A new travel voucher policy from Transat, a big boost for Indigenous tourism in Canada, a new rule requiring masks at Marriott Hotels around the world, COVID-19 trouble for Canadian travel and a posh new Kimpton hotel in Key West. My Future of Travel blog for July 22.
Transat Alters Travel Voucher/Travel Credit Policy
To offer greater flexibility to customers whose bookings have been cancelled due to COVID-19 or who cancelled their trips as part of Transat’s flexibility policy, Transat is relaxing the terms around the use of the future travel credits issued as a result.
Those future travel credits are now fully transferable, with no expiry date. As before, any residual credit will remain on file. This new flexible policy applies to flights, packages and guided tours. However, it excludes credits received for cruises that are subject to their own cruise lines’ conditions.
Air Canada made a similar move recently with its vouchers, telling customers they could be transferred and that there’s no expiry date.
Indigenous Tourism in Canada Gets a Boost
The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) invites Canadians to plan the perfect escape this summer in their own backyards with the launch of Destination Indigenous’ Escape from Home campaign, a series of inspired itineraries highlighting a range of authentic experiences that connect travellers to Indigenous people, their culture and the land.
“Through strong imagery, video, and storytellers, Destination Indigenous is putting a focus on this resilient sector of the tourism industry, while delivering an emotional experience that flows from our grounding with the natural environment and our desire for meaningful connections,” says Keith Henry, President & CEO of ITAC, and a passionate believer in Indigenous tourism. “Our Indigenous experiences, activities and communities have enjoyed growing demand from international visitors year-over-year for sharing rich, transformative travel experiences that showcase a modern, authentic culture. We invite all Canadians to discover the rich Indigenous history within their own communities, provinces and territories.”
I haven’t done a ton of Indigenous-related travel in Canada, but I had a great tour of Stanley Park last fall with an Indigenous tourism group called Talaysay Tours.
I also love Wanuskewin, a tremendous museum/heritage centre outside Saskatoon, where you’ll find great stories about aboriginal Canadians and where you can take hike around rolling hills with pretty valleys and great views of the South Saskatchewan River. It’s temporarily closed at this point.
ITAC announced the launch of Destination Indigenous in June to encourage, highlight and educate travellers about the many Indigenous experiences that will welcome Canadians this summer. Through Destination Indigenous’ informative website and vacation planning tool (which includes maps and directions), intrepid travellers can explore and book:
- wildlife and fishing excursions across Quebec;
- urban Indigenous tours within Canada’s major cities such as Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa & Halifax;
- guided adventures across BC & Alberta;
- northern Lights in NWT;
- unique Indigenous accommodations from art-filled hotels to glamping in the wilderness;
- deep dives into Indigenous culture and heritage sites;
- foraging for local ingredients and dining on Indigenous cuisine from top-trained Indigenous chefs.
Croisieres-Essipit whale watching in the St. Lawrence River. PHOTO COURTESY DESTINATION CANADA
Escape from Home will also be promoted via a robust digital campaign and feature storytellers who will travel across the country providing first-person accounts of their Indigenous journeys.
“Our Indigenous tourism members are excited to welcome Canadians and proud of the travel experiences they have been offering for many years. ITAC has worked hard to ensure they have the resources to operate with the highest health and safety standards possible, and we are honoured to share our culture during a time when sharing and supporting our local communities is so important,” says Henry.
While planning an escape with Indigenous experiences across Canada, ITAC recommends travellers understand the health and safety guidelines for travel within each province and territory, and travellers also check to ensure that the community they hope to visit is ready to welcome back local visitors.
The Escape from Home campaign will be rolled out over the next several weeks with different locations and types of experiences highlighted each week. For the launch, Destination Indigenous is providing a portal into Quebec’s awe-inspiring Indigenous wilderness experiences.
View an inspiring itinerary here: https://destinationindigenous.ca/blog/escape-to-essipit/
Marriott Requiring Masks in Public Places
Here’s a progressive move. According to the Washington Post, Marriott Hotels now requires guests to use facial coverings in its 7,300 hotels worldwide.
The world’s biggest hotel chain has required employees to wear masks for months, but effective Monday, the rule will also apply to customers in all indoor public spaces, chief executive Arne Sorenson announced Monday in a video.
Good for them.
COVID-19 Case Increase Not Helping Canadian Tourism
Just when it looked like we might be able to start travelling around the country a little more, a bunch of yahoos in Canada go out and party like its 1999.
A mini-surge in cases in Ottawa, Alberta and British Columbia is bad on its own, of course. But it also could do serious harm to Canadian tourism.
Signal Hill in St. John’s, Newfoundland.
Travel and tourism officials from across the country for weeks have been lobbying governments to relax intra-provincial travel barriers. There’s no requirement for Canadians visiting B.C., Alberta, Ontario or Quebec to quarantine upon arrival, but that is the law in Atlantic Canada and for the Yukon, which has that requirement in place for everyone except visitors from British Columbia.
Premiers in Atlantic Canada appeared leery about opening their doors to the rest of the country two weeks ago. Seeing a surge in cases in several populous provinces is likely to harden that resolve, and that could mean keeping borders essentially closed for an even longer period. And that’s a damned shame.
Kimpton Opens Key West Hotels
A room at the Kimpton Key West.
The brand new Kimpton Key West has opened its doors to two hotels in its five-hotel collection and is ready to welcome guests to its beautiful oasis in the Keys. Located across Key West’s historic Old Town, the Kimpton Key West collection officially opened in March with Winslow’s Bungalows and Lighthouse Hotel before a subsequent mandatory but temporary closing for the COVID-19 pandemic. These two historic properties have resumed hosting guests, and the collection will open the remaining three hotels later this year.
The collection’s largest property at 85 rooms, Winslow’s Bungalows spans a lush, landscaped campus in the center of Key West just two blocks off Duval Street on Truman Avenue, offering a spacious and relaxing oasis and bringing the best of the destination to life. The boutique hotel, which takes the name of the famous painter and Key West summer resident Winslow Homer, boasts three private pools, an outdoor bar and vibrant gardens. Lighthouse Hotel, a historic property adjacent to both the iconic Key West Lighthouse and the Ernest Hemingway House, features a collection of mid-1800s buildings set amongst brick garden grounds and contains a lively swimming pool with a pool-side bar.
