Orlando’s theme parks are talking with public officials about how they might re-open. My Future of Travel blog for May 21 looks at Disney and Universal Studios, as well as a tourism recovery plan for France, a plan to restore Windstar Cruises and a fascinating report on the cleanliness of airplane air.
FLORIDA THEME PARKS GEARING UP
Disney Hollywood Studios. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Disney Springs at Walt Disney World in Florida opened on Wednesday. Universal Orlando has opened up its retail distrct, as well.
No one is saying just yet when the main parks will open, but it looks like that day is approaching. Top officials from Orlando theme parks met with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday, and Universal Orlando is set to present its re-opening plan to the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force today (Thursday).
One Disney official told the website clickorlando.com that Walt Disney World parks may open with capacity set at 20 to 30 per cent.
CLASSIC CANADIAN FAIRMONTS OPENING OUT WEST
The classic Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Alberta, Canada.
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts in Canada’s Western Mountain Region – Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper, and Whistler – announced today that the hotels will reopen their doors to guests and visitors on June 1, 2020. This includes guest services and select food & beverage venues, as well as limited spa services.
“The hotels’ top priority remains the safety, care and well-being of our Fairmont family. Welcoming, safeguarding and taking care of others is at the very heart of what we do and who we are,” said David Roberts, Fairmont Banff Spring General Manager and Regional Vice-President, Fairmont Hotels in Canada’s Western Mountain Region. “Today, this means keeping our guests and employees safe by preventing the spread of COVID-19 – partnering with top experts to implement new standards of safety and enhanced operational protocols and procedures which are among the most stringent in the hospitality industry.”
The new operational standards being implemented at Fairmont Banff Springs, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, and Fairmont Chateau Whistler and at Fairmont properties across North & Central America were developed and vetted by a team of expert advisors to ensure maximum efficacy in preventing the spread of all viruses and pathogens, including COVID-19, with oversight by Bureau Veritas, a world leader in testing, inspections and certification; Dr. Amesh Adalja, Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security & fellow with the Infectious Diseases Society of America; and Ruth Petran, Ph.D., CFS, Senior Corporate Scientist, Food Safety and Public Health, for Ecolab, global leaders in cleaning and hygiene, and trusted advisors to the CDC.
At each touchpoint along the guest journey through the hotel, extensive measures are being taken to protect guests and employees, including physical distancing; mandatory screening for all guests and employees, which may include a temperature check; masks provided to guests and worn by all employees; a 48-hour “settling period” for occupied rooms post-departure; increased frequency of cleaning & disinfecting, with a focus on high-touch points; and continued use of EPA registered disinfecting chemicals, proven effective in preventing the transmission of COVID-19. Hands-on training for all employees, a dedicated on-property rollout committee and a formal audit program, validated under the global ALLSAFE Cleanliness label, ensure initial and continued compliance.
FRANCE TOURISM LAYS OUT RECOVERY PLAN
Rue Notre Dame in Bordeaux, France. JIM BYERS PHOTO
French government officials met a week ago to map out a plan for the country’s vital tourism sector. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said French tourism is “probably facing the toughest test in its modern history even though it is one of the jewels of the French economy.”
A one-off support plan, devised in partnership with major players from different industries, has been presented. It concentrates on three areas:
• Health measures, information and reassurance for travellers. • Support for tourism-related businesses and both sporting and cultural events, in order to ‘move from emergency to recovery.’ A total of 18 billion Euros ($27.5 billion CAD) will be spent on this. • Preparing a contract for tourism recovery and transformation.
France, of course, is one of the world’s most popular destinations. It’s also amazingly diverse, with everything from Paris, one of the most cosmopolitan and dynamic cities on earth, to the wine regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Loire Valley. Not to mention vast forests, amazing beaches on both the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts, and some of the best food on the planet. The Mediterranean island of Corsica also is part of France, as is Tahiti, Guadeloupe, St. Bart’s, half of Saint Martin and many other great destinations.
I had a fabulous Bordeaux cruise a few years ago, and I added on a remarkable trip to visit the stunning mountains at the Cirque de Gavarnie and taking in several amazing hilltop towns in south-central France such as Saint-Cirq-Lapopie and Cordes-sur-Ciel, northeast of Toulouse. I had a tremendous visit to the Dordogne Region of southwest France maybe 10 years ago, as well as several days in Corsica. Other trips have taken me to Paris in both summer and winter, as well as the French Riviera and beautiful Aix-en-Provence.
I’ve always wanted to see Strasbourg but haven’t made it yet.
WINDSTAR CRUISES HEADING BACK AT SEA
Windstar Cruises
My friends at TravelPulse in the U.S. say small-ship cruise operator WIndstar Cruises has revealed plans to resume operations in September with the Wind Spirit in Tahiti, and gradually return other ships to service through July 2021.
“We have taken extraordinary measures to operate our yachts safely,” said Xanterra and Windstar CEO Andrew Todd. “While we look forward to welcoming guests aboard again, we believe this further suspension of operations is the responsible action to take. We have laid plans for a resumption of small-ship cruising beginning in September.”
The 148-guest Wind Spirit will be the first to resume sailing after suspending operations further due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 crisiis. Wind Spirit’s first cruise in Tahiti is scheduled to depart Sept. 3, 2020, and will operate previously scheduled itineraries.
MGM ON THE REBOUND
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that MGM is getting ready to re-open some properties. The paper’s website says that two Mississippi casinos — Gold Strike in Tunica and Biloxi’s Beau Rivage — are set to open in limited capacity Monday, May 31, and June 1, respectively.
It’s still unclear when Nevada casinos will be allowed to reopen, but MGM’s website allows bookings in Las Vegas beginning June 1, the Review-Journal said.
SURPRISE! AIRLINE AIR IS EXTRA CLEAN
We all have ideas about airplane travel. But sometimes we’re dead wrong.
An assistant professor of exposure assessment science (who knew there was such a thing) at Harvard University suggests the public is definitely mis-guided about airplane air.
Writing an op-ed piece in the Washington Post, assistant prof Joseph Allen said airplane air is as fresh and clean – maybe cleaner – than most hospital air, and much more clean than you’ll find in many other indoor spaces where we tend to gather.
“Billions of people travel by plane every year, yet there have only been a handful of documented disease outbreaks attributable to airplanes in the past 40 years. If planes made you sick, we would expect to see millions of people sick every year attributable to flights. We haven’t seen it because it’s just not happening,” Allen said.
The story went on to say that airplanes “deliver 10 to 12 air changes per hour. In a hospital isolation room, the minimum target is six air changes per hour for existing facilities and 12 air changes per hour for new. Airplanes also use the same air filter — a HEPA filter — recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control for isolation rooms with recirculated air. Such filters capture 99.97 percent of airborne particles.”
Do some of us feel sick or get sick while travelling? Yes, but Allen said that’s because we don’t sleep well on the road or get sick from people on a bus or at the museum; not because we were on a plane.
Allen does, however, recommend taking pro-active measures in the air, including wearing a mask.
QATAR TOURISM CAMPAIGN
Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC) has launched a global social media campaign under the hashtag #LoveQatar in order to promote solidarity and connect the international community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The series of videos send out a message of hope, togetherness and renewed spirit from Qatar and its people.
Centered around the concept of ‘love from Qatar‘, the campaign harnesses the fond memories Qatar has of its visitors from around the globe, as well as the rich cultural exchanges between peoples and the impression Qatar imprints in the hearts of its guests.
#LoveQatar has been launched during a transformative period for the State of Qatar, which has seen the country at the forefront of the international response to coronavirus. State-backed initiatives to support the international community have included the distribution of essential PPE across Asia, Africa and Europe, delivering field hospitals to Italy and leveraging its award-winning national carrier, Qatar Airways, to repatriate more than one million individuals stranded by border closings.
YouTube #LoveQatar: https://youtu.be/Llpk3ysL4Yc
