Air Transat has unveiled its sun destinations for the coming (sorry to mention it) winter. Meanwhile, United is beefing up its Florida flights, and a business group is pushing for Canada to open its borders. Also, a top tourism expert looks at when San Francisco might recover. My Future of Travel blog for Aug. 13.
Transat’s Sun Lineup for Winter
The Dominican Republic has great beaches and natural attractions. I wouldn’t quite say, however, that it “has it all.”
To accompany its Here Comes the Sun Promo, currently in full swing, Transat is delighted to unveil its 2020-2021 South brochure. Vibrant and easy to consult, it features a total of 320 properties grouped under its four collections—Luxury, Distinction, Family and Solo—in over 30 destinations in Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Guadeloupe, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, St. Maarten/St. Martin and El Salvador.
Some highlights and new features worth mentioning:
NEW! The Luxury Collection now offers your clients early check-in and late checkout (subject to availability), as well as free access to the spa’s water circuit once per stay.
NEW! The Distinction Collection now features 4 new hotels: Dreams Macao Beach Punta Cana Resort & Spa, Now Natura Riviera Cancun, Ocean El Faro and Majestic Elegance Costa Mujeres. Additionally, your clients will save up to 25% on wine selection and/or extras at à la carte restaurants, which they can freely enjoy thanks to the new perk of unlimited or additional guaranteed reservations. Plus, they can treat themselves to breakfast room service or à la carte breakfast in an exclusive restaurant or exclusive section at the buffet restaurant.]
NEW! The Family Collection now features 4 new hotels: Hotel Playa Costa Verde, Hotel Playa Paraiso, Marival Distinct Luxury Residences and Impressive Resorts & Spas. Furthermore, your clients will benefit from early check-in and late checkout (subject to availability).
NEW! The Solo Collection now features 6 new hotels: Be Live Adults Only Los Cactus, Allegro Palma Real, Be Live Collection Cayo Santa Maria, Occidental Arenas Blancas, Bahia Principe Luxury Samana and Lifestyle Tropical Beach Resort & Spa. Your solo clients will save up to 25% at the spa and up to 20% on a select variety of excursions. They will also receive a welcome basket in the room upon arrival.
Duo packages: Offer the best of both worlds in one trip (from city to sea) with their Duo packages in Colombia, Cuba, Guadeloupe, Honduras and Puerto Rico.
Packages to the United States: You can discover New Orleans’ cultural gems or Orlando’s theme parks with their packages to the United States, which include flights, accommodations and transfers.
Subject to changes in demand and travel restrictions, Transat may have to modify its flight and hotel offer.
Finally, the Here Comes the Sun Promo offers extra flexibility on new bookings of South packages made by September 11, 2010. It features perks like Transat’s Price Drop Guarantee, a reduced deposit of only $100, and Option Flex included for free, which allows travellers to cancel or change their booking at no charge or to transfer their package to a family member or friend.
Sunset at the Dunedin Marina. JIM BYERS PHOTO
United Adds Florida Flights
According to TravelPulse, beginning November 6, United will debut roundtrip service from Boston, Cleveland and New York/LaGuardia to Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando and Tampa. In December, the carrier will increase service to Florida with additional flights from Columbus, Ohio; Indianapolis; Milwaukee and Pittsburgh to Fort Myers and Tampa.
I’m a big Florida fan and try to make it at least once every year, preferably when the Blue Jays are playing spring games in Dunedin.
Business Group Seeks A More Open Canadian Border
The Global Business Travel Association is pushing for Canada and other countries to safely pry open their borders to give the economy a boost.
In a press release, the GBTA said it’s “urging the European Commission, EU governments, Ottawa, and the White House to pursue talks to find a resolution for transatlantic travel, based on reciprocity, proportionality, and the latest scientific advice.
“GBTA has repeatedly called on these governments to adopt a coordinated approach in responding to COVID-19 and the evolving situation. As a select number of countries recently chose to reinstate travel restrictions, we would like to stress the importance of closely following the recommendations of theEuropean Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control andPrevention (CDC), the Public Health Agency of Canada and the World Health Organisation (WHO) to ensure consistency and restore consumer confidence in air travel”, said Dave Hilfman, Executive Director of the GBTA and a long-time senior airline leader.
“We encourage open conversations to continue, as well as appropriate communication to the general public. Maintaining transatlantic ties is in the interest of citizens and the economy,” added Hilfman.
“Safety is paramount and should weigh heavily in discussions of restarting travel. Contact-tracing applications can effectively help fight the pandemic but can only do so if they are subject to a common set of standards to enable rapid exchange of information and limit the risks of further outbreaks,” said Mark Cuschieri, Chair European Advisory Board – GBTA.
It’s been a common refrain from businesses in Canada, too, including Air Canada and others in the tourism and travel business. So far, however, the pleas have fallen on deaf ears. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has acknowledged the issue as an important one, but has stated repeatedly that health is his number one concern.
The “essential travel only” order for the Canadian-US border is set to expire next Friday, Aug. 21. It’s almost certain to be extended another month given the continuing problems with COVID-19 in the U.S.
Some critics have suggested Canada open its borders to safe countries while forbidding the US to send its citizens, but that would embarrass the US, which I suspect Trudeau does not want to do.
San Francisco may not get back to pre-pandemic tourism numbers until 2024, an expert says.
San Francisco Tourism/Travel Update: Recovery Will Be Very Slow
San Francisco’s tourism folks held a virtual update on Wednesday, and there was a bit of good news among the gloom.
Adam Sacks, president of Tourism Economics, said the situation has been “scary” bad, but that there are signs of recovery and that the “worst is behind us.”
Sacks pointed to charts that show travel spending across the U.S. is expected to be down 45% when all tallies are made.
One interesting point he made (I didn’t have time to see the whole presentation) was that lower-end to moderately priced hotels, such as Days Inn and Hampton Inn, have done a lot better during the pandemic than luxury or business hotels.
He also pointed out that states with large, rural populations haven’t been nearly as badly hit as big cities.
I didn’t see the numbers, but he also displayed a chart that showed how North American cities that rely on domestic travel will recover faster than cities who need foreign visitors to fill their rooms. That appears to work well for cities such as Nashville and Denver, but not so great for New York City or Toronto.
Sacks said he expects San Francisco won’t reach pre-pandemic visitor numbers until 2024.
