By Jim Byers Member, Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) After nearly two years of closed borders and virtually no tourism, Australia is flinging open the doors to visitors on Monday, Feb. 21. It’s a momentous occasion for a country that has always placed a high value on attracting tourists. “There is no doubt that a full recovery will take time, but we are confident that the demand for Australia is strong,” Phillipa Harrison, the managing director of Tourism Australia, the country’s tourism board, told The New York Times. The Times said tourism was one of the fastest growing sectors Read more
Australia/New Zealand/PAC
Switzerland is easing travel restrictions on Thursday, making it much easier for Canadians and others to visit. Swiss tourism officials tell me that fully vaccinated Canadians (vaccinated within the last 270 days) may enter Switzerland. They no longer need a Swiss Covid Certificate or a Passenger Locator Form. There are no more mask requirements in shops, restaurants or other public settings, such as event spaces, and there are no more restrictions on private gatherings. Masks are required for public transportation and health institutions until March 31. NEW HEAD HONCHO AT WESTJET Alexis von Hoensbroech is officially the new CEO at Read more
Australia today said it will open to fully vaccinated visitors as of Feb. 21. New Zealand has a plan to welcome foreign travellers over the next six months or so. And then there’s Canada, which continues to treat the tourism and travel industry like some kind of pariah. While other countries recognize the value of travel and tourism to their economies, Canada continues its over-the-top testing regulations, which discourage Canadians from travelling abroad and also discourage visitors from spending their money in Canadian cities and towns that are desperate for tourism dollars. WestJet last month clipped its flight schedule by Read more
Australia says it will open to fully vaccinated travellers on February 21. In welcome news for the battered and bruised Australian tourism industry, as well as Canadian and other airlines and worldwide tour companies, the Australian government today (Feb. 7) said it will end a nearly two-year-long ban on foreign travellers. Reuters reports the announcement means that people can travel to Australia from anywhere in the world as long as they are double vaxxed; the first time that’s been allowed since March, 2020. “If you’re double-vaccinated, we look forward to welcoming you back to Australia,” said Aussie Prime Minister Scott Read more
One of the most tightly sealed countries during the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic says it will hopes to fully reopen by October of this year. According to CNTraveler, the government of New Zealand this week announced a five-step plan to fully reopen in time for their busy spring/summer season. New Zealand closed its borders to most world travellers in March of 2020, and has hardly budged since. Under step four of the government’s plan, visitors from Canada, the U.S. and other countries with waived visas will be allowed to enter beginning in July of this year, as long as they’re fully Read more
