Fabulous news for folks who love Tahiti and French Polynesia. Plus Switzerland will open its borders to European Union countries and the United Kingdom a week from today. I also have news on a re-opening for the wonderful JW Marriott Rosseau resort in Muskoka. Also, Riu Hotels is re-opening hotels in Mexico today and later this month. Here’s my Future of Travel blog for Monday, June 8.
TAHITI AND FRENCH POLYNESIA TO RE-OPEN FOR INTERNATIONAL VISITORS JULY 15
The Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora in Tahiti. Yowza.
French Polynesia has had no active cases of COVID-19 since May 29th. The country’s authorities announced today the borders will be re-opening to international tourism in French Polynesia starting on July 15, 2020.
Quarantine measures will be completely lifted and French Polynesia’s borders will re-open to international tourism from all countries.
Exceptional news. I was there in February for a week and had a thoroughly remarkable time. As it turns out, that was the last trip I took before the lockdown came in March.
Here’s my most recent blog about the trip, focussing on the tremendous Four Seasons Bora Bora.
JW MARRIOTT ROSSEAU RE-OPENS IN MUSKOKA, DEERHURST OPENS FRIDAY
JW Marriott The Rosseau is a lovely spot on one of Ontario’s prettiest lakes. PHOTO COURTESY JW MARRIOTT THE ROSSEAU
The team at JW Marriott The Rosseau in Muskoka is celebrating their first week of operation since re-opening on May 29.
No one can resist the appeal of this spectacular natural setting, where fresh air, pristine lakes, endless forests and dark night skies beckon. The resort, just a few minutes north of Port Carling, Ontario, was the first in Muskoka to re-open to overnight guests.
“We are so excited to be able to welcome our guests back to the resort,” says Leah Leslie, Director of Sales & Marketing. “We really wanted to lead the way in demonstrating how our guests can have a safe, fulfilling stay that provides the memorable luxury experience they have come to expect. This is our commitment and our team has worked very hard to make it happen. We know that people are ready for a relaxing Muskoka getaway and so we’ve offered special discounts for stays of three nights or more.”
Leslie said guests can’t dine in the restaurants but that they can get food delivered to their rooms. I’ve dined there on a few occasions and found the food to be exceptional.
Of course, that looks to be changing now that Premier Doug Ford has said most Ontario restaurants (not the GTA just yet) can re-open with social distancing guidelines on Friday, June 12.
A rigorous safety plan is in place, based on Marriott’s Commitment to Cleanliness procedures. At this luxury resort, additional measures ensure guest and associate safety, including customized protocols for the use of recreation equipment such as canoes,
kayaks, stand-up paddle boards and bicycles.
The resort has launched Marriott Mobile Key, so touch-less check-in is possible via the Marriott Bonvoy app on a mobile device. For those who plan to check-in on arrival, aGuest Service Associate will come to the vehicle and conduct check-in curbside.
The entire resort has been reconfigured with well-spaced seating indoors and out. Physical distancing signage is in place throughout the building and grounds. Every associate has received special training to keep themselves and their guests safe.
Here’s a blog post from two summers ago.
A public relations person for Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville said her resort will open this coming Friday.
“We’re very excited and very busy with all the preparations,” she said. “Even though the resort experience will be different this year (like everything else), all the reasons people love to come to Muskoka will be waiting here – the beautiful lake, fresh air, wilderness trails, and peacefulness.”
I was at the resort last year and wrote this blog about it. Sadly, the Porter flights aren’t operating this summer. But it’s an easy drive from the GTA to Huntsville.
NEWFOUNDLAND RE-OPENING TODAY
Restaurants (with social distancing), hair salons, nail salons and some other shops are being opened in Newfoundland and Labrador today, which is awesome. Tourists still are being discouraged from visiting the province, but it’s a great sign for sure.
SWITZERLAND RE-OPENS IN A WEEK
Zurich is a lovely and surprisingly cosmopolitan city with tons of charm.
The government of Switzerland announced in mid-May that the borders with Austria, Germany and France would be fully reopened on June 15. In view of the current epidemiological situation, it will also be possible to lift the existing entry restrictions applicable in respect of other EU/EFTA countries and the United Kingdom on June 15, officials said.
I truly love Switzerland, and find it to be quite a surprising place. The stereotypes about mountains and chocolate and the banking industry are there, but you’ll find so much more if you get out and explore a bit.
I first visited in 1979, spending a couple nights at a hostel in Interlaken and exploring the glaciers of Grindelwald and the town of Interlaken. I also rented a moped and toured the region for a few hours, which was awesome as a 23-year-old.
I spent a good deal of time in Lausanne in the 1990’s when I was covering the International Olympic Committee for the Toronto Star sports department and fell in love with the place. It’s a small, pretty city on a hill, with marvellous views of Lac Leman (Lake Geneva) and the French Alps. The waterfront parks are picture perfect, and I used to love to go to the Movenpick cafe on the waterfront for ice cream. The Olympic museum is there and is very much worth visiting. Just coming into the city on the train from Zurich was a great adventure, especially as the train wound its way past the rows of wine grapes growing on terraces on the north side of Lac Leman; with the sun bouncing off the lake water and the pale green leaves of the vines and the old stone homes and wineries nestled into the hillsides.
I find Zurich is very much underrated. The old town is one of the prettiest parts of Europe, with winding, medieval streets and small, romantic cafes. In summer, the city is awash with fresh flowers and young people flock to lakeside docks for dips in to Lac Zurich. You definitely don’t want to miss the Marc Chagall windows at Fraumunster Church. If you want a little more action, West Zurich has a pulsating night life, with pounding music and vibrant clubs. The drinks aren’t cheap, but it’s a great place to explore a different side of Switzerland than you usually see on the postcards.
I was there once on Pride Day, and spotted a fellow in fine lingeries and high heels riding the tram as if it were a perfectly normal thing to do. I also spotted a man wearing nothing but a red thong pedalling the streets of Zurich on his bike; a picture I might like to forget but can’t seem to manage.
Here’s a blog report from a few years back.
RIU HOTELS RE-OPENING IN MEXICO
The Riu Palace Peninsula.
Riu Hotels esumes its activity in Cancun with the reopening of two emblematic hotels in Mexico: the Riu Palace Peninsula, which opens today, June 8; and the Riu Cancun, which reopens on the 19th of this month. Both hotels, located in Cancún’s Hotel Zone, are the first ones the chain is reopening in the Mexican Caribbean after closing its 99 establishments worldwide (20 of them in Mexico) in March of this year. With these openings, RIU is taking another step towards its goal of gradually resuming its operations all over the world, after having already opened urban hotels in Miami, Berlin and Guadalajara, and having announced the opening of another four vacation establishments in Bulgaria.
LGBTQ2 CANADA TRAVEL HABITS STUDY
There’s a great report out today on the travel spending and travel habits of members of the Canadian LGBTQ2 community.
An average Canadian LGBTQ2 traveller went on three leisure trips over the past year and spent a little less than $1,900 per trip, inclusive of travel, activities, and accommodation.
But, like most Canadians, there appears to be some concern about travelling during the age of COVID-19. The report found that 51% of LGBTQ2 members say that the virus could reduce their travel in 2020. Another 34% said costs/budget concerns could impact their travel this year.
On another note, 90% of community members said they intend to travel to Canadian destinations this year. The most popular province is Ontario (60%), followed by Quebec (50%), British Columbia (46%), Alberta (37%) and Nova Scotia (30%).
