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What tour ops are saying about Jamaica
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Jamaica Virtual Product Showcase: Travelweek talks to Transat, Sunwing, ACV & more
TORONTO — With the winter travel season fast approaching, the Jamaica Tourist Board hosted its fi rst-ever Virtual Product Showcase to spread the word that the island is offi cially back on stream and open to Canadians.
Jamaica, which is off ering fl ights from eight Canadian gateways (Calgary, Hamilton, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, Moncton, and St. John’s), is anticipating a healthy and robust winter season, with many resorts, attractions and ground transportation services resuming operations with health and safety protocols in place.
Close to 500 Canadian travel agents registered for the virtual event, which featured over 30 top suppliers, including ACV, Sunwing, Transat, WestJet Vacations, RIU Hotels & Resorts, Sandals, Iberostar Hotels & Resorts, Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts and more. Agents were able to participate in several breakout sessions and connect with suppliers directly, with several prizes up for grabs throughout the course of the event.
Angella Bennett, Regional Director of Tourism-Canada for the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), opened the show with a warm welcome to agents and participants.
“The tourism sector is one of the industries that has been the hardest hit in this pandemic and we are committed as a tourism board to working very, very closely with you to restart travel to Jamaica,” she said. “Our Jamaica tourism sector is a source of pride for our country and we will continue to stand alongside you to get you through this period and back to business.”
Bennett went on to read an offi cial statement from Jamaica’s Director of Tourism Donovan White, who said that yesterday’s one-of-a-kind event allows Jamaica’s tourism industry to bring together hundreds of Canadian travel advisors from across the country.
“Since the start of the global pandemic last year, the travel industry has been turned upside down. And although we don’t know when it will get passed fully, we know that we can’t do without you,” said White in his statement. “The return of Canadian tourism is welcome news for our country’s hotel attraction partners and transportation suppliers and policy workers. On behalf of Jamaica, I want to thank you for your unwavering support as we have navigated the eff ects of the pandemic together.”
Travelweek spoke with several suppliers during breakout sessions, here’s what they had to say:
TRANSAT
Transat is set to resume fl ight operations on July 30, a major milestone that Susan Kooiman, Sr. Business Development Representative-Key Accounts, described as a long time coming. Kooiman told Travelweek that the company has “great product in the system” for agents to book and that its groups department, in particular, has been very busy booking and coding for 2022.
When asked how Jamaica factors into its winter lineup, Kooiman said that Air Transat has long since regarded the destination as a trusted and valued partner.
“We have our fl ights from Toronto and from Montreal, which we’re starting in November. As we go through our season we’re going to pick up the days to about three times a week. And we have some great hotel partners that we have supported and they supported us throughout the years, so we continue that partnership because it’s very important to us,” she said.
And what about the pent-up demand that the industry is anticipating? Is Transat ready to accommodate the surge in bookings?
“Absolutely,” added Kooiman. “We’re ready to hit the ground running and we’re very excited for it. Our travel partners have been waiting patiently and we’re so excited to start and get back to it.” SUNWING
Sunwing’s Dave Wright, Director of Sales, Ontario/Atlantic Canada is also excited for winter, telling Travelweek that he’s anticipating a “very, very busy” season for Jamaica and all other sun destinations and that the team is seeing this uptick already.
“Compared to a couple of years ago, we’re seeing a lot of agencies that are up 60% higher than where they were two years ago for future bookings, say for Nov. 1 onward, which is very promising," said Wright. “Some destinations are fi lling up very quickly, Jamaica for sure is doing well. We see every booking that comes through these days and
Angella Bennett, Jamaica Tourist Board
the number of Christmas and New Year holidays that are being booked is amazing.”
Wright also noted that groups business has been huge – and not just for weddings.
“We’re seeing a lot of families who maybe haven’t been able to get together for the last year and a half, who want to get together and do a trip. So that’s a big part of our business, in addition to individual bookings.”
As bookings pick up, Wright added that Sunwing has made a point to celebrate the successes of its most loyal travel agent partners, many of whom have been “laying low” for the last year.
“Now they’re coming back and we’re always celebrating their fi rst booking in this new world, and it’s just really nice to see,” he said. “It’s going to be a great winter and the role of a travel agent is going to be very important. Consumers are going to want their help to navigate and make their trips as memorable as they possibly can.”
Wright also confi rmed that Sunwing’s winter product lineup, including in Jamaica, is very comparable to preCOVID times. This season, Sunwing will fl y to Jamaica’s MBJ from 10 Canadian gateways (Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Moncton, St. John’s and Halifax) and off er 54 resorts to choose from in Negril, Montego Bay, Runaway Bay and Ocho Rios. AIR CANADA VACATIONS
Mary Santonato, Air Canada Vacations’ Manager, National Accounts, told Travelweek that the company is expecting a “very, very good winter,” with sales for 2022 well over 2019 numbers. Jamaica, in particular, is expected to perform well as it serves as one of ACV’s biggest and most important destinations.
“Our bookings are coming in strong daily and we’re seeing some really great days and continue to see growth almost weekly,” she said. “The wait times are long however, at least where the bookings are coming in people are patient, which we’re happy about.”
When asked whether all of ACV’s Jamaica product is back online, XX said it will be a gradual ramping up.
“For all the hotels that are open and operational, we defi nitely are using them but we get notices on a regular basis for delays and what not. But I can confi dently say that our Jamaica product is currently robust heading into the winter season.” IBEROSTAR HOTELS & RESORTS
With three properties in Jamaica (Iberostar Rose Hall Beach, Iberostar Rose Hall Suites and Iberostar Grand, all of which are located side by side in Montego Bay), Iberostar Hotels & Resorts is anticipating a busy winter season on the island. Jason Gignac, Business Development Manager, Travel Agency Sales (AB, SK, MB) at Iberostar Group, told Travelweek that the company is seeing increased demand out in Eastern Canada and that it’s starting to “trickle” throughout Western Canada as well.
When asked whether all three properties are ready to welcome back Canadians in terms of health and safety, Gignac said “absolutely.” He referenced Iberostar’s new ‘How We Care’ program, which includes over 300 health and safety measures, as well as on-site PCR testing for guests available for US$150.
Gignac is encouraging travel agents to learn more about Iberostar’s health and safety measures at iberostaragents.ca. JAMAICA’S LATEST ENTRY UPDATES
All people arriving in Jamaica at this time are subject to quarantine, based on their assigned traveller category. For non-residents visiting Jamaica for tourism purposes and staying at approved ‘resilient corridor’ accommodation, they must undergo a health screening and risk assessment and may be required to be tested at the airport upon arrival or at their designated facility. Those not required to be tested on arrival will be allowed to go to their hotel/resort under the ‘Stay in Resilient Corridor’ control measure, which states that tourists must remain at their hotel/resort within the corridor for the duration of their stay.
For fully vaccinated non-residents visiting Jamaica for tourism purposes and not staying within the resilient corridor, the home quarantine period has been reduced to eight days following the date of landing on the island. Those who have not been vaccinated or not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be placed under the home quarantine measure for a period of 14 days following the date of arrival in Jamaica.
Other notable updates on the ground in Jamaica include increased capacity for weddings to 100 guests. Hotels, resort cottages and attractions not located within the Resilient Corridors can also now receive guests once they have their JTB licence, TPDco’s COVID-19 Compliance Certifi cate and obey protocols.
Jamaica currently considers anyone who has received two doses of an approved COVID-19 vaccine to be fully vaccinated, regardless of whether they have received diff erent brands of vaccine.
Air Canada and WestJet are currently fl ying into Montego Bay from YYZ, while Transat, Swoop and Sunwing are scheduled to resume service in the coming weeks. For the winter season starting Nov. 1, Air Canada will fl y from Toronto and Montreal, WestJet from Toronto, Calgary and Winnipeg, Swoop from Toronto and Hamilton, and Sunwing from Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, Edmonton, St. John, Ottawa, Hamilton, Winnipeg and Calgary.
These cruise lines are not permitting passengers with mixed COVID-19 vaccines onboard
TORONTO — Fully vaccinated Canadians who’ve had mixed doses of COVID-19 vaccines may be out of luck when trying to book with certain cruise lines.
Carnival and Holland America Line, NCL and Princess have all updated their health and safety protocols to deny passengers who’ve mixed and matched certain vaccine doses.
In June, Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) changed its guidelines to allow for mixing and matching COVID-19 vaccines, saying that a fi rst dose of the AstraZeneca-Oxford/COVIDSHIELD vaccine can be followed up with a second AstraZeneca shot or a Pfi zer-BioNTech or Moderna shot. The committee also advises that Pfi zer and Moderna, both mRNA vaccines, can be interchangeable for fi rst and second doses.
According to Health Canada, approximately 1.3 million Canadians received a mixed-dose fi nish to their vaccination schedule in June.
Here are the latest updates from cruise lines:
CARNIVAL
According to Carnival’s COVID-19 guest protocols page on its website, for cruises departing the United States, the CDC requires both vaccines in a 2-dose series to be of the same type. It also accepts mixing mRNA vaccines only (Pfizer and Moderna). No other vaccine combination will meet the criteria to be considered fully vaccinated.
“So, for example, Canadian or other international guests who received a combination of AstraZeneca and Pfizer are considered unvaccinated by the CDC,” said Carnival. HOLLAND AMERICA LINE
According to Holland America, guests who have received one single dose of a vector vaccine like AstraZeneca and one single dose of an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna) will not be considered fully vaccinated.
Guess who’ve received two single doses of mixed vaccines that are the same type (ie. both mRNA) will, however, be considered fully vaccination and will be permitted to sail, so long as the final dose is received at least 14 days prior to the beginning of the cruise. NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE
NCL cited vaccine guidelines from the FDA and the World Health Organization, both of which authorized single brand vaccination protocol for ships embarking or disembarking at U.S. ports. These include J&J Janssen, Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca/Oxford. Mixed vaccination protocol will not be accepted (Pfizer + Moderna or AstraZeneca + Pfizer, for example).
All other vessels departing from a nonU.S. port will accept any U.S. FDA, European Medicines Agency (EMA) or WHO authorized single brand vaccination protocol, or a mixed vaccination protocol of only AstraZeneca-SK Bio, Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna combinations. Vaccines received via clinical trials will not be accepted. PRINCESS
According to Princess, guests who have received one single dose of a vector vaccine (ie. AstraZeneca) and one single dose of an mRNA vaccine (ie. Pfizer/BioNTech or MOderna) will not be considered fully vaccinated.
Guests who have received two single doses of mixed vaccines that are the same type (ie. mRNA) will be considered fully vaccinated and will be permitted to sail, so long as the final dose is received at least 14 days prior to the beginning of the cruise.
Canada Jetlines adds to its senior leadership team with Bureau and Anand
TORONTO — Duncan Bureau has officially joined the Canada Jetlines team.
Bureau has been named Chief Commercial Officer for the ultra low-cost carrier. He returns to the Canadian airline industry after a year with Etihad Airways, where he was Senior VP Sales & Distribution.
Bureau is well known in the Canadian travel industry and an airline industry veteran, from his early days at Canadian Airlines and WestJet, to Malaysia Airlines, and then to Air Canada where he was Global Vice President Sales & Distribution for four years before being named President of Air Canada Rouge. He’s also co-founder of the LorEau Group based in Abu Dhabi.
In his new role Bureau will oversee the development of the various commercial platforms and distribution network for Canada Jetlines.
The airline has also appointed Anup Anand as Director of Cabin Safety and In-Flight. Most recently, as Managing Director In-Flight Service at Air Canada, Anand was responsible for more than 8,500 cabin crew. Anand brings more than 27 years of aviation leadership experience. Says Jetlines’ CEO Eddy Doyle: ”As we build out the Jetlines organization, I am excited by the prospect of having such high caliber professionals join our company. Their extensive experience and industry knowledge will be instrumental in building out our go to market strategy and creating our low-cost airline model.”
“Canadians can look forward to new alternatives for vacation flights as we look at initially serving South Florida, the Caribbean, and Mexican markets,” he added.
The ULCC’s long runway to takeoff, a process that’s been in the works for several years, has looked more promising since December 2019 when it announced it was teaming up with U.S.-based Global Crossing Airlines Group (GlobalX).
Most recently, in September 2020, there was news of the potential for Canada Jetlines Vacations.
Jetlines’ operations are pending CTA approval. Currently the company says it’s aiming to offer flights into sun destinations in the U.S. and Mexico using a fleet of Airbus A320s.
G Adventures celebrates 250th departure, over 200 more coming in August
TORONTO — G Adventures continues to ramp up its global operations, with 165 trips scheduled to operate this month alone and more than 200 de-
partures ready to go for August.
The adventure specialist, which celebrated its 250th trip since the start of the pandemic earlier this month, is confi dent that international travel is making a comeback around the world. A total of 11 travellers departed Cairo on July 11 for the milestone trip, a 12day ‘Egypt Upgraded’ journey travelling from Cairo return.
Later this month, G Adventures clients will have even more destinations to choose from, with Ecuador, Jordan, Portugal, South Africa and Spain joining the already opened Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Egypt, Greece, Iceland, Mexico, Montenegro, Morocco, Tanzania, Turkey and the United States.
To encourage more travellers to book, the company is extending its current sale and off ering up to 25% off more than 100 itineraries across seven travel styles, for trips booked by July 31, 2021 and departing before Oct. 31, 2021.
All trips booked benefi t from G Adventures’ newly updated ‘Book with Confi dence’ policy, which allows travellers to cancel and rebook their trip up to 14 days before departure. They will also all operate with the company’s ‘Travel with Confi dence’ policy, which ensures the most up-to-date health and safety measures.
David Green, vice president commercial and managing director for Canada at G Adventures, says bookings for Canadians are picking up dramatically for tours departing in September and October, and he hopes the current incentive encourages more travellers to book their bucket list trips and demonstrate their commitment to the travel industry, and the communities it serves.
“We’re so close to bringing international travel back for Canadians, and we welcome the relaxation of the hotel quarantine for vaccinated travellers. As vaccination rates increase the next step is for the government to offi cially reopen the borders, which we hope happens very soon.
“Our 250th trip proves that safe international travel is possible, and we can’t wait to welcome even more Canadians onto our trips as soon as we can this year. The local communities we visit are delighted to have our travellers back, and we are excited to get
back to doing what we do best - changing people’s lives through travel. Though Green noted that the majority of travellers on the company’s fi rst 250 departures have not been Canadians, he wants to reassure agency partners that G Adventures is up and running. “There is no slow ramp up to operations,” he added. “Operationally, we are back and we are ready to welcome their travellers on our tours. We’re seeing incredible month-on-month sales and enquiry growth and we also want to thank all our agents for their support and patience as we handle this surge in demand.” Example itineraries with up to 25% off as part of the extended sale include: Costa Rica Quest – Plus, a nine-day tour from San Jose return, departing from Sept. 3, 2021 and now priced from $899; Egypt Upgraded – Plus, a 12-day trip from Cairo return, departing from Aug. 15, 2021, now priced from $2,479 per person; and Highlights of Portugal, a seven-day trip from Lisbon to PorHKS_7x4-875in_EN_062021_op.pdf 1 8/6/2021 14:15:59 to, departing from Oct. 3, 2021, now priced from $1,143 per person.
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TORONTO — The winners have been announced for VISIT FLORIDA’S Florida Travel Pro contest, launched earlier in June to celebrate the destination’s new and improved specialist program.
Isabelle De Roy of Voyages Aquaterra in Laval, QC, Lorene Attewell of Vision Travel in Saskatoon, SK, and Beverley Haynes of CWT Vacations in Toronto, ON have all won a specially curated Florida gift box valued at US$200. Each box contains items from specialty lifestyle brand Spartina 449.
All contest entrants had to complete all seven modules of the VISIT FLORIDA Travel Pro Specialist Program, which is designed to showcase top offerings in the state including attractions, shopping, arts & culture, nightlife, music & theatre, festivals & events, accommodations, beaches, spas and golf. Agents also learned about possible road trips in Florida as well as the destination’s eco-tourism and LGBTQ offerings.
Credit: CanLink
TTAND agent named North America’s top overall sales agent for Silversea
TORONTO — One of The Travel Agent Next Door’s very own has been named the top overall sales agent for Silversea cruises for all of North America for the month of May 2021.
Sandra McLeod of Red Door Travel in LaSalle, Ontario was awarded the distinction, winning a free cruise onboard Silversea’s brand new ship, Silver Dawn.
On being recognized, McLead said: “I was totally surprised and then super excited. I had to read the email a few times and called my husband to read it. Not just winning number one sales agent but for all of North America – for me that is huge! I know how many large luxury travel agents and agencies there are in the U.S. so for me to win is truly an honour.”
Flemming Friisdahl, Founder of The Travel Agent Next Door, added: “We are extremely proud of Sandra winning top overall sales for North America. This is an amazing achievement, particularly at this time.” TORONTO — With travellers looking for more privacy, more space and more personalized service nowadays, many experts are anticipating a quick comeback for luxury travel. Leading the way will be Canlink Travel Representatives, which represents some of the world’s most ultra-luxe hotels. We asked President Elaine Carnegie how she foresees the market to evolve post-pandemic and what agents need to know to better sell luxury moving forward.
What kind of winter season are you anticipating?
Forward bookings are very good and inquiries keep coming in. This winter will be one of the busiest in a long time. The main message is to book the luxury product now in order to secure the dates, hotel and the suite type or villa that you want. It does not take long for a luxury hotel with 30 or 50 rooms to fill when booked by travellers worldwide.
Jamaica Inn, Jamaica
Let’s talk luxury with Canlink Travel Representatives
Do you think luxury travel will be in greater demand post-pandemic?
Luxury travel will continue to be in great demand – it is now and will continue to be. Our luxury hotels have a fewer number of suites in total than the larger hotels, which allows them to offer a tremendous amount of space. The luxury traveller really wants to catch up on the travel they have missed, as you never know what the future may bring.
Are you seeing more private group bookings?
Yes! Families and small groups of friends want to reconnect. Our hotels that offer large two-, three- and four-bedroom suites and, of course, our villas are very popular for these small groups. A group of 20 friends can book a few villas and create a very personalized experience. Plus, families can book a couple of two-bedroom suites for their small group. We even have two-bedroom villas that are fantastic with a cook, housekeeper and more.
Do you think new health protocols will take away from the luxury experience?
Not at all because clients and their agents are getting used to the new requirements for various destinations. Plus, luxury hotels have fine-tuned how they handle this on property as they realize how very important health and safety are to the experience. The client realizes this is part of the experience now and will definitely notice the attention to detail. They will feel very comfortable, relaxed and pleased.
What do agents need to know about booking luxury travel right now?
They need to stress to their clients to book their vacation now to avoid disappointment. Also, suggest luxury options to clients you may have previously thought were not a luxury client. We are seeing the new luxury client is one who has now changed the importance of some things in their life and luxury travel is a new choice for them. We are happy to help agents any time to provide information to help them close a sale to any of our very special hotels and villas.
For more information go to canlink travel.com.
QUBE Hotel Toronto
QUBE Hotel Toronto gets ready for its fall 2021 debut
TORONTO — The new QUBE Hotel Toronto is set to open in fall 2021.
The seven-story, 118-key boutique property will take centre stage on the historic Westinghouse Canada Building site in the heart of downtown Toronto’s iconic Theatre District and close to the CN Tower, Ripley’s Aquarium and more.
Geared to both the corporate and leisure travel markets, the QUBE Hotel will offer state of the art fitness facilities, an indoor swimming pool with open deck terrace, media room, healthy Mediterranean cuisine and two bars. The look of the property is contemporary and yet comfortable, with natural materials and high-end finishes –from marble tones to rich wood millwork – incorporated throughout.
Spacious luxury suites provide views to Toronto’s cityscape, while the double-height hotel lobby features a centerpiece sculptural staircase connecting the lobby to the ballroom level, providing a striking focal point. Standard suites are available in kings and double queens.
The QUBE Hotel will be operated by Greenland International Hotel Group and bookings are commissionable to travel agents. Agents can contact the hotel for more details at 416-260-7823. Online see qubetoronto.com or overseas-gihg.com.
Barbados reverses policy to grant quarantine-free entry to fully vaccinated mixeddose travellers
TORONTO — Let’s hope there’s more quick action like this where travel destinations and questions about mixed vaccines are concerned.
The Barbados government has reversed its stance on mixed vaccines, in the wake of trade and consumer media reports highlighting the island’s policies.
In a new statement to its travel industry partners, Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI) said Barbados has updated its travel protocols and will now accept mixed vaccines.
“The Government of Barbados continues to review and update its travel protocols for entry into the country. The latest update, effective July 15, 2021, will allow for travellers with mixed vaccines to be categorized as Fully Vaccinated,” says BTMI.
“Travellers who have mixed vaccine regimens of Ministry of Health and Wellness approved vaccines will be considered Fully Vaccinated, for example, first dose of one brand followed by second dose of another which is not a one-dose regimen.”
Previously Barbados had been categorizing travellers with mixed vaccine brands as unvaccinated. That meant that any travellers to Barbados who are fully vaccinated, but with more than one brand, would need to follow the protocols for unvaccinated travellers. That included a five-day quarantine upon arrival.
BTMI’s statement about the updated policy allowing mixed vaccine doses includes a link for more information on Barbados’ travel protocols, including the list of accepted vaccines: www.barbados travelprotocols.com.
ACV has 2021-22 winter sun flights from Vancouver, Winnipeg and Calgary
MONTREAL — Air Canada Vacations has released its new lineup of 2021/2022 flights out of Western Canada.
Nonstop flights are available from Vancouver, Calgary and Winnipeg to Mexico, and connections to an additional 31 destinations in Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. VANCOUVER: Daily flights to Cancun; five flights per week to Puerto Vallarta; daily flights to Mexico City; two flights per week to Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo; and three flights per week to Los Cabos CALGARY: Four flights per week to Cancun; two flights per week to Puerto Vallarta; and one flight per week to Los Cabos WINNIPEG: Two flights per week to Cancun
ACV’s Western Canada schedule starts in November 2021.
Air Canada Vacations’ Travel with Confidence policy offers flexibility and high standards for health and safety included throughout the journey. Together with Air Canada CleanCare+, clients will have complete peace of mind, says ACV.
Air Canada also has more nonstop options to Hawaii. Plus, Las Vegas is available out of Western Canada with nonstop flights from Vancouver and Calgary. Clients who book by Aug. 22, 2021 for travel until Dec. 15, 2021 will benefit from 50% off on travel protection.
