By Jim Byers Member, Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) After nearly two years of closed borders and virtually no tourism, Australia is flinging open the doors to visitors on Monday, Feb. 21. It’s a momentous occasion for a country that has always placed a high value on attracting tourists. “There is no doubt that a full recovery will take time, but we are confident that the demand for Australia is strong,” Phillipa Harrison, the managing director of Tourism Australia, the country’s tourism board, told The New York Times. The Times said tourism was one of the fastest growing sectors Read more
Victoria
Swoop today celebrated its first flight between Abbotsford International Airport (YXX) and Los Cabos International Airport (SJD). The ultra-low-cost airline’s inaugural service took off from Abbotsford at 9:00 a.m. PST and is scheduled to arrive at 2:55 p.m. local time. “As the country’s leading ultra-low fare airline, we’re pleased to add another warm-weather getaway option for residents of the Fraser Valley, with Los Cabos topping our growing list of non-stop destinations available from Abbotsford,” said Shane Workman, Head of Flight Operations, Swoop. “Abbotsford International Airport has been an integral partner back, going back to June 20th, 2018, when we operated Read more
To kick off the new year, Vrbo® has released its top drive-to destinations for 2022 based on vacation rental demand. Vrbo is the vacation rental site and app, part of the Expedia Group Brands, where families and travellers can book cottages, condos, waterfront properties and every space in between. With the recent surge in COVID-19 cases, an increase in flight disruptions and cancellations, and changing international travel restrictions, families are again opting for domestic road trip destinations within a few hours’ drive from home. Vrbo’s top drive-to destinations from major city areas across Canada include [1]: From Toronto: Collingwood, Ontario Read more
I’ve been lucky enough to visit Australia three times. I had a month there in 2000 for the Sydney Olympics, then went back in 2010 for the Toronto Star and then to an Australia Tourism Exchange meeting in Brisbane. I haven’t been everywhere, not by a long shot. But I’ve been visited Sydney, Melbourne, Uluru (formerly Ayer’s Rock), Brisbane/Gold Coast, The Great Barrier Reef, Fraser Island, King’s Canyon, and remote Lord Howe Island. Here’s a mix of some of my photos along with others from Unsplash, to help cover off places I haven’t yet visited.
In yet another step forward for the tourism and airline industry, the Canadian government says it will allow international flights into eight more airports beginning November 30 of this year. As of that day, international flights carrying passengers will be permitted to land at the following additional Canadian airports: St. John’s International John C. Munro Hamilton International Region of Waterloo International Regina International Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Kelowna International Abbotsford International Victoria International These airports, in cooperation with the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency and Transport Canada, are working to implement the measures necessary Read more
