It’s been a tough couple years, but St. Kitts and Nevis are poised to bounce back in a big way. Visitors are being welcomed, a range of activities are available, and most hotels are open, Ellison “Tommy”Thompson, CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, said in a Zoom chat this week. Thompson formerly worked in tourism in The Bahamas and just came to his new role in January, so he’s looking at St. Kitts with fresh eyes. “We see St. Kitts as a real fun, adventure place,” Thompson told me. “There’s quite a lot to do here. We’re also targeting Read more
Caribbean
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
The first ever Global Tourism Resilience Day is set to be launched at Expo 2020 Dubai by Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, the Hon. Edmund Bartlett, and Co-Chairman of his brainchild, the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC). “Jamaica is pleased to launch Global Tourism Resilience Day on February 17″ Bartlett said. “The focus will be on the ability of countries to build capacity to respond to international shocks and to be able to predict with greater certainty their responses “It will also aid countries in understanding and mitigating the effects of these shocks on their development, but most Read more
The CBC says four First Nations, along with the municipalities of Vancouver and Whistler, have signed an agreement with the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic committees to start exploring the feasibility of hosting the 2030 Winter Games in British Columbia. The agreement, announced in a written statement on Tuesday, means officials from the Lil̓wat7úl (Líl̓wat), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) nations, along with the mayors of Vancouver and Whistler will work with the Olympic and Paralympic committees to assess the possibility of making a bid. There are few countries willing or able to make winter Olympic bids these days, which means Vancouver/Whistler Read more
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is urging governments to accelerate relaxation of travel restrictions as COVID-19 continues to evolve from the pandemic to endemic stage. IATA this week called for removing all travel barriers (including quarantine and testing) for those fully vaccinated with a WHO-approved vaccine, enabling quarantine-free travel for non-vaccinated travelers with a negative pre-departure antigen test result, removing travel bans, and accelerating the easing of travel restrictions in recognition that travelers pose no greater risk for COVID-19 spread than already exists in the general population. “With the experience of the Omicron variant, there is mounting scientific evidence Read more
