Great to see that a number of top Alberta attractions will re-open for visitors soon, including the Banff Gondola. It’s also encouraging to see that both Tourism New Zealand and the Accor Hotels Group are resuming their marketing and advertising campaigns. I’ve also got great news about a hotel re-opening in New York City and a great program to give hotel nights to frontline heroes. All in today’s Future of Travel blog.
TOURISM NEW ZEALAND LAUNCHES NEW CAMPAIGN
There are a lot of great islands in the world to visit. Waieheke Island in New Zealand is one where I’d happily live. – JIM BYERS PHOTO
I got this note today from the folks at the New Zealand tourism office.
“100% Pure New Zealand is reconnecting with friends and past visitors around the world to share a reflection on what is important in life, as early signs of recovery begin to emerge for the island nation.
“Despite borders remaining closed to international visitors for now, the team behind New Zealand’s tourism efforts felt it was an appropriate time to share a message of reflection, hope and aroha (love) as they begin to recover and look forward to welcoming visitors again in the future when safe to do so.
“The video released today reinforces deeply important values embedded in the New Zealand way of life from its unique Maori culture. Values such as kaitiakitange (protecting and caring for people and place), manaaki manuhiri (welcoming and looking after all visitors) and whanaungatanga (treating others like family) are implicit in the storytelling.”
“We are proud of the beautiful island nation we are privileged to call home, but I think I speak for many kiwis when I say we are equally proud of how we open up our people and place to others and our care for them, the manaaki we show,” said Tourism New Zealand Director Marketing Brodie Reid. “We know many people around the world also feel a special connection to our home, so we want to reassure them that we are taking care of it and (that) when it is safe to do so, we look forward to sharing our place again.”
I’ve been to New Zealand twice and absolutely loved it. My first visit was to Auckland, Bay of Islands, Napier and Queenstown/Wanaka for general stories about the country, as well as wine stories and a story for the Toronto Star Golf magazine. The second time was a few years ago for more time in Auckland, including a ride on the back of a motorcycle and an off-road Segway tour on Waiheke Island, a personal favourite spot. I also got to visit the Hobbiton set from the Lord of the Rings/Hobbit movies, explore Rotorua and the nearby coast, taste wine and kayak on the north end of the south island in the famous Marlborough area and drive New Zealand’s Highway One from Blenheim down to Akaroa, stopping along the way for great meals and a “Wings Over Whales” airplane whale-watching trip. Akaroa is a great little town that was once settled by French pioneers and still has French bakeries, pate for sale at the shops and other French touches. The surrounding scenery is gorgeous, and you also can take a boat ride to see tiny dolphins called Hector’s Dolphins.
ALBERTA ATTRACTIONS REOPENING
The Banff Gondola is a definite “don’t miss” experience in Alberta.
Pursuit announced today that it will begin reopening its Alberta attractions, hotels and culinary experiences within Banff and Jasper starting June 1. The company temporarily suspended operations across Alberta this past March to support the public health response to COVID-19, as travel restrictions and social distancing measures were initiated.
New operational protocols will include reducing guest capacity across all Pursuit attractions and culinary experiences, adopting stringent cleaning protocols as approved by Health Canada and screening all staff before shifts. Physical distancing initiatives will also include the integration of contactless payment, express check-outs, and plexiglass barrier implementation where possible.
The gradual reopenings will start with Jasper’s Marmot Lodge and Lobstick Lodge on June 1, followed by the Banff Gondola and Elk + Avenue Hotel on June 4. Signature attractions like the Columbia Icefield Adventure and Columbia Icefield Skywalk are anticipated to open on June 19, while the company’s transportation and sightseeing operations will return on July 1.
So great to see this happening in Canada.
ACCOR HOTELS BEGINS REOPENINGS AND LAUNCHES NEW CAMPAIGN
Fairmont Chateau Frontenac, Quebec City. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Accor has begun the exciting process of reopening some of its hotels that temporarily closed in response to the global pandemic. With restrictions now easing across many destinations, and the number of reopened hotels in the Accor network projected to climb steadily over the coming months, Accor is investing in the resurgence of the travel and service industries and economic recovery in the communities where it operates. ALL – Accor Live Limitless, the daily lifestyle companion that integrates rewards, services and experiences throughout the Accor portfolio of brands, has introduced a new global campaign: Reignite the Love of Travel. The campaign is launching with a short film designed to reassure and to create desire while uplifting its audience.
Steven Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer, Accor said: “During the lockdown periods everywhere, we have been surprised to see so many people on social media sharing their craving for travel with such uplifting humour and creativity: it was heart-warming for us to see that they were missing us as much as we were missing them. The message of our campaign then came naturally as we invested to prepare for the immediate holiday season as well as for longer term bookings.”
Accor’s ‘Reignite the Love of Travel’ campaign will launch with an engaging social media campaign. Travelers will be invited to share their travel dreams and inspiration, which will be combined to create a second ALL montage-style inspirational travel film.
Offering reassurance to travelers as they head back into the world, Accor’s ALLSAFE cleanliness program protects guests and staff, while assuring travellers they can feel safe while staying at Accor’s hotels. These measures have been developed with the support of Bureau Veritas, a recognized world leader in testing, inspections and certification services.
Accor’s ‘Reignite the Love of Travel’ campaign will launch in key markets worldwide throughout the summer. Here are some key hashtags to use: #ForTheLoveOfTravel #ALLatHome #ALLTogether
A NEW YORK CITY HOTEL OPENING – WONDERFUL TO HEAR
The Mark Hotel in New York City will officially open its doors on June 15, and isn’t that great to hear?
Inspired by English poet Alexander Pope and illustrated by French artist Jean-Philippe Delhomme,
the announcement for The Mark’s reopening restores and enlivens some much-needed optimism and anticipation.
An oasis of peace, luxury and quiet elegance on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, The Mark is back with the
superlative services and amenities the property is known for, as well as a renewed focus on the safety of
its guests, employees and friends.
dedicated team is taking the process further by implementing proactive precautionary measures, new internal
initiatives, and responsible social interaction guidelines.
SEA DREAM YACHT CLUB SAILING TO NORWAY THIS SUMMER
Sea Dream Yacht Club trips are a luxurious way to cruise the Caribbean and Europe. – JIM BYERS PHOTO
Kixby Hotel in New York City. JIM BYERS PHOTO
According to a piece from the International Luxury Hotel Association, demand for US lodging accommodations will return to the pre-coronavirus crisis level in the third quarter of 2022, CBRE said in its latest Hotel Horizons forecast report, while revenue per available room will stall until 2023 due to a lag in average daily rate growth.
CBRE found that US hotel occupancy rates could decline to 26.2% in the second quarter of 2020 and forecast the annual occupancy rate for the year to be 41%. Luxury hotels will experience the greatest decline, with the annual occupancy rate dipping to 33.4%, while economy hotels are expected to best weather the economic crisis, with a forecasted annual occupancy rate of 46.4%.
“The US lodging sector has been hit by two headwinds in 2020: a contraction in overall economic activity and the need for social distancing,” said Jamie Lane, senior of CBRE Hotels Research, in a statement. “Accordingly, our current forecast calls for a 37% reduction in the number of room nights occupied in 2020 compared to 2019. There is some comfort knowing that travelers will be back on the road in full force within two years.”
FAIRWAYS MAG PODCAST AND ME
My long-time friend Peter Mumford was kind enough to ask me for an interview for his Fairways Podcast the other day. We chatted for 45 minutes or so about travel and people and where the industry was going. I loved that he mentioned how much he enjoys it when I write about more than just fancy spas and gourmet meals and focus instead, when I can, on quirky destinations or interesting people. I try to do that as much as possible, so it means a great deal when a colleague mentions it. Check out Peter’s other guests for interesting chats about golf and other subjects.
AM 640 INTERVIEW – WHERE TO GO IN SOUTHERN ONTARIO
An aerial view of Elmhirst’s Resort on Rice Lake, south of Peterborough.
I did a radio interview with Global News AM 640 radio in Toronto on Wednesday and talked about great, quiet places to go in and around Toronto where you can easily practice social distancing. I mentioned several areas of the city of Toronto, including the Guild Inn in Scarborough and the rural areas around the Toronto Zoo, where you’ll find winding country roads, old bridges and small farms that feel much more country than city. Other spots on my list include Elmhirst’s Resort on Rice Lake near Peterborough and the Zim Art gallery south of Peterborough, where you’ll find amazing Zimbabwean stone art. I also talked about the farmers’ markets and the Kissing Bridge Trail in Waterloo Region and the amazing waterfalls in and around Hamilton. You can check it out here.
NHL HUB CITIES – WHICH ONE IS SEXIEST?
Vancouver, B.C. JIM BYERS PHOTO
For some reason, as I was looking at the list of potential homes for NHL games this summer, I started thinking about what they bring to the table as cities. The chances are there won’t be any fans in attendance, but I’m still curious about what each of these cities offers in terms of reputation. With that in mind, here’s one sports and travel guy’s very brief look at what each of the potential NHL hub cities is famous for, along with a famous sports or entertainment figure (or two).
Toronto – The CN Tower (overrated by the way) and Drake
Chicago – Amazing architecture and Michael Jordan and Barack Obama
Dallas – The place where John F. Kennedy was killed, and Troy Aikman and J.R. Ewing
Las Vegas – What, you need me to tell you?
Vancouver – Mountains and Michael Buble
Pittsburgh – Steel (not much any more) and Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby (and Andy Warhol)
MInneapolis – Lakes and the late superstar Prince and Mary Tyler Moore
Edmonton – Winters and Wayne Gretzky and Connor McDavid
Columbus – Being named after a famous explorer and the wonderful Jack Nicklaus
Los Angeles – Beaches and Jennifer Anniston and Brad Pitt and Kobe Bryant and Shaq and …..
FREE HOTEL NIGHTS FOR HEROES: RBC AND MARRIOTT BONVOY
This is a lovely idea.
In recognition of healthcare workers and caregivers on the frontlines battling COVID-19 in communities across Canada, and to say thank you and provide some much needed relief, Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott International’s travel program, and Royal Bank of Canada have collaborated to offer up to 5,000 free room nights at hotels near hospitals.
To implement this initiative, RBC and Marriott are working together to identify the hospitals most impacted in Ontario, Quebec and Alberta. Hospital administrators are coordinating overnight accommodations for their frontline healthcare workers at participating hotels near their hospitals.
Additionally, through Marriott Bonvoy’s Giving Platform, members can donate their Marriott Bonvoy points to relief organizations that are active in COVID-19 responses around the world. In a separate effort for frontline healthcare workers, Marriott offers a Community Caregiver Program in Canada as well as in the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America, which provides significantly discounted rates for first responders in close proximity to hospitals. The rate is available on Marriott.com at nearly 2,500 hotels.
WESTJET ENGLAND SALE?
I haven’t been able to verify this, but the website traveloffpath.com says WestJet is offering Canadians a $243 one-way fare from Toronto to England. Check this link out for more information.
