17 minute read
Agents, the bailout and one travel retailer's 5-point plan
a domestic travel program," said Sims. "As we look ahead to contributing to the economic recovery of Canada, the relationship between testing and quarantine must evolve based on data and science.”
In October 2020 WestJet announced it was indefinitely suspending operations to 4 Atlantic Canada gateways – Moncton, Fredericton, Sydney and Charlottetown – and significantly reducing service to 2 more, Halifax and St. John’s, amid the sharp downturn in travel as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Flights to Quebec City were also discontinued.
As a result of the suspensions, WestJet says it will be working with newly established third-party service providers in St. John's and London, ON, and directly with Pacific Coastal Airlines for affected WestJet Link operations in Lloydminster and Medicine Hat.
WestJet continues to operate at more than a 90% reduction year over year. The airlines says passengers impacted will be contacted directly regarding their options for travel to and from the regions. Service is set to resume to all communities as of June 24, 2021.
Travel agents, the bailout, and one travel retailer’s 5-point plan
TORONTO — Knowing that travel agents and commission recalls are on the radar for the federal government amid the airline bailout talks - and hearing from ACTA that it’s a matter of ‘how’, not ‘if’, commissions will be protected - is a significant light at the end of the tunnel after a very long 11 months for Canada’s travel agents.
ACTA is currently in talks with the Ministry of Finance, which has taken over the airline industry bailout file from the Ministry of Transport. “Our talks have moved on from asking that travel agents and travel agencies be protected from commission recalls, to HOW to achieve that in whatever aid package is arrived at,” said ACTA President Wendy Paradis. “We are very encouraged by this and it is becoming clear that negotiations are at a critical stage and that decisions are expected very soon.”
Cuplinskas went on to note that since the beginning of the pandemic, the air sector has received more than $1.7 billion in support through CEWS, and that in the Fall Economic Statement, more than $1 billion was committed in support for airports and smaller airlines.
“Any further taxpayer support will prioritize (1) refunding Canadians for cancelled flights; (2) retaining and reinstating regional routes in Canada; and (3) protecting jobs across the air sector. We continue to emphasize this in our ongoing conversations with the airlines. In a country as vast as Canada, it’s essential we maintain connections between people and our communities. Maintaining a vibrant, competitive Canadian air sector and Canadian airlines is a priority,” says Cuplinskas, reiterating the federal government's messaging since talk of a potential bailout began back on Nov. 8, 2020. ONE AGENCY OWNER’S 5-POINT PLAN
Jamie Milton with Uniglobe Carefree Travel in Saskatoon, SK says there needs to be a multi-pronged approach to be effective and to get the assistance where it needs to go.
Milton adds: “I am heartened by ACTA’s thoughts that a commission protection fund is getting closer to a reality.”
Here’s Milton’s 5-point plan for how best the federal government can help travel agents, especially with the potential bailout …
“Step 1 would be to ensure that any future refunds by airlines and tour operators protected travel agent commissions and that those commissions that were rightfully earned would not be
Feedback sent to Travelweek from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, has underscored that positive news.
We wanted to know, with Canadian travel agents looking at potentially $200 million in recalled commissions in the face of mass refunds from Canada's airlines due to the pandemic, what if anything is the federal government doing to protect travel agent commission as part of the airline bailout, one that's contingent on refunds?
Says Katherine Cuplinskas, Press Secretary for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance: “We remain committed to supporting Canadians airlines, people who work in the air sector, and travel agents who have been especially hard-hit during this unprecedented and difficult time.”
Discussions between the airlines and the government to finalize the financial assistance package, first announced back in November 2020, are reportedly now in the home stretch.
recalled,” says Milton.
“Step 2 would be to have a fund where travel agencies and independent consultants would be able to claim for commissions already recalled over the past 12 months. There would need to be criteria set up to ensure that there were checks and balances in place (commission recall notices, proof of commission recall, etc).
“Step 3 would be to offer the 90% CERS (Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy) to all travel agencies. Travel agencies have, effectively, been shut down by the government since March of 2020. With all of the travel restrictions in place, we cannot perform our services and the government is actively asking us NOT to perform our services.”
Milton says that in Saskatchewan, her agency storefront is still open, so she only qualifies for 65% CERS, yet she’s down 95% in sales, just like agencies in Ontario who closed their storefronts. “We all face the same restrictions on our product – we should all qualify for the higher CERS” and it should be backdated to October when the program came out, she notes.
“Step 4 is that the CRB (Canada Recovery Benefit) needs to be continued beyond 26 weeks,” says Milton. “There are travel agents and independent consultants whose time on CRB will be running out in March. The economy and travel restrictions are worse than they were in September when this program was announced. To end the CRB now would mean that many self employed travel consultants or independent travel consultants would be left with ZERO income. They would be ineligible for EI and many are having great difficulty finding alternative work during this time.”
Finally, says Milton, Step 5 is that the CEWS (Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy) needs to be continued at 75% or higher through June 2021 and beyond.
“With travel restrictions in place until the end of April, there is no chance that travel will be ‘back’ and travel agencies will be in a place to support full wages by June,” she says. “The government needs to take all of these factors into account and come up with a well-rounded approach.”
Further assistance is essential, says Milton. “The travel and tourism industry is so critical to a strong economic recovery and the government has invested in supporting us this long. To let us fail now would be a tragedy.” Tourism Malaysia’s ‘Book Now Travel Later, Malaysia Awaits You’ campaign, which kicked off recently in partnership with Canada One Travel, Goway Travel, Royal Scenic Holidays and SITA World Tours, is going strong.
The initiative includes a fun contest for the trade that went live on Travelweek.ca at the start of February and runs through March 21.
‘Book Now Travel Later, Malaysia Awaits You’ also features brand new Malaysian travel deals that extend through 2022, all aimed at inspiring clients into travelling again.
Malaysia positions itself as the cultural hub of Asia for good reason. as a melting-pot of cultures, not just from its own diverse populace, but from all of Asia. Inclusivity and differences are revered and celebrated here. Spanning Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Taoism, Sikhism and Catholicism, among many others, Malaysia has created a unique melding of these amazing cultures.
According to the 2020 Global Peace Index, which spans a survey of 163 countries around the world, Malaysia is also ranked as the 20th most peaceful country in the world, the fifth most peaceful country in the Asia Pacific region, and the second most peaceful country in all of Southeast Asia.
Malaysia’s rich history led to two of its cities, Melaka and George Town, joining the ranks of UNESCO’s ‘World Heritage Cities’ in 2008. The cities offer exceptional examples of multi-cultural trading towns culminating from exchanges between Malay, Chinese and Indian cultures as well as the three different European powers - the Portuguese, Dutch and British - who have all left their legacies on both cities.
Being home to so many cultures also means a celebration of festivals all year round, and Malaysia has a public holiday for each and every one of the country’s main festivals. And with such depth of cultures, Malaysia is also, not surprisingly, a food paradise. Besides Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisine, there are the fusion gastronomical delights that have put Malaysia on the global culinary map. Top must-try dishes in Malaysia include nasi lemak, which is Malaysia’s national dish, and go-to breakfast for many Malaysians, with a good serving of coconut rice, topped off with a spicy sambal, and garnished with crispy fried anchovies and peanuts, fresh cucumber and topped off with slices of boiled egg. Other top picks include laksa, roti canai and char kway teow.
VISIT FLORIDA's launch of the new Wanderlust - Florida docu-series
VISIT FLORIDA launches ‘Wanderlust: Florida’ docu-series with The Weather Network
TORONTO — VISIT FLORIDA and The Weather Network, along with partner Air Canada, have launched ‘Wanderlust: Florida’, a brand new 4-part docu-series.
Kicking the series off with an online screening event, VISIT FLORIDA’s President and CEO, Dana Young, said Wanderlust: Florida “shines a light on many of the state’s hidden gems.”
Wanderlust: Florida is airing on The Weather Network over four weeks on Thursdays (10 p.m. EST) with re-airs on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Each instalment is 18 minutes long. The first episode, on Feb. 18, focused on Florida’s Space Coast. Episode 2 (Feb. 25) highlights the Crystal River and area. Episode 3 (March 4) is all about the Fort Myers & Sanibel area. And episode 4 (March 11) looks at the Everglades/Keys (out of Ft Lauderdale).
The goal is to get Canadians dreaming of Florida vacations, even if they can’t visit the Sunshine State in person yet.
“Canada is a critical market for us,” said Young, noting that Canada is the state’s number one international market, representing about 25% of its international visitation. In 2019 some 3.6 million Canadians headed to Florida for some fun in the sun, up 2% from 2018.
“Winter in Florida is just not the same without our snowbirds,” she added. “We do miss Canadians very, very much.”
She assured viewers that “travel will come back, and people will travel again, that is a certainty. And we’re working hard to make sure that Florida is at the top of their list.”
Florida Huddle 2021 took place virtually Feb. 8 – 12 with more than 700 participants including buyers, suppliers and, for the first time ever, travel agents, taking part.
“It’s wonderful to have so many travel agents with us,” said Young during Florida Huddle. “The virtual format really lends itself to that. Going forward, if having travel agents join Florida Huddle is successful, and I think it will be, we could continue to have some sort of virtual element, to make sure that agents who can’t be with us in person can take part virtually.”
Florida Huddle 2022 is currently scheduled for Jan. 24 – 26, 2022 at the Tampa Convention Center. VISIT FLORIDA is represented in Canada by VoX International.
More information about the Sunshine State is at VISITFLORIDA.com.
Jamaica Tourist Board launches weddings, romance microsite ‘My Heart Beats JA’
TORONTO — Jamaica has launched a Wedding & Romance microsite as part of its Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) website.
Appropriately named ‘My Heart Beats JA’, the microsite “is a repository of all things love,” according to the JTB.
The microsite has ideas and inspiration for everything from ‘Romantic Getaways’ to ‘Getting Engaged’ to ‘I Do’. Content across the microsite addresses consumer trends, including more intimate or even private destination weddings.
“My Heart Beats JA is a fulfillment of a promise the Jamaica Tourist Board made to continue to evolve the VisitJamaica platform into an ecosystem of all opportunities for tourism in Jamaica. It gives us a great feeling that we have been able to, not just keep our promise, but more importantly, remain true to the objectives we have set for our digital focus,” said Jamaica’s Director of Tourism, Donovan White, at the COVID-safe launch event for ‘My Heart Beats JA’ at the AC Hotel by Marriott in Kingston.
Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, in his keynote address, said: “Jamaica is a place for love, for lovers, for romance and the romantic. Of the over 700 stopover arrivals to the island from January to November last year, 58% of that number represented visitors travelling for weddings and honeymoon. This tells me that Jamaica is truly the heartbeat of the world as it continues to pull and pique the interest of visitors searching for unique experiences.”
The microsite gives opportunities for all licensed vendors and suppliers within the space to be represented, notes the JTB. Visitors to the site, including agents, can connect live with vendors.
To access the My Heartbeats JA microsite, see www.visitjamaica.com/ weddings-and-honeymoons/.
MIAMI — Crystal is the latest cruise line to announce proof of vaccination for all guests once operations resume.
The cruise line is now requiring all guests to be fully inoculated with a COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to their Crystal cruise. Guests will need to provide proof of vaccination before embarkation and must have received both doses of the vaccine if recommended by the manufacturer by that timeline.
In addition, guests must also complete an online form acknowledging this requirement before their cruise tickets will be issued. An FAQ document on the advisory alert section of Crystal’s website has been published for more details.
“We are encouraged by the progress being made with the COVID-19 vaccines and what this means for our Crystal family and the travel industry as a whole as we eagerly look forward to exploring the world again,” said Crystal’s interim president and CEO, Jack Anderson. “We know that peace of mind is the greatest luxury and the vaccine requirement is simply the best way to ensure the safest possible Crystal Experience for all onboard.”
Crystal has voluntarily paused operations through May 2021 for its river fleet, into June for its ocean ships, through Aug. 1 for Crystal Esprit and through August for Crystal Endeavor, giving most travellers ample time to get fully vaccinated prior to departure.
In addition to guests, Crystal’s crew will also be expected to be vaccinated when cruises resume, however, the company acknowledges that this may not be a viable option for all crew members given their age and/or the availability of vaccines in their home countries.
Crystal is at least the fourth cruise line to mandate proof of vaccination for guests. Britain-based Saga Cruises was the first to announce the requirement in January, followed by sister brands American Queen Steamboat Company (AQSC) and Victory Cruise Lines earlier this month.
Among the larger cruise lines, NCL told Travelweek earlier this month that it is “currently exploring all options” regarding vaccinations for guests and crew, while Carnival Corporation said that it is “closely monitoring the situation” and will make a decision with regard to vaccines as the situation evolves.
CLIA also told Travelweek that it is monitoring vaccine developments and that a “multi-layer” approach, one that includes 100% testing, mask-wearing, physical distancing and other measures, is best to help mitigate risk.
HASCAP loan input needed, says ACTA
TORONTO — ACTA is providing feedback and recommendations to the Ministry of Finance to ensure that the HASCAP program, which opened on Feb. 1, is working for travel agencies and that there is ease of access.
ACTA President Wendy Paradis says ACTA is lobbying the government to allow a portion of the HASCAP loan to be forgiven, similar to what was offered with the CEBA program.
ACTA is asking travel agencies to advise ACTA of their experience with applying for the HASCAP loan so that ACTA can follow up directly with the government if there are any roadblocks or issues.
Paradis says ACTA is also preparing to submit its recommendations to Pre-Budget Consultations with the federal government and is asking for extensions of support for the sector.
On Feb. 19 the federal government announced a 12-week extension for CRB.
“Travel agencies, travel agents and independent travel agents are unique with sector specific challenges including the recall of commission tied to consumer refunds, and the need to extend the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) beyond the current 26 weeks. CRB should be at minimum 52 weeks, or until 90 days after travel and border restrictions are eased, and the extension should also include those collecting EI Benefits,” said Paradis.
ACTA is hosting a webinar on March 2 (English) and March 4 (French), which will cover the latest updates on advocacy aid, provincial programs and travel industry restart plans. For more details see ACTA.ca.
Agencies are asked to advise ACTA of their experience with applying for HASCAP so that ACTA can follow up directly with the government
David Boigné, President of 5Continents
5Continents launches dedicated Le Boat portal for agents
TORONTO — 5Continents, an inbound tour specialist, is offering travel agents a section on its website dedicated to Le Boat and its products.
Exclusive to agents, the booking engine is password protected and features boat rentals only. Agents can visit https://5-continents.ca/what-we-doleboat/ for the password.
In business for 50 years, Le Boat offers houseboat vacations in Europe and on Canada’s Rideau Canal. Its fleet of boats has been compared to floating cottages that come with fully-equipped kitchens, private showers and bathrooms, comfortable cabins and a top-deck ‘fun deck.’ No boat licence or previous boating experience is required.
“Canada’s UNESCO World Heritage Rideau Canal is undoubtedly the featured destination of 2021, however we also wanted to start introducing our European destinations offering perfect opportunities to travel to Europe in a 'bubble' when the time is right,” said David Boigné, President of 5Continents.
Boigné added that though Le Boat is an “exceptional” product, it can also be difficult for travel agents to navigate through the mandatory supplements as well as varying pricing options available to clients.
“It sells much easier when packaged with transportation to and from the base and/or with a pre- or post-stay and this is exactly what we are offering travel agents and their clients,” he added. “We are the one-stop shop making the booking experience stress-free.”
Packages are offered offline and include a higher commission. Agents can contact info@5continentsca.com or call 1-866-239-6474 for more details.
Lisa Mclean, Le Boat Sales & Marketing Manager, North America and Latin America, added: “We are extremely happy to see our products being packaged and offered to the travel agent community in a ‘ready to book’ format.”
The boating season in Europe opens as early as March 2021 and in Ontario on May 22, 2021.
Sunwing’s Freedom 21/22 Sale includes up to $1,000 in added value
TORONTO — Sunwing is looking ahead to brighter days with its new Early Booking Bonus, featuring exclusive discounts and special perks.
The Freedom 21/22 Sale applies to select vacation packages booked by March 31, 2021, for travel between Nov. 1, 2021 and April 30, 2022, and gives early bookers up to $1,000 in value per couple when they plan their future getaway.
The Freedom 21/22 sale also includes reduced deposits of $100 per person, complimentary Price Drop Cash Back of up to $800 per couple at select resorts and the ability to change or cancel their plans anytime with ease. Complimentary COVID-19 coverage is also included on all packages for travel between now and Dec. 31, 2021.
Clients looking forward to the freedom of future travel can choose to stay at the brand new Planet Hollywood Beach Resort Cancun, an entertainment-themed resort featuring A-lister amenities. It’s also home to the first-ofits-kind Planet Hollywood Adult Scene Cancun, a resort-within-a-resort for guests aged 18 and over.
According to Sunwing, booking a future vacation ahead of time can result in an instant mood boost. A recent Sunwing survey revealed that 75% of Canadian travellers undergo a spike in excitement the instant they book, proving that the benefits of a vacation start long before a customer gets to the airport.
“Almost a year of quarantining and months of gloomy winter weather is starting to take its toll on Canadians,” said Dr. Peter Nord, acting Chief Medical Advisor for Sunwing Travel Group and Chief Medical Officer at Medcan. “Planning a future vacation to a tropical destination provides numerous mental health benefits and positively influences overall well-being.”
To give Canadians added reassurance, the ‘Safe with Sunwing’ commitment – designed under the advisement of global healthcare leader Medcan – is in place throughout the entire vacation experience and includes the highest health and safety standards.
