One of the most tightly sealed countries during the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic says it will hopes to fully reopen by October of this year. According to CNTraveler, the government of New Zealand this week announced a five-step plan to fully reopen in time for their busy spring/summer season. New Zealand closed its borders to most world travellers in March of 2020, and has hardly budged since. Under step four of the government’s plan, visitors from Canada, the U.S. and other countries with waived visas will be allowed to enter beginning in July of this year, as long as they’re fully Read more

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Canada’s chief health officer says provincial vaccine passports and other health measures need to be “re-examined” as Canada deals with the Omicron variant. ​​Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said Friday that Canada needs to find a more “sustainable” way to deal with COVID-19 and that all existing public health policies, including provincial vaccine passports, need to be “re-examined” in the coming weeks, the CBC reports. “What we need to do going forward, as we emerge out of this Omicron wave, is recognize this virus is not going to disappear,” she said. “We do need to get back to Read more

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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

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The latest poll from the Angus Reid Institute finds a strong majority of Canadians want community restrictions lifted. The latest poll, taken Jan. 27-28, found 54% want restrictions to be lifted compared to just 39% who wanted restrictions lifted when the same question was asked two weeks earlier, the non-profit institute said. “With Omicron now appearing to have peaked, many Canadians are leaning toward reducing restrictions related to COVID-19 control in Canada,” the group said in a statement on its website. The survey found that 32% of Canadians strongly agree with the statement that “It’s time to end restrictions and Read more

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Destination Toronto, in partnership with Destination Canada are proud participants in an upcoming episode of ABC’s “The Bachelor.” The episode will feature the diverse and dynamic city of Toronto, Canada as home for the week for the newest Bachelor, Clayton Echard and the remaining women vying for his heart. This episode of “The Bachelor,” currently in its 26th season, is scheduled to air Monday February 7, at 8/7c, on ABC. Echard, who was first introduced as one of Michelle Young’s suitors in season 18 of “The Bachelorette,” not only connects romantically with the captivating Minneapolis school teacher but is also a favorite of Michelle’s middle school students. Ultimately, Read more

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A new survey by online travel agency CheapOair.ca finds that Ontario residents are woefully unaware of the province’s Ontario Staycation tax credit. The company today released the results of a new survey geared at Ontario travellers in an effort to better understand the perception towards the recently unveiled Ontario ‘Staycation’ Tax Credit, while also gauging 2022 travel perception and concerns as restrictions are slowly lifted. The CheapOair.ca Travel Perceptions study found that more than 66 percent of respondents were not aware of the Ontario Staycation tax credit. Unsurprisingly, interest in travelling is increasing, and more than 55 per cent of Read more

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Sunwing is making it easier than ever for Canadians to reunite and explore their own backyard this summer with the return of their domestic summer program. Now in its 17th year, the program offers something for everyone to enjoy, from bustling city streets to majestic mountains, sprawling prairies and picturesque lakes. Flights begin in May and will run weekly until the beginning of September to some of the most sought-after destinations from coast to coast. As an added travel incentive, the tour operator is offering customers savings of up to $200 per couple on domestic flights. “We’re thrilled that our domestic program Read more

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