Advisors’ creative solutions for getting their clients tested before travel
2022-01-31“Covid-19 testing” has become one more item advisors need to add to their pre-departure checklists for clients. In fact, it’s one of many. I recently asked Avril Winkle, owner of Destinations Travel Services in Sterling, Ill., how much more work a single booking takes now, as opposed to pre-pandemic. “Oh my gosh,” she said. “Lots […]
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The pandemic has changed travelers, and hotels need to adjust
2022-01-24LOS ANGELES — As the Americas Lodging Investment Summit gets underway, a report released Monday from the American Hotel and Lodging Association suggests many of the hot topics at the conference will remain the same as six months ago. The 2022 State of the Hotel Industry indicates optimism for a continued recovery, although uncertainty over […]
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What to Do If Your Flight is Canceled
2022-01-18Know your options when flight delays or cancellations threaten to ruin your vacation. Whether you’re flying for work or leisure, getting to your destination on time is something most travelers take for granted. However, severe weather, COVID-19 staff shortages, airport construction and security issues make flight disruptions more common than you may think. According to […]
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When an industry calls out sick: Cancellations, staff shortages
2022-01-18For the last month, the travel sector has been hit by a perfect storm of factors leading to cancellations and service cuts in the face of the global omicron surge. The stream of flight cancellations before Christmas that soon became a flood was the first indication of the storm within travel and hospitality being fueled […]
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Royal Caribbean cancels sailings on four ships based in Florida
2022-01-11Royal Caribbean International canceled sailings on four ships departing from Florida this weekend, citing “ongoing Covid-related circumstances around the world.” Travel advisors and passengers were informed of the change on Jan 7. From Miami, the Symphony of the Seas canceled its cruise scheduled to depart Jan. 8, and the ship will be out of service […]
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Righting the Ship
2022-01-11“We,” the cruise industry, know cruising is safer than any cruiser’s city. Atlanta the home of the CDC’s positivity rate is 9%, about 100x worse than on a cruise ship! Now, how do “we” get reality to replace perception? Personally, I think that messaging says it all. CLIA’s social media billboards are effective messaging, albeit […]
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Omicron slows bookings, but tour operators are liking 2022 overall
2022-01-02Omicron ruined just about everything this holiday season, from thousands of flights canceled globally at Christmas to downsizing New Year’s Eve plans (not to mention the fluctuation of travel restrictions and tighter testing windows). And the variant looks like it will continue to upend plans as we head into 2022. But tour operators say that […]
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Safest Place During Covid
2021-12-31About 16% of the US population has Covid, NYC is greater than 20%. What if there’s a place with only a 0.02% Covid rate and considerably more comfortable than isolating at home? Since June of this year, more than 1.1 million guests have cruised aboard Royal Caribbean Group ships, with 1,745 testing positive. Chairman and […]
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The latest on travel to the Caribbean: requirements for U.S. travelers
2021-12-28Caribbean islands have reopened to international tourism. But many islands have adopted different restrictions and requirements for vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers, and protocols can change quickly. Here are the latest developments for travel from the U.S. to each Caribbean country. Please double-check requirements with the countries’ official websites. For more information, see our global travel map, […]
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Camping, glamping sector builds beyond pandemic popularity
2021-12-20Campgrounds, glamping sites, recreational vehicles and anything else that offered fresh air, physical distance and a decreased chance of cancellation due to Covid-19 regulations saw significant boosts in bookings in 2020. Internally, companies offering those products believed it would be hard to keep up the rapid growth into 2021, but the sector’s upward trend has […]
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