International tourism continued its recovery in January 2022, with a much better performance compared to the weak start to 2021, says the United Nations’ World Tourism Organization. Europe and the Americas region, which includes the Caribbean, have recovered the fastest. However, the UNWTO warns that the Russian invasion of Ukraine adds pressure to existing economic uncertainties, coupled with many Covid-related travel restrictions still in place. Overall confidence could be affected and hamper the recovery of tourism. Based on the latest available data, global international tourist arrivals more than doubled (+130%) in January 2022 compared to 2021 – the 18 million more Read more
Caribbean
Canadians are booking trips to Europe and the U.S.. Cruise companies are expanding rapidly. And new hotels are being built in Canada around the world. The latest RBC consumer tracking figures for Canada finds that travel spending recently touched pre-COVID levels for the first time as pandemic restrictions eased. “The domestic tourism recovery continues to outpace international travel but Canadian spending on restaurants and hotels abroad has also been rising,” RBC said. Meanwhile, the American Automobile Association this week said cruise bookings during the past four weeks are twice as high as this time last year. Just 612 Canadians visited Read more
Another popular destination for Canadians has lifted its travel testing requirement, which is great news for Canadian travel lovers and anyone who longs for a Caribbean holiday. The Caribbean twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda has, as of March 16, 2022, lifted the travel testing requirement for fully vaccinated visitors to the destination. “Our aim is to continue to ensure travellers have a safe vacation in Antigua and Barbuda, in adherence with the covid-19 protocols created by the Government to responsibly manage the various stages of the pandemic and maintain the health and safety of the population,” said Antigua and Read more
There’s good news for cruise fans and lovers of the Caribbean. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has lowered its risk assessment rating for cruise ships, as well as for such popular Caribbean destinations as Jamaica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and The Bahamas. The CDC’s website says it bumped cruise travel from level three (high levels of COVID) to level two (moderate levels) on Monday, March 14. The centers’ level three warning says travel should be avoided to those destination unless a visitor is fully up-to-date with their vaccines. Level two is much more mild, simply stating that Read more
Air Transat today announced the relaunch of a significant number of its routes for the summer season, including flights to the Caribbean and new European destinations. At the height of the summer season, it will operate more than 250 direct weekly flights on 69 direct routes. “The numbers tell us clearly that with the gradual lifting of travel restrictions worldwide, people are more ready than ever to plan their next trip, whether to Europe, the U.S., Canada or to South destinations,” said Joseph Adamo, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Transat. “The outlook for the summer season is favourable, and our Read more
