Mandatory temperature checks for Canadian airline passengers are on the way. I also have news on a June 15 phase one re-opening for The Bahamas and a July 1st opening for Bermuda tourism, as well as reports on new marketing campaigns for Tahiti and Greater Palm Springs. My Future of Travel blog for Friday, June 12.
BAHAMAS PHASE ONE RE-OPENING IS JUNE 15
The waters around Long Island in The Bahamas have to be seen to be believed. JIM BYERS PHOTO
The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation has announced the destination will begin Phase 1 of the Tourism Readiness and Recovery Plan on Monday, June 15, which welcomes international boaters, yachters and private aviation back to Bahamian shores, across all The Islands Of The Bahamas.
During Phase 1, hotels will also reopen for staff to return to work and put in place all the measures required to ensure they are ready to welcome guests at the onset of Phase 2.
Commercial airlines will also be allowed to bring in Bahamian citizens, legal residents, homeowners qualifying for economic permanent residency, or the immediate family members or significant others of any of these groups. It is anticipated that during this period of time there will be a reduced flight schedule as airlines begin adding The Bahamas to their schedules once again.
This is the first part of the strategic, phased reopening approach for the tourism sector that ensures critical health and safety protocols are being adhered to, and that the Health sector remains well equipped and ready to respond as necessary. The plan was constructed by The Bahamas Tourism Readiness and Recovery Committee, a group comprised of public and private sector partners. Allowing Phase 1 access to these smaller, special interest groups will allow a more controlled segment to test the country’s new measures. The second phase will commence on July 1 with the resumption of international commercial travel.
BERMUDA RE-OPENS JULY 1
Happy Canada Day! The Bermuda government has announced the island will resume international commercial air service for visitors starting July 1, as part of its fourth phase of economic reopening after successful management of COVID-19 to date.
“There are many in our community and around the world eagerly awaiting confirmation of when the L.F. Wade International Airport will reopen to regularly scheduled commercial flights. I can now confirm that the decision has been made to resume commercial flights on July 1, 2020,” said Bermuda’s Minister of Tourism & Transport Zane DeSilva at a press conference yesterday, delivering the first details of Bermuda’s plan to safely welcome back international air visitors. “As we work to finalise the protocols and requirements for travel to Bermuda, rest assured, we will always place the safety of our island and its people above all else.”
It’s a great destination I thoroughly enjoyed on a visit some years ago; vibrant and beautiful, with some of the best beaches in the world and great resorts like the Fairmont Southampton.
Bermuda’s reopening plan features five stages of visitors travelling to and from Bermuda including: 1) pre-departure; 2) in-flight; 3) upon arrival; 4) on-island and 5) returning home. In the coming days, Government officials are working to finalise a policy that will enable travellers who test negative 72 hours in advance and who also test negative upon arrival in Bermuda to have freedom of movement to enjoy the island’s experiences, adhering to local health guidelines in place at the time of visit.
The re-opening reflects Bermuda’s success in managing the impact of the pandemic, with a high volume of testing and contact tracing following lockdown and shelter-at-home measures. The island has:
- The world’s 12th-highest rate of testing per capita
- 11 consecutive days of no new cases of COVID-19 as of June 11
- Five currently active cases, none of which are critical
NEW CANADIAN AIRLINE RULES: MANDATORY TEMPERATURE CHECKS
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today said temperature screening is now mandatory for all airline passengers.
Speaking at his regular briefing outside Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Trudeau said the policy will first be brought in for those entering Canada, then for departures and then for flights within Canada.
“A passenger who has a fever will not be allowed to board a flight,” he said.
Trudeau called the move “an extra layer of safety” and “an additional measure that can make a difference.”
The temperature checks also are helpful as Canada begins to re-open its economy and as it welcomes more international visitors, the prime minister said.
“It’s another reasonable level of protection.”
More details are expected later today.
This makes me wonder even more about how much we really know about the virus. The federal government first said we didn’t need to wear masks to fight COVID-19. Now the advice is “wear your mask.” We’ve been dealing with this virus for three months as a front-burner issue, and NOW we introduce mandatory temperature checks?
Are we getting the best advice here, folks? I’m definitely wondering.
GREATER PALM SPRINGS RE-OPENING FOR VISITORS
Andreas Canyon is a marvellous spot for nature lovers and hikers visiting Palm Springs. JIM BYERS PHOTO
In preparation of welcoming back visitors to the popular Southern California desert region starting as soon as today, the Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) has launched a destination-wide health and safety pledge as well as an exciting new brand campaign. This comes on the heels of releasing the “Find Your Oasis” music destination video celebrating the area’s creative community, beautiful landscapes and wide-open spaces.
To ensure visitors will be able to truly relax and feel safe throughout their stay, the CVB launched the “Greater Together, Safer Together” pledge, with Greater Palm Springs tourism businesses committing to increased health and safety protocols. The pledge has been signed by more than 200 local businesses and stakeholders including those from the hotel and resort community to restaurants such as Lulu California Bistro to attractions such as the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, among many others. Additionally, in the days and weeks ahead as the region prepares to open for business, more are expected to participate.
“We can’t wait to welcome visitors back to our cities, and we want them to feel confident that our tourism partners have taken every precaution to ensure a safe and healthy stay,” said Scott White, president and CEO of the Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau. “This pledge unites our cities and our communities around that assurance, and gives us a clear benchmark for sanitation standards, which is our absolute top priority.”
Here’s my latest blog post on the area.
And here’s one another one that focusses on a marvellous desert tour I took with my wife, my Dad and his ladyfriend, who’s celebrating her 90th birthday today!
TAHITI LAUNCHES NEW TOURISM CAMPAIGN
Raiatea is a lovely, uncrowded island in Tahiti. JIM BYERS PHOTO (Taken with iPhone 11 Pro Max)
Tahiti was the last destination I visited prior to the coronavirus lockdown. I was lucky enough to have a week with my wife in one of the most beautiful places on earth. We took boat rides around Tahiti island’s lagoon, did a remarkable Jeep tour through lush valleys with towering waterfalls, ate fabulous meals, visited an ancient historical site on the island of Raiatea, stayed at the truly stunning Four Seasons Bora Bora and went swimming with sharks and manta rays on a Bora Bora lagoon and ocean tour.
Tahiti Tourisme (don’t forget, Tahiti is part of France) today launched a new campaign called “Reconnect With The World in The Islands of Tahiti” which invites travellers to go back to essential values, nature, their loved ones and discover other cultures, in an unrivalled destination.
“Coinciding with the announcement of its international borders reopening and its COVID-19-free status, the campaign aims to inspire Canadian travellers through showcasing the beauty, remoteness, and “Mana” that The Islands of Tahiti is famous for.
From images of ancient traditions to crystal clear waters, the campaign highlights the very best of The Islands of Tahiti – least of which is the seclusion and safety of the destination.
“The Islands of Tahiti are one place where the world still feels right due to the natural, untouched, inspiring beauty of the land, ocean and people through which Mana flows, making you feel safe, treasured and connected to the world again”, says Amalia Meliti, Account Manager of Tahiti Tourisme for Canada. ‘This is precisely what the Reconnect campaign demonstrates, and what we hope inspires Canadian travellers to visit our islands once they are able to.'”
If you’ve never been, or even if you have, I can’t recommend Tahiti enough. Overwater bungalows can be expensive, but all the islands of Tahiti have wonderful, affordable places to eat and dine, so you can definitely enjoy this amazing destination on a budget. Here’s a story I wrote for TravelPulse Canada (I’m their senior editorial director) that highlights great things to see and do without busting your wallet or purse.
NEW FLEXIBLE BOOKING AND HEALTH PLAN FROM INTREPID TRAVEL
Intrepid Travel has introduced a new flexible booking policy as well as enhanced safety procedures in response to the recent COVID-19 outbreak.
The Flexible Bookings policy permits changes to travel plans 21 days before a scheduled departure, allowing for new travel dates or an entirely different trip, with no change fees.
“We want to ensure your clients can book confidently and change, move or cancel their travels with no fuss,” Intrepid Travel chief commercial officer Brett Mitchell said.
Deposits are the only cost travellers will pay until 21 days before departure, and if plans change, that deposit will be transferred toward another trip. Travellers can also reserve a trip without payment for up to five days.
All Intrepid trips will now be operated under new Safe Travel protocols developed and endorsed by the World Travel & Tourism Council. The new policy is a result of Intrepid’s learnings from this crisis and to meet the requirements to operate safely in this environment.
“Safety is our biggest priority and we have been working tirelessly with health bodies to ensure we have the world’ s best safety and hygiene practices on all our trips,” Mitchell said.
Additional measures, in line with government health advice and with global health authorities will include enhanced sanitation, contactless technology solutions, physical distancing across accommodation, transport and restaurants as well as pre-trip and on-trip health screenings. Intrepid will not require a negative COVID-19 test before joining a trip unless it is a requirement of entry for the country.
CANADA: NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME YET
Canada Day brings out the patriot in many of us. Some more than others, of course. – JIM BYERS PHOTO
There’s been talk of a “travel bubble” that would allow residents of Canada’s three Maritime provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island) and Newfoundland & Labrador to freely go back and forth. All four provinces now have 14-day quarantines in place for out-of-province visitors.
But the premier of Newfoundland is pouring cold water on the idea, saying it’s too early. That has apparently irked Newfoundland airport authorities, who are probably sitting around playing video games with very few flights to worry about.
Canada’s two major airlines have issued statements strongly urging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and all of Canada’s provincial leaders to ease Canada’s “one-size-fits-all-visitors” quarantine rules so the hospitality industry can host more foreign tourists and improve the economy. They also want a standardized plan for provincial borders, so Newfoundlanders can visit British Columbia and Ontario folks can travel to Nova Scotia or Alberta, and so forth.
Calgary-based WestJet said it “stands shoulder to shoulder with more than 120 travel and tourism organizations asking for the reopening of Canada to summer travel, and helping get 1.8 million citizens back to work in this critical industry.”
Air Canada’s chief executive officer, Calin Rovinescu, said in a webcast that government regulations are “stifling” the recovery of the airline industry and the Canadian economy.
