Travelweek - March 4th, 2021

Canada’s Travel Trade News March 4, 2021 travelweek.ca

Yes, there’s cruising this summer St. Lawrence Cruise Lines will set sail May - October 2021, pg. 3 and Le Boat is on offer too

Expansion at Sandals Royal Barbados, and Sandals Emerald Bay reopens

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Frustration and anger from agents about the quarantine hotel booking system WestJet celebrates 25 years

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TOP NEWS

One U.S. ‘solution’ to save the Alaska cruise season may not work for Canadian agents and clients, but anyone missing vacations on the open water has options for summer 2021

by Kathryn Folliott TORONTO — After a very long year with no big ship cruising, it looked like there might finally be smooth waters ahead.

A U.S. congressional committee said it wanted to work with Canadian authorities to save this summer’s Alaska cruise season. That’s good news, right?

Not so fast, unfortunately. After Transport Minister Omar Alghabra’s announcement that the Canadian cruise ban would stay in place until March 2022, the U.S. congressional committee called on the Canadian government to re-consider, adding that one possible solution could be for Alaska-bound cruise ships to sail Canadian waters without disembarking passengers at Canadian ports.

So the big cruise ships could be sailing in Canadian waters. But would Canadian passengers be onboard? With Canada’s cruise ban, ships would have to depart from U.S. ports. While the vaccination rollouts are underway in both Canada and the U.S., there’s no telling when the Canada-U.S. border, closed for almost a year now, will reopen for travel. So unless a Canadian travel agent has U.S. clients, the solution for saving the Alaska season isn’t much use for Canadian travel agents, or Canadian travellers for that matter (even if it’s potentially great news for the cruise lines).

But if you have clients longing to be back on the water this summer, take heart. There are options.

ST. LAWRENCE CRUISE LINES Most years St. Lawrence Cruise Lines (SLCL) has 55% of its passengers coming from the U.S., 10% from Europe and 45% from Canada. “Last year, that number was 100% from Canada,” says Daniel Beals, SLCL’s marketing and advertising coordinator.

The Kingston, ON-based cruise line and its 32-stateroom ship, Canadian Empress, has been popular with Canadian travellers, and travel agents, for years. But the pandemic was a game-changer. Asked if the shift in focus

St. Lawrence Cruise Lines

to domestic vacations made more Canadians aware of SLCL, the answer is an emphatic yes.

“Part of it is due to a significant shift in our marketing away from advertising to an American audience in order to focus exclusively on Canada. The other part is simply a high demand for Canadian domestic travel packages,” says Beals.

“Individual consumers, travel agents, and tour operators are all looking for more Canadian options and they are seeking us out as an alternative to the international tours or cruises that they have booked in the past.”

Here’s a stat that underlines just how much SLCL is on the radar for the trade these days: In the past 4 months the company has given more presentations to tour operators than in the previous 10 years.

Last month SLCL, which sails on the St. Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers, confirmed operations for 2021, with overnight cruises on both rivers May 20 - Oct. 24, 2021. A variety of cruises ranging from four to seven nights will depart from Kingston, Ottawa and Quebec City, sailing exclusively in domestic waters with stops at select ports in Ontario and Quebec.

The Canadian cruise ban applies to 100-plus-passenger vessels, so the 32-stateroom Canadian Empress is ex-

empt. And SLCL already had a chance to test-run its health and safety protocols in fall 2020.

Says Beals: “2020 was difficult financially for everyone in the travel industry, but last fall we were able to run one month of 4-night / 5-day cruises. This was important because it gave us the opportunity to integrate our COVID-19 Health & Safety program into our cruises. Statistically speaking, we urge passengers to fill out comment cards at the end of each cruise and 98% of our passengers last fall said that they would travel with us again, despite the additions of masking and physical distancing rules on board. That sent a clear message that we can continue to offer the same beautiful and relaxing cruises while keeping everyone safe.”

We asked Beals about frequent questions and concerns SLCL hears from people looking to book. “We get a number of questions about our health and safety protocols (available at stlawrencecruiselines.com), and whether we will require our passengers to be vaccinated in order to travel. The answer to that is that we will not require passengers to be vaccinated, but rather they will need a clear Covid-19 test within 72 hours of departure. This is because we just haven’t seen the federal and provincial governments move fast enough March 4, 2021 | TRAVELWEEK | 3

TOP NEWS on vaccinations.”

The pandemic has created opportunities, some new, some renewed. “It has forced us to refocus on all of our relationships in the travel industry.

We have tried to re-commit to building stronger relationships with tour operators, attractions, guides, port authorities, and travel agents. Sometimes when you are successful and independent for many years, you forget how important those relationships become during tough times,” says Beals.

Beals says SLCL is advertising “very heavily” in Canada, in magazines, newspapers, TV commercials, social media, and search advertising. “Beyond that, we are trying to spread the word through our relationships with travel agents and travel media that yes, we are running in 2021,” he said.

SLCL pays 10% commission to travel agents.

St. Lawrence Cruise Lines, sailing May - October 2021, has given more presentations to tour operators in the past 4 months than in the previous 10 years Agents are extremely important to SLCL, says Beals. “We need to reach out to more Canadians than we ever have before, and that means raising awareness and increasing bookings with travel agents. Our hope is that Canadian travellers and travel agents need us more than ever, due to the lack of cruising options for Canadians.”

SLCL’s message to agents? “We have 40 years of experience delivering small ship calm water cruises in Canada, and we are the perfect domestic alternative Got a story idea? Questions or comments? Write to us at editorial@travelweek.ca

TRAVELWEEK

Le Boat

for those travellers that have always cruised abroad – whether it was river cruising or on large ocean-going vessels,” says Beals. “We have a proven track record with safety and a small ship profile at a time when that matters so much. But beyond that, we are here to work with travel agents to help them be successful.”

All agents need to do is call 1-800267-7868 and ask for Mona Fox, SLCL’s Reservations Manager, says Beals. SLCL’s website is stlawrencecruiselines.com.

LE BOAT Another option for clients missing vacations on the open water is Le Boat.

Like SLCL, Le Boat was open for business in 2020 and will return in May 2021. Self-chartered sailings on Le Boat’s fleet of premier Horizon Cruiser houseboats can be tailored to any budget, and the company offers suggested itineraries for three- to five-night short breaks and also seven- to 10+ night vacations, all on the Rideau Canal, the 202-kilometre waterway that stretches from Kingston to Ottawa.

More partners have come onboard in recent months to sell Le Boat, including Transat Distribution Canada (TDC), which announced in December 2020 it was adding Le Boat to its partner portfolio.

Meanwhile 5Continents has added a dedicated Le Boat booking portal, just for agents, on its website. The portal is at https://5-continents.ca/what-we-do/ leboat/. Le Boat’s website is leboat.ca.

130 Queens Quay East, Suite 512, Toronto, Ontario M5A 0P6 Tel: 416.365.1500 Fax: 416.365.1504 Toll-free: 1.855.392.8820 Web: www.travelweek.ca

SUBSCRIPTION RATES (PER YEAR)

Canada: $85 Canadian + $4.25 GST per year United States & International: $100 US per year

We caught up with David Boigné, President of 5Continents, to find out how Le Boat is selling for 5Continents so far for 2021.

“The season is opened and the product is very popular,” says Boigné. “We have groups positioned and a lot of families looking at booking. People are more and more confident they will be able to travel domestically this summer and we expect a booking surge mid-March.”

LeBoat is just one component of a trip, so travel agents can work hand in hand with 5Continents to make LeBoat part of a fully packaged vacation.

“5Continents offers a one stop shop for agents and competitive commission,” says Boigné.

Some clients may have concerns about driving the boat themselves “but we reassure them as it is indeed the easiest thing, thanks to LeBoat’s technology available on board,” he adds.

Canadians love the product, and brand awareness is increasing within the travel trade and with consumers, says Boigné.

Asked what he personally likes about the Le Boat product, Boigné didn’t have to think twice. “Freedom to tailor the itinerary on a daily basis, and the joy of living COVID-free in a bubble. It is such a stress-free environment.”

CONTENTS COPYRIGHTED We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.

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4 | TRAVELWEEK | March 4, 2021

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TOP NEWS

Athens zeroes in on Canadians: “They’re well respected in the travel world”

By Cindy Sosroutomo TORONTO — Now that ‘This Is Athens’ has entered the Canadian market, it’s hit the ground running to connect with the agent community in preparation for the city’s eventual reopening.

Speaking with Travelweek following the appointment of Toronto-based Reach Global Marketing as its new agency of record, Vangelis Vlachos, CEO of the Athens Development and Destination Management Agency, says that one of the reasons why the Official Visitors’ Guide to the City of Athens is focusing on Canadians is because they are great travellers.

“When we’re talking about people making the long-haul journey to Athens, Canadians are the first people we want to be coming because they’re well respected in the travel world,” he says.

Prior to the pandemic, Canadians ranked among the top 10 in arrivals into the Athens airport, with approximately 160,000 arriving in 2019. However, nearly twice that number of Canadians entered via other gateways in Greece, which Vlachos says represents a market opportunity.

“If they’re not entering in Athens, what will it take to get them to come from Mykonos or Santorini or Thessaloniki? It’s an obvious place for them to come because Athens isn’t just the Acropolis and museums, it’s a way of life,” he adds.

Though Athens remains in lockdown due to the pandemic, city officials are anticipating the tourism sector to reopen in the next few months. When it does, it will be ready having already reopened once before last May, which allowed the city to have a relatively normal tourism season, particularly in the islands, thanks to the European market.

Said Vlachos: “The important point as we move forward is that we’ve had experience now with opening for tourism amidst all the anxieties and questions surrounding COVID-19. We’ve gone through this once already, we tested out a number of solutions so when we come back presumably in about three to four months, we’ll have some alreadytested solutions in place.”

Plans are already underway to pre6 | TRAVELWEEK | March 4, 2021

Vangelis Vlachos, CEO of the Athens Development and Destination Management Agency

pare Athens for the return of tourists, particularly those looking for luxury experiences. Hundreds of millions of euros are being invested into the development of hotels, many of them luxury properties in the centre of the city.

This, says Vlachos, was in response to the growing popularity of Airbnb in the last three years, which prompted the hotel sector to upgrade their services

“The important point as we move forward is that we’ve had experience with opening for tourism amidst all the anxieties and questions surrounding COVID-19.” and out-compete the vacation rental company in the luxury space. As a result, Athens has seen a “big shift” from two- to three-star hotels, to “a lot more beds in luxury hotels.”

To keep Athens top of mind among Canadians for when they are able to travel, This Is Athens’ trade strategy will include webinars in both English and French starting mid-March for the Canadian travel trade that will showcase new three- to seven-night itineraries that go ‘Beyond the Acropolis.’

The organization will also host a ‘Travel Trade Athens’ virtual event on April 1920 for leisure product buyers and MICE planners that will include one-on-one sessions between buyers and Athenian DMCs, hoteliers, and attraction and transportation companies. Invitations have already been sent out to Canadian buyers, which will account for roughly 10% of all international buyers attending the event.

Airlift into Athens is also looking strong for 2021, with Air Canada offering up to four weekly flights from both Montreal and Toronto on three-cabin Boeing 777s, and Air Transat offering two flights per week, also from Montreal and Toronto. Both carriers will run service from May through the end of October.

When asked why Canadian travellers should consider Athens in 2021, Vlachos touted the city’s love of al fresco dining, a trend well suited to current health and safety concerns, as well as its close proximity to the beach and its incomparable history, as evident in its wealth of historical landmarks and museums.

“Athens represents endurance and democracy and a city that has been rebuilt over and over again,” he said.

“There’s a lot of tragedy in that but also a lot of hope. I think people will find that idea of deep human experience appealing.”

TOP NEWS

Sandals Royal Barbados

fresh fruit and vegetable smoothies and juices.

In addition, two new freshwater swimming pools will entice guests, one of which will include a full-service pool bar offering newly curated, low-calorie cocktails. Exciting flavours include the Ginger Mule, Brûléed Lemon Sour, Green Gin and Cucumber Slush.

To add even more value to their stay, guests who stay at Sandals Royal Barbados enjoy full exchange privileges with neighbouring Sandals Barbados for a grand total of 20 restaurants, 14 bars, 11 pools and five whirlpools.

The news about South Seas Village comes on the heels of Sandals’ recent expansion at Sandals South Coast, which resulted in the world’s first Swim-up Rondoval Suites in Jamaica as well as a re-imagined beachfront Dutch Village. Sandals also made waves in recent months with the announcement of two new properties coming to Curaçao and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, which will bring the com-

Credit: Sandals

MONTEGO BAY — Sandals Resorts International’s growth plans continue on an upward trajectory with news of a significant expansion at Sandals Royal Barbados.

On July 1 the luxury resort will debut 66 new suites at South Seas Village for a total of 338 rooms, including the brand’s signature Rondoval suites, Skypool and Crystal Lagoon Swim-Up suites, and Millionaire Butler suite concepts. The Village will also house two new wellness-inspired eateries as well as two new pools.

Flanked between lush gardens and Maxwell Beach, South Seas Village will be characterized by spacious and bright rooms that come with the Sandals Tranquility Bed, marble baths, his and her sinks, bath amenities by the Red Lane Spa, a private outdoor Tranquility Soaking Tub for two and a full inroom bar complete with a selection of liquors including Robert Mondavi wine.

These accommodations will also feature blackout shades and an in-room aromatherapy system with relaxing essential oils. Guests staying in the new butler suites category will also enjoy a personal butler, 24-hour room service and VIP check-in.

The two new culinary concepts at South Seas Village will bring the resort’s total restaurant count to nine. The Greenhouse, a rustic farm-to-table eatery, will offer elegant cuisine prepared with locally sourced meats and seafood.

Heart and Sol, meanwhile, combines the variety, speed and service of a New York-style deli that also offers fresh soups, salads, energy-boosting smoothie bowls and nutrient-packed

Credit: Sandals

Bookings open at newly expanded South Seas Village at Sandals Royal Barbados

Sandals Royal Barbados' new South Seas Hideaway Crystal Lagoon Swim-Up Butler Suite with Patio Tranquility Soaking Tub

pany’s total footprint in the Caribbean to nine resorts.

Sandals Royal Barbados is now accepting reservations for accommodations in South Seas Village for arrivals beginning July 1. For more information contact your local Sandals BDM or call 1-800-545-8283.

SANDALS EMERALD BAY REOPENS In other news, Sandals Emerald Bay, Golf, Tennis & Spa Resort in Great Exuma, The Bahamas has become the 11th Sandals Resort to reopen its doors.

The 249-key Sandals Emerald Bay is home to an 18-hole, 7,001 yard, par-72 championship golf course designed by World Golf Hall of Famer and brand ambassador, Greg ‘The Shark’ Norman.

Canadian guests are invited to book now and travel later, and they can do so with confidence through Sandals Resorts’ Book with Confidence program.

The Luxury Included resort company now offers complimentary COVID-19 testing on-resort for departing flights heading back to North America and the UK per new re-entry requirements, in an effort to make the vacation experience as seamless as possible.

“Sandals Emerald Bay is a true exotic escape, and our team is beyond ready to welcome our beloved guests back home to paradise,” said Adam Stewart, Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts International. “We’re greeting our guests with the same 5-star service they’ve come to expect with the seclusion and luxury they’ve been longing for, immersed in the most romantic setting.”

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WORLD NEWS

RETAILERS

AIRPORTS

The Flight Centre Travel Group (FLT) is targeting a return to break-even in both leisure and corporate travel during the 2021 calendar year on the basis that domestic borders are likely to open permanently and some low-risk international travel may be permitted. Recovery to date has been heavily weighted towards corporate and domestic travel – two sectors that FLT is significantly leveraged to, as the company notes in its latest outlook. Managing director Graham Turner says FLT continues to respond to the challenges posed by COVID-19 and the unprecedented travel restrictions that are in place to slow its spread. While global trading conditions remain volatile, results have gradually improved thanks to targeted cost base reductions and revenue increases during the period, he added.

The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) has embarked on a new COVID-19 PCR and antigen testing research program at Toronto Pearson Airport. Now underway, the project is designed to explore the efficacy of antigen testing, compared with the rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, in a high-throughput, commercial environment, says the GTAA. The research will also analyze the operationalization of rapid PCR testing in an airport environment. The GTAA says that throughout Toronto Pearson’s Healthy Airport transformation, the GTAA has remained committed to a science and data-driven approach, guided by experts in healthcare, diagnostic testing, public health, and industry.

DESTINATIONS

CRUISE Carnival, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line and Windstar have all announced extended pauses and additional cruise cancellations due to ongoing travel restrictions amid the global pandemic. Carnival has extended its pause through May 31, 2021. Both Princess and Holland America Line have cancelled a number of Alaska sailings due to the extension of Canada’s cruise ship ban through March 2022. And Windstar has made the decision to postpone its resumption of operations from May to June 2021, citing current COVID-19 transmission rates, travel restrictions and government regulations as the main deciding factors. The cruise line will restart cruise operations in a phased manner, with the initial cruises having reduced guest occupancy, some modified itineraries, and enhanced health and safety protocols.

POLICIES Momentum for vaccination passports appears to be gaining with reports that the European Commission could announce plans for a new EU-wide digital passport. The EC will present plans for a possible vaccination passport this month, with an eye to potentially opening up more travel for Europeans in the summer months. A tweet from EC President Ursula von der Leyen on March 1 said: “We’ll present this month a legislative proposal for a Digital Green Pass. The aim is to provide: Proof that a person has been vaccinated; Results of tests for those who couldn’t get a vaccine yet; Info on COVID-19 recovery. It will respect data protection, security and privacy.”

10 | TRAVELWEEK | March 4, 2021

Less than a year after its launch, the WTTC’s Safe Travels stamp has now been awarded to 250 destinations around the world. The stamp, which debuted in May 2020 in response to the global pandemic, was developed to help restore confidence in travellers and revive the global Travel & Tourism sector. Globally recognized, it enables both business and leisure travellers to distinguish destinations that have adopted health and hygiene global standardized protocols that they can experience ‘Safe Travels.’ Honduras, Belize and Malawi are the latest destinations to join the evergrowing list. VisitBritain, the destination’s tourism agency, has also now been awarded the stamp.

GDSs Travelport has a brand new look after undergoing its firstever end-to-end rebrand. According to CEO Greg Webb, the travel retail platform has “transformed” and is now fully focused on what it does best: connecting buyers and sellers that share its passion for delivering exceptional travel experiences. Travelport’s new visual identity can already be seen on its website and social media channels, which now include Instagram. The full rebrand of all assets, including products and office spaces, will be completed in the coming months. Travelport is the parent company of the Galileo and Worldspan GDSs

NEWS

“A real insult”: What travel retailers are saying about the booking system for the quarantine hotels TORONTO — The frustration travellers are feeling about the hours-long wait times to book quarantine hotel stays is almost as palpable as the frustration from travel agents that these hotel bookings are being handled by one company, when so many struggling agencies could benefit from the business.

It all comes down to contracts. After a 7-year stint with HRG from 2013 to 2020, the federal government’s travel account is now back with with American Express, specifically Amex Global Business Travel (Amex GBT).

“American Express Global Business Travel is the travel management company of record for the Government of Canada and we are actively supporting the Government of Canada’s mandatory hotel stopover requirement for air travellers,” Patrick Doyle, VP and GM, Canada for Amex GBT told Travelweek.

Consumer media reports of anywhere from two to 10-hour wait times facing travellers looking to make quarantine hotel bookings have surfaced since the federal government’s hotel booking info site went live on Feb. 18.

The hotel quarantine rule requiring anyone flying into Canada to have a pre-booked 3-night hotel stay to wait out PCR test results, went into effect Feb. 22.

Like everything else with the pandemic, the hotel quarantine program came together quickly by necessity.

While travellers looking to make bookings are dealing with long wait times, other far more serious issues have come up with the hotel quarantines themselves. In recent days criminal charges were laid against an Ontario man involved in an alleged sexual assault at a Montreal airport quarantine hotel.

“DEBACLE IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT” “The word ‘debacle’ is an understatement” when it comes to the hotel quarantine measures, says TPI President and CEO, Zeina Gedeon. “Our industry is in a shambles, it is on a lifeline. To give the hotel business to a handful of hotels, and to give the reservations to one company, is unacceptable. Instead of making sure everyone is at least getting a piece of this very small pie, the government is continuing to blunder through this.”

Patrice Malacort, General Manager, AVIAJET- ITN Travel-Voyages Canada in Ste Agathe-Des-Monts, QC, is fed up as well. “All of this appears to be an improvised last-minute operation, ignoring the professional capabilities of travel agencies and having the sole purpose of deterring Canadians from traveling abroad, for whatever reason.

For travel agencies that have been in ‘hibernation’ mode for many months, this represents a real insult and a complete disregard for our industry severely affected by the pandemic,” he told Travelweek.

Malacort adds: “Not only are the clients of travel agencies forced to pay an exorbitant amount for these two or three nights of hotels, they are also forced to transact through a ‘competing’ agency. This is totally unfair and unacceptable.”

ACTA President Wendy Paradis says ACTA shares agents’ concerns. “We are hearing from some of our travel agency and travel agent members that they are concerned with the process for booking the new quarantine hotels. Although we are hoping and advocating to the government that the hotel quarantine be a short term measure, ACTA shares your concern that all travel agents are not able to serve their individual clients directly and benefit from these bookings.”

Paradis says that with the procurement and roll out of vaccines, along with effective testing and contract tracing protocols in place there is an expectation that COVID-19 spread will decrease over time. “Our #1 goal is for the government and the travel industry to work together to develop metrics and a plan to re-start the Canadian travel industry in the coming months.”

Trudeau leaves the door open for possibility of vaccination passports OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is no longer ruling out vaccination passports for Canadians, from the sounds of his comments at a recent COVID-19 briefing.

A reporter asked about the federal government’s position on vaccination passports, which some countries are already onboard with, including Denmark, Sweden and Iceland. The UK government has also indicated that it will not rule out vaccination passports.

She asked the question in the wake of comments made yesterday by Quebec’s Health Minister, Christian Dube, who said he's is in favour of vaccination passports.

Trudeau responded: “I think [vaccination passports are] something people have been talking about for a while.

There could be negative consequences …. we’re going to follow Public Health’s advice. There are potential pros and cons.”

He went on to say: “Our position is always going to be to rely on the best advice of experts.”

His words were a change of pace from his messaging earlier this year.

At the Reuters Next Conference in JanMarch 4, 2021 | TRAVELWEEK | 11

NEWS uary 2021, Trudeau said he was opposed to vaccination passports. “I think the indications that the vast majority of Canadians are looking to be vaccinated will get us to a good place without having to take more extreme measures that could have real divisive impacts on community and country,” he said in January.

The reporter at last week’s briefing noticed the change in messaging as well, and asked him if he had changed his mind about vaccination passports.

Trudeau said that from the outset of the pandemic, “the experts’ recommendations evolve and the data evolves,” and added that the Canadian government “will be following their best advice.”

While there are potential pitfalls for vaccination passports, several travel agents Travelweek spoke to last month were largely in favour of anything, including vaccination passports, that can help jumpstart travel after almost a year of pandemic restrictions.

WestJet marks 25th anniversary with a special takeoff and the gift of flight CALGARY — When WestJet first took flight in 1996, it had three aircraft, 250 employees and five destinations, Now 25 years later, the company has more than 180 aircraft, 14,000 employees and 100+ destinations in 23 countries, pre-pandemic.

For its 25th anniversary WestJet re-created its first flight between Calgary and Vancouver with day-one WestJet-

WestJet is celebrating its 25th anniversary

12 | TRAVELWEEK | March 4, 2021

ters operating the flight, including the captain, first officer, cabin crew members and flight dispatch.

The scheduled flight, WS129, took place earlier this week with 140 passengers on board. As part of marking the airline's 25-year commitment to communities, each passenger received a gift of flight voucher to be donated to a charity of their choice.

The gift of flight is valid for one roundtrip flight for two anywhere WestJet flies and is to be used by non-profit and charity organizations to support their fundraising initiatives.

"WestJet is committed to Canadian communities and we are honoured to provide others with the opportunity to share in our caring spirit by giving the gift of flight to the charity of their choice that may need an extra hand right now in fundraising,” said Ed Sims, WestJet President and CEO. "A quarter century ago, WestJet provided Canadians with a choice in airlines; since that time, we have invested across the country to bring more options and competitive fares to millions of Canadians who couldn't afford the price of air travel prior," said Sims.

"We are thankful to the thousands of WestJetters who have dedicated themselves to building our airline and to the more than 300 million guests who have chosen to fly with us. A lot has changed, but care remains at the heart of what we do,” he said.

Sims noted that once WestJet came on the scene with its low fares, the new competitive environment drove airfares down by almost half for many communities. WestJet has also donated more than 200,000 flights to charitable organizations over the years, he adds, plus WestJetters have volunteered 575,000+ hours to local community

organizations through the WestJetters Caring for the Community program.

"It has been a difficult year for all airlines, WestJet included," said Sims.

"I am proud of our resilient team who repatriated 4,000 Canadians on 28 flights with Global Affairs Canada, introduced more than 20 additional layers of safety for those still flying, and most recently have volunteered to assist governments in vaccinating Canadians. We have been there in the past for Canadians and will be here in the future, for when they are ready to fly.”

CRB, EI extensions welcome news but more needs to be done to help retail travel sector: ACTA TORONTO — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s announcement that CRB will be extended for another 12 weeks, and EI for another 24 weeks, is welcome news, says ACTA, as the organization works to do everything it can to help travel agencies survive the pandemic.

But the extension falls short of what is needed for the retail travel industry, says ACTA President Wendy Paradis.

Solvency for travel agencies and travel agents is ACTA’s primary concern right now – and the main focus of all of its lobbying and advocacy efforts.

The CRB extension only requires a regulatory change, and will greatly help Independent Travel Agents, she adds. The EI extension requires a legislative change, making it a more complex process.

“The many new restrictions and requirements introduced by the federal government have further delayed the recovery for the industry - and effectively shut down travel for now,” says Paradis.

“Our message to the government is plain and simple, our industry needs financial support now and well into the future,” she adds.

ACTA has highlighted the need for an extension to the CRB in every single government meeting this year, notes Paradis, even if that was not the topic of discussion.

“We have been lobbying extensively for this knowing it was the next significant aid program to expire” she says. ”We are aware that for many indepen-

NEWS

Brand USA’s March 15 - 18 event connects Canadian tour ops with U.S. partners

TSI crisis sentiment trendlines

dent travel agents, this is their only source of income right now.”

“In light of all of the travel restrictions currently in place and the lag time for recovery once restrictions are eased, ACTA will continue to actively advocate on behalf of independent travel agents that the CRB continue until Sept. 30, 2021 or until 90 days after travel restrictions have been eased,” she said.

ACTA is also asking the government to make as many financial support programs available to as many travel agencies and independent travel agents as possible.

“Too many travel agencies, travel agents and independent travel agents are coming up against a lot of red tape and roadblocks,” says Paradis. “The financial situation for our industry is dire and our industry should be eligible for all aid programs at the highest levels.”

“We need extensions to all programs well into the fall of 2021 or beyond,” she added.

Tripadvisor’s new dashboard tracks travel sentiment and insights for DMOs NEEDHAM, MA — Tripadvisor has launched a live data intelligence dashboard, geared to destination marketing organizations (DMOs), to provide clients with word-of-mouth insights from across 500,000 sources, relevant to 50 tourism touch points – including air access, accommodations and attractions.

The new dashboard, powered by Vancouver-based Tourism Sentiment Index, is part of Tripadvisor's wider suite of data intelligence products for

DMOs, known as the Tripadvisor Insights Platform.

The dashboard's analytics are drawn from real-time conversations, across half a million platforms, including Trip Advisor. Sentiment towards destinations and travel contribute to an overall score that reveals a destination's popularity versus competitors, enabling DMOs to update campaigns, product offerings and messaging faster and more effectively, says the company.

Plus, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the sentiment dashboard also includes a crisis analysis module that tracks the impact of the pandemic in locations around the world by revealing emotional reactions to categories such as health services, government and economics.

"Now more than ever, destination marketing organizations need data and business intelligence tools to help maximize competitiveness and drive recovery in the wake of COVID-19,” says Steven Paganelli, Group Head of Destination Marketing - Americas, Tripadvisor.

He added: “This live dashboard puts actionable insights at DMOs' fingertips to help them make more informed and strategic marketing and media placement decisions. For example, being able to understand travellers' readiness to travel in real-time helps DMOs update their marketing with the most effective messaging, therefore, getting the most impactful message in front of the right people, at the right time.”

Rodney Payne, Founder, Tourism Sentiment Index and CEO of Destination Think, says: "Our data intelligence provides DMOs with the ability to drill down to specific conversations and insights taking place at the destination-level - whether a city, region or country.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Brand USA says it will host four days of one-toone business meetings connecting U.S. partners with tour operators in Canada and other key markets around the world.

The event runs March 15 - 18 and features a series of match-made appointments aimed at helping tour operators and U.S. travel partners connect and leverage mutual opportunities to increase business, as the travel trade adapts its strategies for recovery.

Attendees will also have access to programs highlighting key market updates, featuring the latest insights affecting the travel landscape.

“Working together, we can come back stronger than ever,” said Brand USA's Tom Garzilli.

“The event will deliver bespoke, direct connections,” says Tom Garzilli, Chief Marketing Officer of Brand USA. “Our priority is ensuring the meetings we facilitate are as productive as possible during this period of uncertainty as we navigate the road to recovery. Working together, we can come back stronger than ever.”

The virtual event will take place via the ‘always-on’ Brand USA Global Marketplace platform. Only mutually selected matches will be made with Canadian and international tour operators and U.S. partners, says Garzilli.

Up to eight, 16-minute appointments can be scheduled each day and partners can select how many days and meetings sessions they attend throughout the event, he added.

Advance registration and Preference Selection for One-to-One Business Meetings is required and must be completed by Friday, March 5, 2021. The trade can access Brand USA Global Marketplace free of charge.

More information is at brandusa globalmarketplace.com.

March 4, 2021 | TRAVELWEEK | 13

NEWS

Earn an extra $255 in commission with Silversea’s new agent offer MIAMI — Silversea Cruises is reaffirming its commitment to the travel agent community with a new limited-time bonus commission offer.

On all bookings made through April 30, 2021, agents will earn a bonus Can$255 in commission. Plus, Silversea is including more voyages that will be eligible for this commission.

Having been extended following its successful launch, the commission incentive is now available on new bookings made on any Silversea voyage departing on or after Oct. 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022. In total, agents can receive bonus commissions on 275 voyage options.

“During these unprecedented times, we are proud to continue to support our travel partners with special incentives like our bonus commissions offer,” says Roberto Martinoli, Silversea’s President and CEO. “A demonstration of our gratitude for their continued support, these initiatives are our way of recognizing our travel partners’ ongoing contributions. We look forward to strengthening our already strong relationships in the coming years.”

In further support of agents, Silversea is extending its Cruise with Confidence program to all bookings made

by April 30, 2021. The program enables travel agents to offer their clients the ability to cancel cruises departing before April 30, 2022, up to 30 days prior to departure without penalties when selecting a 100% Future Cruise Credit for the amount paid.

Silversea is also extending its popular reduced deposit promotion, which requires only 15% per suite. This offer is now available for any new booking made on or before April 30, 2021, and applies to all Silversea voyages departing before April 30, 2022 (except full World Cruises and Grand Voyages).

Guests in possession of a Future Cruise Credit can also use their credit to take advantage of the offer. Plus, they can enjoy an Early Booking Bonus when booking a voyage departing on or after June 1, 2021, saving up to 20% when they reserve and pay in full by March 31, 2021.

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Garda lake, Lombardy, Italy

Agents, clients can register for Trafalgar’s ‘Ultimate Travel Event’ TORONTO — Canadian travel agents and their clients are invited to Trafalgar’s 2021 Ultimate Travel Event series where they can explore top bucket-list destinations without leaving the comfort of home.

On now and running through the end of September 2021, the 30-minute virtual sessions feature a lineup of travel experts, storytellers, Travel Directors and local hosts who will take guests on inspiring journeys through Italy, France, Scotland, Ireland and more.

Highlights include ‘tasting’ chianti with a Tuscan winemaker and learning recipes from an Irish celebrity chef.

In addition to fun activities, a grand prize and an exclusive show offer will be up for grabs. Attendees will be entered into the grand prize draw for $10,000 worth of travel every year for 10 years. Plus, they’ll receive a $100 off per person travel voucher that they can use when booking their next 2021/2022 vacation with Trafalgar or sister brand, Costsaver, just for attending.

Clients must complete the registration form and attend any one of the many sessions to be eligible.

Canadian agents are encouraged to invite their clients to inspire them to travel in the future. Enrollment is limited to registration for the webinars is recommended as soon as possible.

On now through the end of September, the series of 30-minute virtual sessions features a lineup of travel experts, storytellers, Travel Directors and local hosts.

To register go to https://www.goto stage.com/channel/trafalgarcanada.

For more information, agents can contact their local Business Development Manager or visit TrafalgarAgents. com and join the Trafalgar, Costsaver and Brendan Vacations Canadian Travel Agent Facebook page.

NEWS

January, February bookings are up 35%, says AQSC and Victory Cruise Lines

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, Northern Ireland

Blue-Roads Touring launches 2022-23 schedule TORONTO — Blue-Roads Touring is rolling out its 2022-23 schedule to the public, region by region, over the coming weeks.

According to Vicki Ioannou Theophilou, Director of Business Development, The Americas, the tour operator made the decision to release the schedule early in response to pent-up demand for future travel.

“We have spent the past few months speaking to customers who originally planned to travel in 2020,” she said.

“Customer feedback highlighted a strong desire for the option to plan travel and make a travel booking further out than usual. We are excited to be launching our 2022-23 tours schedule much earlier than we typically would. The future looks bright for travel and we cannot wait to welcome our customers back on the road.”

In a recent survey of mature North American travellers, Blue-Roads found that 85% are planning to travel to Europe for their next international holiday, with England, Scotland, France and Ireland being the most in-demand countries for future travel. With this in mind,

Blue-Roads is releasing tours for 2022-23 in the U.K. and Ireland first, with other European regions to follow. Tours to the U.K. and Ireland, including customer favourites such as ‘Corners of Cornwall,’ ‘Chelsea Flower Show’ and ‘A Scottish Journey,’ are not available to book.

All tours across Europe are expected to be available for booking by early April 2021. All tours will continue to be led by Blue-Roads’ local Tour Leaders.

To ensure comfort for its guests, Blue-Roads will also continue to have a maximum of 18 passengers per tour.

According to the survey, 96% of respondents said they would feel most safe travelling in a small group of up to 18 people, as opposed to medium or larger tour group sizes.

The survey also revealed that flexible booking policies are the most important consideration for customers when cooking their next group tour holiday.

In response, Blue-Roads Touring’s COVID Assurance and Extra Flexible Policy is currently in place for all new bookings. Moreover, Blue-Roads has been awarded the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Safe Travels stamps for adhering to public health instructions and WTTC’s guidelines.

NEW ALBANY — American Queen Steamboat Company and Victory Cruise Lines are reporting a 35% uptick in January and February bookings over November and December 2020.

The news comes one week after both cruise lines, part of the Hornblower Family Companies umbrella, opened reservations for the 2023 season, the furthest in advance the lines have ever released a season. February 2021 is projected to be the strongest booking month for the company in the past year.

“Opening the 2023 season for American Queen Steamboat Company and Victory Cruise Lines, we received strong group inquiries from international and domestic markets,” said Bob Salmon, Senior Vice President of Sales. “There is an unwavering desire for discovery among travellers from markets near and far, eager to plan multiple holidays years in advance.”

Some of the most popular itineraries booked early for 2023 include the Mighty Mississippi sailing from St. Paul to New Orleans on the American Queen in September, as well as the always-in-demand Memphis to New Orleans sailings, which also sparked interest for available dates in 2021 and 2022. Off-the-beaten-track UNESCO-designated destinations like Paducah, declared a Creative City in 2013, continue to attract cruisers, while iconic cities along the Ohio River including Louisville, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh partnered interest from repeat guests looking to explore America’s inland ports.

Additional bookings of note, Victory I and Victory II received interest for Great Lakes sailings from travellers who had not yet sailed with American Queen Steamboat Company.

In 2023, Victory Cruise Lines will also see two expedition vessels – Ocean Victory and Ocean Discoverer – both sail Alaska for the first time together.

Both cruise lines recently announced a COVID-19 vaccination mandate for all guests that will go into effect for all sailings beginning July 1, 2021. The vaccination requirement will also apply to shipboard crew members and March 4, 2021 | TRAVELWEEK | 15

NEWS non-shipboard employees across all seven vessels. American Queen Steamboat Company and Victory Cruise Lines are the first U.S.-based cruise lines to mandate guest vaccination and the only cruise lines globally to mandate vaccination for crew members.

Your Guide Out of the Crisis by TPI

Porter sets May 19 as tentative re-start date TORONTO — Porter Airlines is now eyeing May 19, 2021 as a possible return-to-service date.

Porter announced today that it was pushing back the resumption of flights until that date, amid ongoing travel restrictions. In early January the company had been hoping to restart on March 29.

“The implementation of more restrictive travel rules by governments since our last update makes an early spring restart unviable,” said Michael Deluce, president and CEO of Porter Airlines.

“While there are signs of progress in containing the pandemic, it is necessary to reset our sights based on changing conditions. We remain optimistic that things are moving in the right direction, but it is possible that this tentative date may also need to be modified if vaccinations don’t accelerate to enable the easing of travel restrictions,” he added.

Updates will be provided in the coming weeks about the status of Porter flights.

TPI’s e-book details how advisors can build back stronger TORONTO — TPI remains committed to providing business support for its members with the launch of the ‘Navigating Out of a Crisis’ e-book featuring practical suggestions for future growth.

According to CEO Zeina Gedeon, now that the immediate crisis of dealing with immediate cancellations and repatriation has cooled, members should be using this time to better their business and put strategies in place to ensure they stay relevant.

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“Selling travel today is very different than it was pre-pandemic, and as we move out of the pause it will continue to be different,” said Gedeon. “TPI is confident that the travel advisor’s role will be more critical to the travelling public than ever before. We know that when restrictions start to lift, the floodgates will open and now is the time for you to start planning for the comeback.”

“Selling travel today is very different than it was pre-pandemic ... TPI is confident that the travel advisor’s role will be more critical to the travelling public than ever before.”

The e-book is designed with travel advisors in mind and outlines ways that they help build back their business stronger than ever. These include connecting with clients to stay top of mind, knowing their value and charge for their time, and gaining clarity and focus for their business.

“As a company, we too are following this framework,” added Gedeon.

“TPI has continued to connect with our network with weekly calls, regional meetings and training. Our Virtual Consumer Event series has been well received by our advisors and their clients, we are seeing record-breaking registration numbers and seeing bookings as a direct result, and of course, our Re-Ignite Sessions with Sandra McLemore are a fantastic free resource we have provided exclusively to our advisors to enhance their knowledge on ways to connect with their clients and reignite their business.”

TPI has seen a positive increase in its recovery trends, starting in November and peaking in December, with levels slowly returning to December and seeing significant growth in 2022 bookings versus 2019.

Over the last 10 months, TPI has invested in upgrading, enhancing and updating its back office, database and training programs. All changes, said Gedeon, were made to ensure that when travel rebounds, its advisors are well equipped with the tools to be successful and optimize the opportunities ahead.

NEWS

Govt. aid critical as cash burn rate for airlines could reach US$95 billion in 2021: IATA GENEVA — The latest stats from IATA show that the airline industry is expected to remain cash negative throughout 2021, with an estimated cash burn now pegged at US$75 - $95 billion for the year, up sharply from the previous $48 billion estimate.

Airlines will only turn the corner in 2022, and that’s only with government aid, said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO. “If governments are unable to open their borders, we will need them to open their wallets with financial relief to keep airlines viable,” said de Juniac.

“With governments having tightening border restrictions, 2021 is shaping up to be a much tougher year than previously expected. Our best-case scenario sees airlines burning through $75 billion in cash this year. More emergency relief from governments will be needed.”

He adds: “With governments having tightening border restrictions, 2021 is shaping up to be a much tougher year than previously expected. Our bestcase scenario sees airlines burning through $75 billion in cash this year.

And it could be as bad as $95 billion.

More emergency relief from governments will be needed. A functioning airline industry can eventually energize the economic recovery from COVID-19.

But that won’t happen if there are massive failures before the crisis ends.”

In Canada, discussions between the airlines and the federal government to finalize the financial assistance package, first announced back in November

2020, are reportedly now in the home stretch.

Airlines have seen a weaker than expected start to 2021 after governments tightened travel restrictions in response to new COVID-19 variants.

Forward bookings for summer (JulyAugust) are currently 78% below levels in February 2019 (comparisons to 2020 are distorted owing to COVID-19 impacts).

IATA’s optimistic scenario would see travel restrictions gradually lifted once the vulnerable populations in developed economies have been vaccinated, but only in time to facilitate tepid demand over the peak summer travel season in the northern hemisphere.

In its pessimistic scenario, airlines will burn through $95 billion over the year. The driver of this scenario would be governments retaining significant travel restrictions through the peak northern summer travel season. In this case, 2021 demand would only be 33% of 2019 levels.

Preparing the industry to safely restart after a year or more of disruption will take careful planning and months of preparation, he notes. Governments can ensure that airlines are prepared to reconnect people and economies by working with industry to develop the

benchmarks and plans that would enable an orderly and timely restart.

It’s also becoming clear that vaccines and testing will play a role as the pandemic comes under control and economies ramp up, including the travel sector, says de Juniac, citing the IATA Travel Pass, expected to go live this month.

And as vaccination programs and testing capacity expand, two developments have become critical - global standards to record tests and vaccines; and a plan to retrospectively record those who have already been vaccinated, he notes.

“Speed is critical. Fraudulent COVID-19 test results are already proving to be an issue. And as vaccine programs ramp up governments are using paper processes and differing digital standards to record who has been vaccinated.

These are not the conditions needed to support a successful restart at scale when governments open borders. The WHO, ICAO, and OECD are working on standards, but each day without them means the challenge gets bigger. We need an early conclusion by competent authorities that the industry can plan around,” said de Juniac.

March 4, 2021 | TRAVELWEEK | 17

LORETO MEXICO SPECIALIST PROGRAM

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