The Canadian tourism industry, which accounts for one in ten jobs across the country, is expected to recover to 2019 levels a year earlier than previously forecast. In a study that will no doubt produce smiles on the faces of airline, hotel and restaurant workers from coast to coast and boost the number of jobs, Destination Canada’s new Fall Tourism Outlook says the country’s tourism sector is growing stronger and was given a boost by the recent lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. The study says leisure travel in Canada is now expected to recover to 2019 levels by 2024, one year Read more
hotels
Here’s a lazy Sunday Labour Day compendium of a few stories I found on the old Internet this morning about new world hotels, travel products for people with small children, Caribbean visits and more, plus a note about Toronto Pearson delays. First off, I’ve been tracking delays at Toronto Pearson Airport the past few days, and things aren’t a whole lot better. According to Flight Aware, here are the outgoing flight delay stats for the past few days. September 1: 205 delays (15 minutes or more), which is 33% of all outbound flights. September 2: 200 delays (34%) September 3: Read more
Not only is Florida bouncing back from the pandemic, but they’re shooting past 2019 numbers. Dana Young, president of Visit Florida, told Fox13 News that the state only has third-quarter numbers for 2021 right now, but that those are higher than third quarter figures for 2019. “That’s how well Florida is doing,” she said. “People see Florida as a bright, shining vestige of freedom in this country.” Visit Tampa Bay CEO Santiago Corrada says hotel revenue for November 2021 was about $66 million. That’s higher than the $50 million Tampa Bay had in November of 2019, which at the time Read more
Canadian tourism and travel industry officials say new federal programs being introduced by the Trudeau government will be a big help. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on Monday said the government’s main business support programs will end on Wednesday, Oct. 23, as Canada has already recovered 100% of the jobs lost during the pandemic. But she said the government recognizes that tourism and other businesses have been hit hard, and that Ottawa will bring in two new programs beginning on Thursday, Oct. 24. Those programs will provide wage and rent support for hotels, restaurants and travel agencies. Read more
Canadians can expect vaccine passports for international travel in the coming days. There’s also more help coming for trouble tourism businesses, and potential vaccines on the horizon for Canadian children. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today (Oct. 21) said fully-vaccinated Canadians travelling overseas or using airplanes or interprovincial trains will soon have to show a vaccine passport. Starting November 30, you won’t be able to fly without it, or take an interprovincial train. The cards will have a QR code and the word Canada with a maple leaf flag over the final “a,” according to the Toronto Star. In a Read more
