I’m not going to call this the beginning of the road to recovery, because I learned in my years covering baseball that you never jinx things in the press box by saying things like, “Gee, this game is REALLY moving along nicely,” as that pretty much GUARANTEES a 15-inning nightmare. However, I will say it’s a joy to have good news to report on a couple of major fronts today in my regular Future of Travel blog, including news of June planning by both Air Canada Vacations and the Lufthansa Group of airlines.
Air Canada Vacations: Booking For June in Europe, Caribbean + more
Barcelona at night. florian-wehde-unsplash photo
As I reported on Thursday night at TravelPulse Canada, the following letter was sent to travel agents Thursday night from Nino Montagnese. Managing Director at Air Canada Vacations.
“Over the last few months, we’ve all been dealing with the unprecedented circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. While the rapid evolution of the crisis has meant that we’ve had to be more agile in planning for the future, we believe we are all eager to begin restoring travel very soon.
Award-winning luxury river cruise company AmaWaterways today announced a special offer inviting frontline heroes from around the world to enjoy a complimentary river cruise. As a gesture of the company’s heartfelt appreciation for the selfless sacrifices made by so many amidst these unprecedented times, all medical professionals, first responders and employees of essential services are eligible to receive a complimentary Future Cruise Certificate*, which can be used with one paying guest in the same stateroom. The certificate may be redeemed for any AmaWaterways Europe or Asia sailing through December 31, 2021 for reservations made within 90 days of the sailing date.
“There are none more deserving of a river cruise vacation than today’s frontline heroes — the doctors, nurses, paramedics, police officers, firefighters and many other frontline professionals who are diligently helping others and inspiring hope during these challenging times,” said Kristin Karst, executive vice president and co-founder of AmaWaterways. “To express our deepest gratitude, we hope to welcome these very special individuals and their loved ones on an unforgettable river cruise as soon as we resume sailing.”
Nice.
The zoo in Sydney, Australia. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Tourism Australia is going live for two full days of entertainment for their virtual event Live from Aus. They’ll be bringing the best of Australia to our living rooms, from the Kimberley to Sydney Opera House, Tasmania to the Outback and everywhere in between.
Choose your own adventure: learn how to putt like a pro so you can be ready when golf courses reopen, work out with Chris Hemsworth’s fitness team, attend masterclasses in Australian coffee, wine and cheese from the country’s top chefs, and more. Keep the kids entertained with a live Wiggles concert or educational wildlife experiences from under the sea and on land.
Live streaming begins across Australia’s Facebook and YouTube channels starting at 5 PM EST/ 2 pm PST on Thursday, May 14th and running until 6 AM ET / 3 AM PT on Sunday, May 17th. We invite you to #seeaustralia and join them on the ultimate getaway, no boarding pass required. Find the full schedule here.
“I feel spectacularly good about the long-term for the industry,” Hilton CEO Christopher Nassetta said on a conference call with analysts after the release of its first-quarter earnings. He said, however, that the industry needs time to rebuild, and that a full recovery could take several years to return to demand seen in 2019.”
A full recovery will take years, I agree. But spectacularly good? Um….
Based on prior economic recoveries, with some nuance, he sees a return to leisure, business then meeting travel as the pattern that will take place as the crisis fades.
As people start to feel like their environment is safe, they are going to go back largely to their old behaviours, he said.
“I would bet a lot of money on it, and that’s what history would tell you.”
The coronavirus (COVID-19) has been contained in the English-speaking Caribbean and Haiti, according to a leading researcher and academic.
However, Dr. Clive Landis, pro-vice-chancellor for undergraduate studies and research, and professor of cardiovascular research at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill campus in Barbados, and the chairman of the UWI COVID-19 task force, says this does not mean that the Caribbean is out of danger.
Landis, the guest on this week’s Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) podcast, COVID-19: The Unwelcome Visitor, led the research into the progress of the virus in the 15-member Caribbean Community, as well as the British overseas territories.
“The bottom line for the whole Caribbean is that the Caribbean has avoided the kind of outbreak, the kind of epidemic that we’ve seen in many European countries…and north America. We’ve avoided that,” he says in the podcast which is available at www.anchor.fm/onecaribbean, Spotify and the CTO’s Facebook page, among other platforms.
“When you look at the growth trajectories, they are basically flat [in virtually all the countries],” he reveals.
However, the UWI researcher insists containment does not mean the virus has been wiped out in the region, adding that the Caribbean will have to learn to live with its threat for another year.
“I want to stress that when you have achieved containment…you are looking to find cases in clusters and having a cluster, there’s nothing wrong with that. That actually shows you are doing your surveillance. We map how each Caribbean country has done from the first case and we can say quite confidently that these countries have achieved containment,” says Landis.
He also advises that before opening their borders to international travel, every Caribbean destination should have public health nurses who are trained in detecting acute respiratory illnesses in every hotel and all areas of potential risk.
