I love the Caribbean. The weather is fabulous almost all the time, the food is terrific, and the people are warm and welcoming. There’s also a huge variety of things to do. Here’s a look at a few of my fave spots.
Dominican Republic
Air Canada Vacations says it’s temporarily suspending some of its winter/early spring schedule due to rising cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. In a letter to members of the industry today, company vice president Nino Montagnese said new virus cases and government regulations have led to “unavoidable disruptions” for ACV. The cancellations are from January 24 to April 30, 2022, he said. “At first glance, 2022 can be mistaken for its predecessor,” he said. “Omicron ushered in a wave of renewed uncertainty that coincided with the holidays and impacted our industry yet again.” Suspended destinations include Antigua, Aruba, Samaná Read more
The Caribbean has been performing very strongly late in 2021 and is poised for a great year in 2022, Caribbean tourism officials and other experts say. Speaking at a Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association virtual meeting this week, Nicola Madden-Greig, president of the CHTA, said things have improved drastically in the region since the height of the pandemic. “We are recovering, and we are recovering well,” she said. Madden-Greig said tourism levels late this year are roughly 70% of what they were in 2019, which was a phenomenal year for Caribbean tourism. She also noted that testing of travellers in Read more
As pandemic restrictions ease Canadians are packing their bags, with interest in travel insurance quotes surging 293% YOY, according to a report from RATESDOTCA. While far from pre-Covid numbers, it’s clear Canadians are once again ready to pack up and go, though the destinations they are planning to visit have changed. Interest in domestic travel climbed 330% from Q3 2019 to Q3 2021 while interest in international travel fell 14%. The report pulls data from thousands of quotes for travel insurance from Q3 2019 to Q3 2021. While the U.S. remains the top destination, interest in visiting has fallen 66% Read more
Jamaica will officially open for tourists tomorrow, June 15. The government of Canada has agreed to study the idea of a passenger train that would run from Calgary’s airport to Banff via downtown Calgary. I also look at re-openings for both the Dominican Republic, New York City and Walt DIsney World hotels in today’s Future of Travel blog. JAMAICA RE-OPENS TOMORROW Jamaica has announced it will reopen its borders for international travellers tomorrow, June 15. Officials say an extensive set of safety protocols have been announced, including health screening before entry and upon entry, which will be implemented to manage Read more
