The Canadian government this week dropped its warning against international travel, a move that could boost consumer confidence. With that in mind, I’ll be highlighting great destinations over the next little while using the tag “Time to Travel.” Here’s a post from a great trip to Florida a few years ago. INVERNESS, FLORIDA – It’s a cool morning by Florida standards and a light fog is hanging over the dark waters of the Withlacoochee River. The mist rises and swirls over the top of the river as we pull away from the dock for our tour of the river with Read more

In an important symbolic step that could help boost international travel, the Canadian government has withdrawn its long-standing advisory against foreign travel by Canadians. The Trudeau government’s travel advisory page has contained a recommendation to avoid all international travel for more than a year, but it has been quietly dropped, perhaps in light of Thursday’s announcement that vaccine passports will be required for most travel by November 30. Instead of a general warning at the top of the advisory page, there is now a statement that says fully vaccinated before travelling. It also states that even though vaccines provide protection Read more

Canadians can expect vaccine passports for international travel in the coming days. There’s also more help coming for trouble tourism businesses, and potential vaccines on the horizon for Canadian children. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today (Oct. 21) said fully-vaccinated Canadians travelling overseas or using airplanes or interprovincial trains will soon have to show a vaccine passport. Starting November 30, you won’t be able to fly without it, or take an interprovincial train. The cards will have a QR code and the word Canada with a maple leaf flag over the final “a,” according to the Toronto Star. In a Read more

How’d you like a nine-month, world cruise? Royal Caribbean has unveiled what it calls the world’s longest cruise, a 274-night marathon that begins Dec. 10, 2023 and ends the following Sept. 10, in 2024. Not only can you celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Eve at sea, you’ll visit all seven continents and more than 150 destinations in 65 countries around the world. Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas will sail in and out of Miami and also visit 11 “great wonders of the world.” A full 57 of the destinations will be new to Royal Caribbean, including Casablanca, Morocco, Shimizu, Read more

It’s not just fun and games. Canada’s economy and its social structure are both closely intertwined with that of the U.S. Many Canadians have no choice but to travel to the U.S. on occasion. I’m one of them. I work part-time for a tourism organization in the U.S. As part of my job, I have to fly to the States today. I only needed a rapid antigen test to get into the U.S. right now, and that costs me $29. No worries about that. But to come back to Canada I have to have a PCR test taken within 72 Read more

We Canadians are a cautious lot, but our travel patterns – especially our winter travel patterns – are deeply ingrained. I’ve been saying this for a while, but I suspect some of our doubts about travelling during the pandemic will dissipate somewhat when the snow begins to fly and the wind comes whistling through our doors and windows. A new study from CAA appears to suggest I might be right. The study was undertaken by CAA-Quebec, but I don’t think Quebeckers have vastly different thoughts about travelling and COVID-19 than other Canadians. So here’s what the study found. Even though Read more