Winter could still throw a COVID-19 curveball as we move indoors, but there are some positive signs in the tourism and travel industry. Executives at IHG Hotels & Resorts say they’re encouraged by the business environment and the third quarter performance of their hotels, especially in the U.S. The website Hotel News Now quotes Paul Edgecliffe-Johnson, chief financial officer and head of group strategy, as saying occupancy and average daily rate in some markets this summer were back to 2019 levels. According to the latest Longwoods International tracking study of American travellers, the drop in new cases, hospitalizations and deaths Read more
Caribbean
WestJet is feeling bullish about the future of travel. Airline officials today said that, as of December, they’ll restore service and connectivity to more than 95 destinations across the airline’s domestic, transborder, sun and international network. “As Canadians confidence in travel grows, the return of service to 95 destinations marks a major milestone in rebuilding our network to pre-pandemic levels,” said John Weatherill, WestJet Chief Commercial Officer. “We have our sights set on restoring our global network to reach more than 100 destinations and continue to focus on alleviating the current travel barriers in place for our guests.” “These investments demonstrate Read more
This is a re-post of a great visit to Barbados a couple years ago. It’s a fabulous destination to keep in mind for your next fall/winter escape. BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS – Chef Michael Harrison is on the steps of the Marhill Street market in downtown Bridgetown, talking about Bajan cuisine and the fresh fruits and root vegetables he uses when he cooks. “We have something like 100 types of sweet potatoes on Barbados,” he tells us as he explains different ways to cook them. “At my restaurant we use as many ingredients from Barbados as we can. We try to change Read more
A new airline route for Eastern Canada. Hotel openings in Jamaica and Mykonos. And a great, 51% off deal for the Kimpton Saint George Hotel in Toronto. New Air Route from PAL Airlines Folks in eastern Canada will have a new way of getting around a month from now. PAL Airlines has announced that on Sept. 21, 2020 it will launch a new five days a week service connecting St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador with Moncton, New Brunswick. The route will be extended to include Ottawa, Ontario as restrictions on travel to Atlantic Canada are progressively reduced. This new service will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Read more
Cruising is on the rebound in Europe. But the Cayman Islands have extended their border closure until October 1. A rather mixed bag for my Future of Travel report for August 10. Cayman Islands Extends Border Closing The Cayman Islands Government has announced that having continually monitored the rate of infection in other countries, particularly in the United States where the pandemic is still widespread, Cabinet has taken the decision to extend the Islands border closure for an additional 30 days, until 1st October 2020, at which time a further decision will be made. During this time, repatriation flights by Read more
