An influential U.S. Senator is ratcheting up the pressure on President Joe Biden to fully open the U.S. border. Canada and the Trudeau government allowed its COVID-19 travel restrictions to expire on Saturday, October 1. But the U.S. still requires all non-residents to show proof of vaccination before entering. Critics say that’s hurting American tourism. “We urge the United States to reciprocate the policy of our Canadian neighbours by easing our own COVID-19 restrictions for the sake of our northern border communities and their economies,” New York senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressman Brian Higgins (western New York) said in a Read more
Canada
WestJet is banking on Calgary as its future hub, moving all its 787 Dreamliners into Calgary International Airport and creating a tourism partnership with the province of Alberta. They’re also talking about using Calgary as a hub for more flights to Europe and even Asia. Speaking at a news conference in Calgary, WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech said the Alberta-based airline will designate Calgary as its exclusive global connecting hub. “The WestJet Group and the Government of Alberta today announced a first-of-its-kind partnership, focused on significantly advancing aviation across the province in support of a stronger economy and a long-lasting, Read more
How’s this for an interesting turn of events. The Trudeau government in Canada, which was roundly criticized in some circles for being too strict about travel restrictions during the pandemic, eliminated all travel rules on Saturday, October 1. But the U.S. hasn’t done the same. As of today, October 5, the U.S. still requires all non U.S. residents to show proof of vaccination before entering the country. It’s not an overly onerous policy (no troublesome apps to deal with or random testing), but it’s something that the U.S. tourism industry says discourages visitors from taking trips to New York City, Read more
Conde Nast Travel has put out its annual list of top cities, islands, airlines and hotels, and both my home state and adopted country did well. Hawai’i, which is like home to me, also put on a strong performance, as did Florida. The magazine today listed Victoria as the number two small city in the world, while Montreal (10) and Quebec City (5) were named among the top ten best big cities on the planet. Chicago was first for big U.S. cities, followed by Honolulu and San Diego. San Francisco was seventh for big U.S. cities, and New York City Read more
Norwegian Cruise Line today announced that it has updated its global health and safety protocols by removing all COVID-19 testing, masking and vaccination requirements effective Oct. 4, 2022. Given the significant, positive progress in the public health environment, the cruise line said it updated its health and safety guidelines, which are now more aligned with other global travel organizations. “Health and safety are always our first priority; in fact, we were the health and safety leaders from the very start of the pandemic,” said Harry Sommer, Norwegian Cruise Line president and chief executive officer. “Many travelers have been patiently waiting Read more
