It’s a beautiful day and I don’t want to spend too much away from my little garden, but with so much news I though I should post a couple items today for my Future of Travel blog, including updates on openings in Las Vegas the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, as well as a great compendium piece on the future of travel from the CBC and a thoughtful analysis from a former Toronto Star colleague of mine about airline refunds versus vouchers. Happy Memorial Day weekend to my American friends. VIVA LAS VEGAS Caesars Entertain Corporation is planning on reopening Read more
Universal Orlando says it will open doors – with new health guidelines and physical distancing rules – on June 5. In other news, Air Canada says it will no longer put expiry dates on vouchers given out to travelers who had flights cancelled due to COVID-19. They also say vouchers will be fully transferable. Meanwhile, a top travel agent group says cruise bookings are up substantially. A look at what’s new in my regular Future of Travel blog. UNIVERSAL FLORIDA SET TO RE-OPEN JUNE 5 It may seem a bit early to some, but Universal in Florida is re-opening on Read more
Orlando’s theme parks are talking with public officials about how they might re-open. My Future of Travel blog for May 21 looks at Disney and Universal Studios, as well as a tourism recovery plan for France, a plan to restore Windstar Cruises and a fascinating report on the cleanliness of airplane air. FLORIDA THEME PARKS GEARING UP Disney Springs at Walt Disney World in Florida opened on Wednesday. Universal Orlando has opened up its retail distrct, as well. No one is saying just yet when the main parks will open, but it looks like that day is approaching. Top officials Read more
You may need to ask permission to use the bathroom on an airplane as the world recovers from the COVID-19 crisis. My Future of Travel blog also looks at when various Caribbean countries may open again for visitors and checks out improving booking numbers for several major airlines. I also have a roundup of improvements for Aeroplan rewards members. AIRLINES: A CHANGE IS GONNA COME “Excuse me, Mrs. Smith, but can I please use the bathroom?” I had to say that a lot in Grade Two/Second Grade as a kid, but I never thought we’d have to do that in Read more
Air France says it’s re-instating flights from France to cities around the world, including some in North America. Sunwing, meanwhile, will launch its Canadian domestic service again this summer. The province of British Columbia and the Caribbean island of Aruba also are opening up for visitors. I’ve also got news on British tourism and United States cruises. Oh, and a crazy quote from the head of the Dubai Airport that will make you think twice about flying any time soon. Here’s my May 19 Future of Travel report. SUNWING CANADIAN DOMESTIC SERVICE FOR 2020 Seeing the great sights of Canada Read more
It’s a mixed bag of travel and tourism news today, folks. There’s good news from Italy, Saint Lucia and the Florida Keys, but strong, ongoing concerns about this summer’s tourism season for Canada. I’ve got a series of reports on those and other topics in my regular Future of Travel blog report. ITALY OPENING SOON I don’t know how easy it is to get there right now, but there’s good news on the tourism front for Italy, one of the world’s most-loved destinations (and where I met my wife!). Here’s a report from my colleagues at TravelPulse in the U.S. Read more
