There are reports of cars with out-of-province cars being vandalized in Canada. I’m also taking a look at a new study on the health of the hotel industry, and I have reports on how COVID-19 is rebounding in Australia and whether the Atlantic Canada travel bubble might soon open. My Future of Travel blog for July 30, 2020.
Shame on You, Canada – You’ve Got to Do Better Than This
A month or so ago, there were stories going around about how some folks with Alberta license plates had crossed over into British Columbia and found “go home” notes attached to their windshield.
Notwithstanding that someone who lives in B.C. might have a car that has Alberta plates, it was a terrible message to send out.
Now we have reports of what may be cars belonging to out-of-province visitors to B.C. having the lug nuts loosened on their wheels, which could cause serious injury or death.
The Toronto Star, where I worked for 32 years as a full-time journalist, says that “reports have surfaced across the country of incidents of people with out-of-province licence plates being harassed by locals, ostensibly worried that someone might bring the virus into their community or break the rules and protocols officials have put in place.”
Earlier this week, B.C. Premier John Horgan went as far as to suggest that those with non.-B.C. plates take the bus rather than risk getting harassed. Which to me sounds like someone channeling Donald Trump.
Please, folks; just because someone has an out-of-province license plate doesn’t mean they’re not a resident. Someone might have moved to, say, Saskatchewan from Ontario eight months ago and still have Ontario plates on their car. That doesn’t mean they’re laden with coronavirus germs as they shop at the farmers’ market in Saskatoon.
For the most part, we’ve been getting better at handling the virus. So, let’s keep a positive attitude in Canada. One goofy circus of a nation in North America is more than enough.
Hotel Industry: When Does Recovery Start?
Kixby Hotel in New York City. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Forbes has an interesting item today about a study of the hotel industry.
“Respondents to the survey said that the hotel industry is currently in “full downturn” or at the “bottom.” The business/luxury hotels and the resorts are the hotel types that are considered to be most clearly at or near the bottom. Participants consider extended stay hotels to be better off, with a larger share in the “late stable” realm. Home sharing/AirBNB/VRBO is considered to be deep into decline or at the bottom, but is also heavy in “don’t know” responses, reflecting the uncertain future of this type of real estate.
“Looking one year into the future, respondents foresee improvement. The largest number of respondents predict that the hotel business will be in the early stages of recovery within one year. The operative word might be “early stages,” as a large share expect business/luxury hotels to still be at the bottom, or still in decline,” Forbes said.
“Full-service hotels are struggling the most in terms of occupancy right now. That is due to the emphasis on amenities on these properties, and the larger congregations of people in those hotels, which raises health concerns among would-be guests. Also, the proliferation of online meetings means that fewer companies feel the need to hold meetings in large hotels. “Companies don’t see as much of a need to pay for an expensive trip to Las Vegas for a meeting,” said Lyman Phillips, CEO of Golden Lyon, a capital provider in the hospitality sector.
“Select-service and limited-service hotels are doing somewhat better in terms of occupancy rates, partly because those properties have fewer items that have to be cleaned and fewer points of contact with people. People can check in and go straight to their room without coming into contact with crowds, and often can walk outside to their own door, which makes social distancing easier.”
Virus Trouble Down Under
The Australian state of Victoria, which includes Melbourne, has brought in a mandatory mask policy after a big spike in COVID-19 cases.
It looked like Australia had things well under control a few weeks ago, but Victoria set a record yesterday with 723 new cases and 13 deaths.
So far, Victoria appears to be the worst hit area of Oz. Let’s hope they get things under control, and quickly.
Bloomberg says the state of New South Wales on Thursday reported 18 new cases in the past 24 hours. The news site also said that Queensland, “which has closed its border to Victoria and the Greater Sydney area, is ramping up testing after two women who visited Melbourne didn’t self-isolate on their return and instead went to schools, restaurants and shopping centers for eight days unchecked before returning a positive result.”
Ugh.
Atlantic Canada Travel Bubble Opening? Maybe Not
A famous red chair along the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia.
I talked the other day about how maybe the Atlantic Canada travel bubble might be opened up so folks from other provinces could start visiting without the need to quarantine. That may have been premature, as the CBC reports the idea hasn’t exactly been welcomed.
“A coalition of concerned parents is calling on Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil to keep the Atlantic bubble intact for the sake of the province’s children,” the CBC reported this week. “Parents for Pandemic Education sent out a public statement reinforcing the need to continue to require any travellers from outside of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, P.E.I., and Newfoundland and Labrador to self-isolate for 14 days after they arrive.
“Jennifer Denney-Hazel, a Halifax-area mother of two elementary school children, said parents are happy that the current plan is to fully reopen schools on September 8 but the question is will it be possible to continue to send kids to school if people from other provinces with much higher numbers of COVID-19 cases can come here with no restrictions.”
If I’m the Premier of Nova Scotia, the last people I want to tangle with is a group of parents worried about their kids. I suspect the bubble is going to stay a while longer.
