It’s a day of mixed messages when it comes to world travel. Here’s a roundup of some of today’s headlines. JAPAN SHUTS DOORS THROUGH FEBRUARY Japan will maintain its tight entry restrictions to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 until the end of February, the prime minister said on Tuesday, though some exceptions for humanitarian reasons may be considered, Reuters reports. “Japan adopted some of the strictest border controls in the world when the Omicron variant emerged late last year, banning all new entry by non-Japanese people, including students and foreign family members of Japanese or permanent Read more
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Canada is back in the bad books for U.S. travellers, and it’s going to hurt Canadian businesses. The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has placed Canada back at level four in their travel warning system, which is the highest level and indicates “very high” COVID-19 numbers. Canada was in level four for parts of the pandemic, but then dropped to level three when Canadian COVID cases dropped last year. “We are obviously disappointed with this,” Beth Potter, president and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, said in an email to jimbyerstravel.com. “Canada is a big destination Read more
Easton’s Group of Hotels, a renowned name in Canada’s hospitality industry with a comprehensive portfolio spanning premium, branded and upscale hotel properties across Canada, announces it will build Canada’s only Curio by Hilton, the first hotel within 1km of Toronto’s historic Distillery District. Located at 60 Mill St, the project will be perched at the entrance of the historic community and mark the last remaining heritage building to be re-purposed in the district. The Distillery District is one of the most striking areas of Toronto, filled with beautiful, brick heritage buildings, open spaces, works of art, and great food and Read more
Florida state tourism officials concede it’s been a rough go with the Omicron variant, but they’re optimistic that Canadians and other visitors will soon be heading south. According to the News Service of Florida and the Tampa Bay Times, Visit Florida President and CEO Dana Young said Wednesday that her group continues to market the Sunshine State as a winter destination in the U.S., and that they’re not slowing international efforts. Florida state economists last month slightly lowered expectations through the middle of 2022 for Canadian and overseas travellers, citing the Omicron variant as a potential brake on tourism growth. Read more
Canadians will soon be able to visit Israel again. At midnight January 9th, Israel is reopening to tourists and other visitors from Orange designated countries, including Canada. “Fully vaccinated people coming to Israel from a country on the ORANGE list must go into 24-hour isolation or isolate until they receive negative PCR or Rapid Test results, which must be taken at Ben Gurion International Airport, whichever is earlier. Testing is done at upon arrival, just following luggage claim, before exiting the terminal,” officials said. Referring to the abolition of isolation for vaccinated people returning from abroad and the return of Read more
