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
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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
The Canadian government this week dropped its warning against international travel, a move that could boost consumer confidence. With that in mind, I’ll be highlighting great destinations over the next little while using the tag “Time to Travel.” Here’s a post from a great trip to Florida a few years ago. INVERNESS, FLORIDA – It’s a cool morning by Florida standards and a light fog is hanging over the dark waters of the Withlacoochee River. The mist rises and swirls over the top of the river as we pull away from the dock for our tour of the river with Read more
There’s big news in the Big Apple. In another sign that shows you can’t keep a great city down, some of the world’s top museums and attractions will begin reopening tomorrow (Monday, Aug. 24) in New York City. Tourism officials say museums and low-risk indoor arts and entertainment venues will be the first properties to reopen. More information on New York State’s reopening guidelines for cultural institutions, including 25% capacity limits, timed entry and other health & safety protocols, can be found here. Upcoming NYC reopenings include: The Statue of Liberty Museum and Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration – Read more
If there’s any city in the U.S. that needs the coronavirus to go away faster than Las Vegas, I can’t imagine which one it would be. But the reports out of Sin City appear rather bleak these days. My friends at TravelPulse in the U.S. today reported that some in Vegas “would go so far as to say the situation is dire.” “When the Las Vegas Sands reported a second-quarter earnings loss of almost $1 billion earlier this month, Sands President and COO Rob Goldstein said on the call: ‘We’re in a world of hurt here in terms of Las Read more
