It’s a beautiful day and I don’t want to spend too much away from my little garden, but with so much news I though I should post a couple items today for my Future of Travel blog, including updates on openings in Las Vegas the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, as well as a great compendium piece on the future of travel from the CBC and a thoughtful analysis from a former Toronto Star colleague of mine about airline refunds versus vouchers. Happy Memorial Day weekend to my American friends.
VIVA LAS VEGAS
Caesars Entertain Corporation is planning on reopening Caesars Palace and Flamingo Las Vegas the first day they are allowed to under the direction and guidelines provided by Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak, public health authorities and the Nevada Gaming Control Board, my friends at TravelPulse in the U.S. report.
“Reopening Las Vegas in a phased approach will be a significant milestone for Caesars Entertainment as the country continues to emerge from this necessary closure period,” said Tony Rodio, CEO of Caesars Entertainment, in a statement.
Slot machines, table games, hotel rooms, pools and some restaurants are all part of the initially planned reopening, but bars, buffets, live entertainment and valet services will not recommence upon the initial reopening. Dining options and retail stores located along The LINQ Promenade and the High Roller Observation Wheel are also expected to open as soon as possible.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND PUERTO RICO SET TO RE-OPEN
Playa Rincon is a beauty of a beach in the Samana region of the Dominican Republic. – JIM BYERS PHOTO
My friends at TravelPulse also say Puerto Rico will begin to reopen beaches, restaurants and other businesses beginning Tuesday, May 26, Gov. Wanda Vazquez announced on Thursday.
Reopenings will come with restrictions, however, including a curfew from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. that will remain in effect until June 15. All people will be required to wear face-coverings, and restaurants will be limited to 25 percent capacity, The Associated Press reported.
While some health experts are wary of the decision—the U.S. territory has reported more than 2,900 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and over 120 deaths—Puerto Rico is in dire need of an economic boost in the wake of a two-month lockdown that was preceded by a recovery from a string of hurricanes and earthquakes,
TravelPulse also is reporting that both Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic are close to re-opening for visitors.
Hotels, beaches and restaurants in the Dominican Republic could begin phased reopenings as early as mid-June under the third phase of the country’s COVID-19 de-escalation plan.
According to Dominican Today, the third phase is scheduled to take effect on June 17.
“They are in the third phase, the period for the opening of hotels, which even allows the opening of the beaches,” Public Health Minister Rafael Sanchez Cardenas said Thursday.
The initial phase of de-escalation began on Wednesday with the second phase scheduled to take effect on June 3, allowing officials at least 14 days to measure the effect of easing restrictions. Social distancing and face-covering requirements remain in effect to slow the spread of coronavirus.
REFUNDS VERSUS VOUCHERS
My former Toronto Star colleague David Olive has a thoughtful piece in the Star today, talking about airlines giving out vouchers versus refunds. The issue has touched a nerve across Canada, with many passengers who had flights cancelled and many consumer groups calling for airline refunds. The airlines have resisted, instead offering vouchers. Air Canada on Friday improved their voucher offer, telling ticket holders that the vouchers will no longer carry an expiry date and that they are fully transferable, which wasn’t the case in the past.
Olive takes the side of the airline industry, arguing that they would collapse if they had to issue refunds, and that all Canadians – even those who don’t travel – would have to subsidize passengers with cancelled tickets. I see both sides, but I tend towards the Air Canada position of having the vouchers be fully transferable and valid for any date in the future, when things surely should improve from where they are today.
WHEN CAN CANADIANS TRAVEL AGAIN?
I’m a big CBC fan, and they’re doing a tremendous job on COVID-19, as is the Star. Here’s a great piece they posted on their site today that gives Canadians an idea about when they can hit the road again.
You CAN travel to the US (it’s complicated) and overseas, but international travellers have to self-quarantine for 14 days upon return, so that’s an issue. Insurance also is a big problem, as many companies won’t cover your expenses if you’re hospitalized for COVID-19.
