Cruise lines will no longer have to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention health rules to guard against COVID-19. The CDC’s Framework for Conditional Sailing Order, which was extended and modified in October, will expire Saturday, at which point the health agency’s COVID guidance for cruise ships will become voluntary, the CDC confirmed to USA TODAY on Wednesday. “This means cruise lines can choose whether to follow the health agency’s guidance or not,” USA Today said. CDC spokesperson David Daigle said the Atlanta-based health agency “is transitioning to a voluntary COVID-19 risk mitigation program.” The CDC in 2020 brought Read more

The union representing 14,000 flight attendants across Canada says the federal government needs to listen and act decisively to make cabin environments safe for workers and the flying public amid the current surge of the omicron variant. To that effect, Wesley Lesosky, President of the Air Canada Component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and CUPE’s Airline Division, has written to federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, demanding the government get serious about the health and safety concerns of airline workers. “The Cancun party flight is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what our members experience Read more

CS Global Partners, the world’s leading government advisory and marketing firm, has released its much-anticipated World Citizenship Report (WCR). The WCR showcases the World Citizenship Index (WCI), a distinctive tool that compares world citizenships from the perspective of a global citizen. The index’s methodology evaluates 187 jurisdictions across five key motivators defining citizenship for the global citizen. Reliance was placed on official statistics to evaluate a score for the defined motivators of Safety and Security, Quality of Life, Economic Opportunity, Global Mobility and Financial Freedom. Backed by research from leading data banks, interviews and a survey undertaken by over 500 Read more

A published report says senior U.S. politicians last week urged President Joe Biden to keep the border open to fully vaccinated Canadians. The joint, bipartisan letter to Biden and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas has sparked speculation about whether Canada or the U.S. have plans to shutter the border again, said the Niagara Independent. “Maintaining an open border to vaccinated travelers has been essential to the functioning economy of New York State and to the wellbeing of New York families,” read the letter, penned by U.S. senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Western New York congressmen Brian Higgins and Chris Jacobs. Read more

Today’s travel news roundup includes Scenic Cruises, Air Tahiti Nui, a new flying option in Southern Ontario, and a new Norwegian Cruise ship. FLY GTA RETURNS TO KINGSTON ONTARIO The Gananoque Reporter says Toronto based Fly GTA airline will resume service to Kingston, Ontario at the end of this month. The first flight between Kingston and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport is scheduled for Jan. 31. “We are thrilled to be landing at Kingston Airport once again and look forward to expanding our service in the coming months,” FlyGTA Group chief executive officer Chris Nowrouzi said in a news release Read more

I know. I know. It’s early. We’re still seeing hospitalizations at record levels in parts of Canada and the U.S. But some health experts are beginning to see the light at the end of the Omicron tunnel, and a number of travel industry types say they expect big things in the next couple months. According to a report on CTV News, Canadian government forecasts show falling COVID-19 infection numbers coming soon for Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg and Halifax here in Canada. The Toronto Star today carried an Associated Press report that suggested the UK and the US could soon see declines, Read more