I wrote yesterday about how Air Canada Vacations and Lufthansa both are moving forward with new flights. Now I see Southwest Air in the U.S. is doing the same, and that Disney is looking at how it will re-open Walt Disney World with new social distancing measures. I think we can safely say that we’re moving into the early stages of recovery for the travel and tourism business. The steps are small, but they’re happening across a spectrum of businesses. And that’s great to see.
Disney Recovery Plans
Disney hasn’t released a timeline, but it’s looking at plans to re-open its parks. JIM BYERS PHOTO
My friends at TravelPulse in the U.S. have a story in their Saturday edition that says Disney Springs plans to reopen in Orlando on May 20 with limited capacity, parking and operating hours. Under the initial phase, a limited number of shopping and dining experiences owned by third-party operating participants will open.
I don’t know if that includes Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ restaurant, but I had a fabulous meal there a couple years ago. (I also got to interview him a few years ago at the Hawaii Food and Wine Festival on Maui, which was a treat).
The TravelPulse story also says that Walt Disney World Resort also issued an update on its overall reopening strategy on Thursday, stopping short of announcing a reopening date but confirming that it will limit capacity and encourage social distancing in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus.
“Upon reopening, theme parks, Disney Resort hotels, restaurants, attractions, experiences and other offerings may be modified and will be limited in cpacity and subject to limited availability or closure, based on direction from health experts and government officials to promote physical distancing,” the company said. Click here for the full story.
Southwest Air Re-Instates Some International Routes
In another bit of positive news, TravelPulse also reports that Southwest is resuming a handful of international flights on June 7, after halting international routes since March 23. Among the flights are Houston, Baltimore and Denver to Cancun and both Baltimore and Orlando to Montego Bay, which is great for the folks in the tourism biz in Jamaica, a country that relies heavily on foreign visitation. Click here for the full story.
Toronto Star Future of Travel Stories
My friends at the Toronto Star, my employer for 32 years, have a couple stories in the Saturday paper about where travel is going.
Kevin McGran, a good friend from our days covering the Blue Jays together, writes that everything from taxis to the airport to hotel rooms and, of course, air planes will be quite different when we start travelling again. I hadn’t thought about cabs, but he makes a good point about how large families might not be allowed to put a passenger in the front seat any longer, which could mean two cabs, or two Ubers.
Another former colleague, David Olive, writes that “Air Canada and selected major world carriers (the ones who had large amounts of cash on hand when the pandemic hit) are expected to emerge stronger from the COVID-19 crisis, albeit several years hence.”
Israel Readies For Post-Virus Recovery
I wrote a short piece for TravelPulse Canada the other day that focused on the post-virus recovery efforts for Israel, a country I haven’t had the pleasure of visiting. They’re looking at domestic travel first, but will then look to open their borders for foreign visitors. Tourism officials say they have tons to offer, including quiet places for nature hikes in the Negev Desert, beaches in Tel Aviv and a renewed culinary scene. Here’s my story.
Conde Nast Traveler Hot List for 2020
Sensei Lanai, a Four Seasons Resort in Hawaii.
Conde Nast Traveler magazine came out with their 2020 Hot List of hotels this week. As their editors noted, it’s a strange time to come out with a hotel list when most hotels are shuttered, but there you go.
Most of the properties are new, so I haven’t had a chance to stay in them. But I noted that there six new ones on the list from my home state of California: 1 Hotel West Hollywood, Prospect Hotel Hollywood, Rosewood Miramar Beach in Montecito (adjacent to Santa Barbara), the Santa Monica Proper Hotel (one of my fave cities in the States), the Soho Warehouse Los Angeles and the West Hollywood EDITION. That’s two just for West Hollywood, which has become a super trendy spot in Southern California and also is known for its LGBTQ-friendly vibe.
The new Sensei Lanai from Four Seasons on the Hawaiian island of Lanai also is on the Hot List. I saw it being built but haven’t visited since it opened last fall.
There are two hotels on the list from New York City, one of the world’s great cities and a place I hope to visit again as soon as it’s safe. Making the Hot List for 2020 were The Times Square EDITION and the Walker Hotel Tribeca, which is always a fun area to check out when you’re in the Big Apple.
Here in Canada, the only property to make the list was the Drake Motor Inn in the town of Wellington in Prince Edward County, Ontario. It’s a super-chic offering from the folks who operate the trendy Drake Hotel in Toronto and the Drake Devonshire in Prince Edward County.
Click here for the full list.
