WestJet is now providing refunds to customers for some international flights and U.S. flights that were cancelled due to the COVID-19 crisis. Meanwhile, some suggest the coronavirus might have helped Venice curb its overtourism problem. My Future of Travel blog, weekend edition. WestJet Improves Refund Offer WestJet now says that guests on some international flights can apply for refunds for eligible tickets cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Canadian Press says the policy is valid for flights to and from Canada and the UK, as well as flights to and from Canada and the U.S. But refunds are NOT available Read more
Europe
The Tourism Industry Association of Canada has launched a new plan to save Canadian tourism as we recover from COVID-19. There also are reports of a serious problem for Prince Edward Island visitation. My Future of Travel blog also looks at re-openings for Universal Orlando, Bologna and the Czech Republic. New Plan to Save Canadian Tourism After COVID-19 I love seeing this, and I hope to heck it makes a difference to the Canadian tourism industry, which I’ve argued for years has been under-appreciated and under-served by a series of federal (and provincial) governments. Here’s a statement I Read more
What are the world’s best cities and best destinations? What are the top places to see in the United States and Canada? A company called Neomam and another called SavingSpot analyzed Instagram accounts worldwide that used the phrase and hashtag #TakeMeBack. They then tallied up the number of posts for each of those places and came up with a list of the places people would love to go back to the most. Below I have lists of top world destinations, top Canadian places, top spots in the U.S. and top countries. There are a few surprises in here, so have Read more
The Bahamas says it will officially open for visitors July 1. Meanwhile, Italy on Monday opened its doors for tourism. I also have updates on re-openings for Hawaii and Portugal, as well as news about renting an RV in Canada for a great road trip and a US poll that suggests folks are getting ready to travel more. All in today’s Future of Travel blog. BAHAMAS MAKES IT OFFICIAL: RE-OPENING IS JULY 1 The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation, along with the Tourism Readiness and Recovery Committee, a group comprised of public and private sector partners, announced today a Read more
Major investments to help Canadian destinations lure more local travellers. A look at what parts of the world are reopening first. And a note about Monday openings for both the Florida Keys and the U.S. Virgin Islands. My Future of Travel Post, weekend edition. INVESTING IN CANADIAN TOURISM AND LOCAL TRAVEL WIth borders to other countries closed, and travel difficult even between provinces, the Canadian government has announced roughly $71 million in funding to support local tourism across the country. Melanie Joly, the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages in Ottawa, said in a news wire release today that Read more
