The Tourism Industry Association of Canada has launched a new plan to save Canadian tourism as we recover from COVID-19. There also are reports of a serious problem for Prince Edward Island visitation. My Future of Travel blog also looks at re-openings for Universal Orlando, Bologna and the Czech Republic. New Plan to Save Canadian Tourism After COVID-19 I love seeing this, and I hope to heck it makes a difference to the Canadian tourism industry, which I’ve argued for years has been under-appreciated and under-served by a series of federal (and provincial) governments. Here’s a statement I Read more
Florida
Major investments to help Canadian destinations lure more local travellers. A look at what parts of the world are reopening first. And a note about Monday openings for both the Florida Keys and the U.S. Virgin Islands. My Future of Travel Post, weekend edition. INVESTING IN CANADIAN TOURISM AND LOCAL TRAVEL WIth borders to other countries closed, and travel difficult even between provinces, the Canadian government has announced roughly $71 million in funding to support local tourism across the country. Melanie Joly, the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages in Ottawa, said in a news wire release today that 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
A lenswear company called Lensbest has released a new, data-driven list of the best places in the world to watch a sunset. As someone who tries to watch a sunset whenever he can (okay, I’m a romantic), I got a kick out of this. The company surveyed travel journalists (myself included) around the globe and came up with the top 100. Santorini, Greece, was the most nominated place to view a sunset worldwide, followed by the Grand Canyon in Arizona and Mykonos Greece, giving two podium spots to the country that gave us the first Olympics. Some 600 global locations Read more
