canadian airlines have suspended service to Cuba until further notice and the Canadian government advises avoiding non-essential travel there with international carriers amid worsening shortages of fuel, electricity, and basic necessities including food, water, and medicine.
Vanderlubbe said more than 2,600 bookings made through his agency were cancelled due to that situation.
“It causes a shift of tens of thousands of people at once to start to seek alternatives,” he said.
“They were booked for winter vacations in February, March and April and suddenly it’s not there.”
Vanderlubbe added that Canadians travelling to Cuba have long had an advantage when it comes to the price of their trip, which they’re unlikely to find in other destinations.
“It’s big difference in price for an all-inclusive vacation in Cuba versus the next alternative … because we’re not competing with Americans in the auction for resorts and hotel rooms,” he said.
“A lot of (travellers) can’t afford the difference in price and so they’ve just dropped out of the market for now because there’s just no comparable alternative to Cuba for Canadian travellers.”
Other options
But Emilio said demand in travel for this year is still high among her agency’s clients, especially after tough winter weather in various parts of Canada.
However, at this stage, those craving a warm getaway who have been forced to change their plans will need to stay flexible, she said.
“There’s options still, although it is quite last-minute for March break,” said Emilio.
“Maybe look to something that’s not a typical all-inclusive vacation … like Belize or Colombia, or if they have the ability to go for more long-haul travel, places like Southeast Asia. They’ll be able to get that reprieve from our harsh winter.”
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