Canada and the US are keeping the border closed until July 21. But the good news is two great Niagara experiences open soon; the Hornblower Cruise to the Falls and the Whirlpool Jet rides. I also look at Canada’s rating for adventure travel, the quarantine situation in Hawaii, re-openings in Europe, and LGBTQ travel news in my Future of Travel blog for June 16, 2020.
Niagara Falls Re-Opening Starts This Week
One of the world’s great destinations – and one that’s easy for many Canadians to reach without leaving their home province – is re-opening its amazing attractions.
The Hornblower Cruises to the base of the fall and the Whirlpool Jet Tours will start again July 1. But plenty of other attractions open this Friday, June 19. Here’s a look, courtesy of the folks at Niagara Parks, Hornblower and Whirlpool Jets.
June 19, 2020
- Falls Incline Railway
- Queen Victoria Place Gift Shop and Tim Hortons
- Grand View Marketplace Ice Cream and Pop-Up Gift Shop
- WildPlay Zipline to the Falls
June 26, 2020
- Whirlpool Aero Car (attraction and gift shop)
- Butterfly Conservatory (attraction and gift shop)
- White Water Walk (attraction and gift shop)
July 1, 2020
- WEGO Green Line
- Journey Behind the Falls (amazing)
- Niagara’s Fury
- Table Rock (Table Rock House Restaurant, Table Rock Market and Table Rock Shop, where you’ll find splendid views and great food)
- Queen Victoria Place Restaurant
- Grand View Shop
- Grand View Restaurant
- Welcome Centres (Murray St., Grand View, Table Rock)
- Floral Showhouse
- Old Fort Erie
- Laura Secord Homestead
- McFarland House
Table Rock Restaurant at Niagara Falls. ROB ANZIT/NIAGARA PARKS PHOTO
Hornblower Niagara Cruises is set to launch its seventh season on the Niagara River on Canada Day (July 1, 2020).
The iconic Voyage to the Falls boat tour (it’s truly spectacular; I’ve done it a few times) to the base of the thundering Niagara Falls is set to resume operation following the economic shut down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. With Niagara Region set to move to Stage 2 of the province’s re-opening plan June 19th, Hornblower is getting ready to once again provide its guests the most stunning view of Niagara Falls.
Hornblower will be instituting a series of safety measures this season, including:
- Timed ticketing and reduced guest capacity on both catamarans
- All guests and crew members are required to wear face coverings or face masks when on the property and on-board the boats.
- Guests will undergo a health screening, including temperature checks prior to being permitted on the property.
- Increased cleaning frequency for high-contact areas
- Best practices for physical distancing, including the use of floor markers, directional arrows, communication signage, installation of plexiglass at service counters and reduced guest capacity on the funicular, elevator and boats.
The Voyage to the Falls boat tour will set sail every 15 minutes between 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. every day between July 1st and November 1st.
Mobile entry tickets are available for purchase online at niagaracruises.com or day-of tickets are available at the Hornblower Ticket Plaza or using Hornblower’s on-site Ticket Kiosks.
Also, adventure lovers tired of being cooped up at home during the global pandemic will soon be able to get their adrenaline flowing with Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours in the turbulent waters of the Niagara River.
The tour boat operator is launching its 29th season on Canada Day (July 1, 2020), allowing passengers to experience one-of-a-kind thrill rides in the scenic Niagara Gorge while staying protected from COVID-19.
Among the new safety protocols Whirlpool has implemented at its operations on both sides of the Niagara River in Queenston, ON and Lewiston, NY:
- Tour boats will operate at a maximum of 50% capacity to ensure staff and passengers are able to practise safe physical distancing.
- Whirlpool will provide sanitized whitewater helmets and face shields to all passengers and staff in open areas who will get splashed with water from the river.
- Passengers in enclosed areas who will not be splashed will be required to wear protective face masks.
- Enhanced cleaning measures, including sanitizing boats and all equipment prior to each trip.
Norwegian Cruise Line Extends Suspension For All Three Brands
A Norwegian Cruise Line ship.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, which operates the Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruise brands, has announced an extension of its previously announced suspension of global cruise voyages to include all cruises embarking between August 1 and September 30, 2020 for its three cruise brands.
The voyage cancellations exclude September Seattle-based Alaska voyages. The company also is cancelling select voyages through October 2020, including Canada and New England sailings, due to travel and port restrictions.
NCL will continue to work with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the federal US government and global public health authorities to take all necessary precautions to ensure the health, safety and security of guests, crew and the communities visited.
Guests who are currently booked on cancelled voyages on Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises or Regent Seven Seas Cruises are asked to contact their travel agent or the cruise line for more information.
Canada-US Border Staying Closed
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says current restrictions, which were brought in to help slow the spread of COVID-19, will be extended another 30 days to July 21.
“This is an important decision that will keep people in both of our countries safe,” Trudeau said Tuesday.
The Canada-U.S. border was first closed to all non-essential traffic in March. Since that time, some exemptions have been brought in, but the border remains closed to all but essential traffic.
There are ways around it. The border closure, in effect, doesn’t count for flights but only for land crossings and some trips by water. Still, there’s been very little flight traffic between the two countries of late.
Hawaii Quarantine Period Extended Until August
I prefer to stay in Canada in summer. But it still hurts to see one of my fave destinations in the world having to stay so isolated.
A report in the Los Angeles Times says Hawaii Governor David Ige “has extended until Aug. 1 his order that requires out-of-state travelers who visit the Aloha State to remain under mandatory quarantine for 14 days. Visitors who leave their hotel rooms for food or a stroll on a beach could be arrested.”
The state relies heavily on tourism for its economy, and this is obviously taking a toll. But with recent spikes in California, Arizona and other parts of the U.S., and with a new coronavirus problem bubbling away in Beijing, you have to applaud Ige for his desire to protect Hawaiians from COVID-19.
Canada Continues to Shine in Adventure Travel Market
A sled dog ride outside Canmore is a fantastic Alberta experience. JIM BYERS PHOTO
To help adventure travel destinations rebuild responsibly and remain competitive in a new environment shaped drastically by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Adventure Travel Trade Association and George Washington University International Institute of Tourism Studies have releasedthe 2020 Adventure Tourism Development Index (ATDI) Report.
The study ranks countries around the world for their adventure travel offerings, their image and other factors. Iceland came out on top for the second study in a row. Canada slipped from seventh in 2018 to eighth this time around. The U.S. this year ranked down at 23rd.
Here’s the top ten in order:
- Iceland
- Switzerland
- New Zealand
- Germany
- Norway
- Finland
- Sweden
- Canada
- Denmark
- Australia
Key West Installs Rainbow Crosswalks
Rob O’Neal/Florida Keys News Bureau
Key West workers installed four permanent rainbow crosswalks Monday at the intersection of Duval and Petronia streets, in the heart of the island’s LGBTQ entertainment district.
Spanning all four corners of the intersection, the crosswalks feature long bands of all six colors of the rainbow flag, an internationally recognized symbol of LGBTQ unity.
Spearheaded by the city and the Key West Business Guild, the crosswalks are composed of pre-formed thermoplastic color stripes. After the stripes were laid on the street by city workers, they were heat-treated with propane torches to affix the colors permanently on the pavement.
“The rainbow crosswalks, to us in the City of Key West, mean that everybody is welcome, everybody is equal, everybody is recognized and, once again, that we do really abide by the ‘One Human Family’ spirit,” said Key West Mayor Teri Johnston. “Everybody is a part of Key West.”
Europe Slowly Re-Opening: But Not For North Americans Yet
Most European Union countries on Monday began accepting visitors from other parts of the EU. It began with a trickle, of course, as some folks are still unsure about how travel works in this new age we’re living in.
Still, a group of hardy Germans looking for sun and sand headed to Spain, and other Europeans flew south to Greece.
Announcing Monday’s reopening of borders and Paris restaurants, French President Emmanuel Macron said in an Associated Press story that it’s time “to turn the page of the first act of the crisis” and “rediscover our taste for freedom.”
But he warned: “This doesn’t mean the virus has disappeared and we can totally let down our guard. … The summer of 2020 will be a summer unlike any other.”
Here’s a link to a French tourism website that explains what’s happening: https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/coming-to-france/coronavirus-advice-for-foreign-nationals-in-france/coronavirus-statements/article/press-release-by-jean-yves-le-drian-and-christophe-castaner-12-jun-20
Business Travel Slowly Re-Emerges
Business trips are increasing again after the Corona pandemic. Since mid-April, travel has doubled but is still well below last year’s level, according to travel data from employee safety software company Safeture, which analyzed data from more than 140,000 international business travelers.
