BOB MOWAT
While she admits that there are still more questions than answers, TL Network’s Canadian vice-president, Christine James believes that the fog that we’ve all been trying to find our way through is slowly lifting.
James, speaking at TL Network’s Canada in late November, told those attending the agency group’s first-ever virtual event that “to say we’ve had to face...
ANN RUPPENSTEIN
When the pandemic hit, Mandy Farmer felt an immense amount of pressure not to be the one responsible for driving the family business that dates back to 1986 into the ground.
“I truly felt that I was going to be the one to lose the family’s business and that is an amazing amount of pressure to have on oneself. It was after realizing like yeah, I could lose the family...
Outbound Canada
In its Winter Travel Intentions Outlook for the Winter of 2020-2021, Outbound Canada reports that:
“As would be expected, the COVID-19 crisis continues to have a substantial impact on the travel activity of Canadians. The most recent travel intentions survey indicates that just 36% of adults plan to take a leisure trip between November 2020 and April 2021, a...
BOB MOWAT
Yes, I’ve looked at clouds from both sides, now … and frankly, I agree with Joni, I really don’t know clouds at all.
In fact, these days, I find myself floating some-where between the cloudy hopes of guarded optimism and the hazy worries of cautious pessimism.
Trying to figure out whether this journey we’re all on together is still at its beginning or nearing its...
JOEL OSTROV
President, Canada East Region
Direct Travel
Although we haven’t made it to the annual finish line quite yet, there is no question that 2020 will go down as one of the toughest years on record. Particularly for an industry that values face-to-face interactions and experiencing new places, the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to be felt by the travel...
LOUISE FECTEAU
General Manager
Transat Distribution Canada
Last year, I began this by saying that in the world of tourism, certain unpredictable events sometimes take on overwhelming importance overnight and become inevitable.
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Clearly, I would have preferred to be wrong ... however since I am optimistic...
REBECCA CREGAN
Director, Market
Management
Expedia Group
As the travel industry looks to 2021 with optimism that a potential COVID-19 vaccine will restore traveler confidence and create more opportunity for travel next year, Expedia Group conducted a global survey (1) measuring consumer sentiment towards travel in today’s COVID-19 environment.
Best Case: What do you hope will...
BRETT WALKER
General Manager, International Business Operations
Collette
So, the worst-case scenario would be for continued uncertainty for our industry and seemingly changing or otherwise unknown optimal epidemiological outcomes for the country as a whole.
The narratives in political circles and the media have been so utterly focused on what we’re doing wrong, we have little or no...
RICHARD
VANDERLUBBE
President
tripcentral.ca
We surveyed customers to test what was standing in their way to book travel.
There were 3 large blockers:
The 14-day quarantine
The worry about not getting a refund
And the fear of being quarantined abroad.
There were others, but these were the top fears of people that were interested in booking travel now.
If the 14-day...
ERIC BARBER
VP National Sales
Realstar Hospitality
Before I start my predictions for scenarios for 2021, I have to contemplate first how 2020 completely unravelled for the entire travel industry, with the most disruptive economic hit ever to our business, worse than 9/11, SARS and the 2008 financial crisis combined.
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