Costa Rica: Inspiring travellers to reconnect with nature’s wonders

BOB MOWAT [caption id="attachment_144370" align="alignright" width="241"] Segura-Sancho[/caption] Costa Rica is ready to welcome Canadian travellers back and the country’s Minister of Tourism, Gustavo Segura Sancho talks with Canadian Travel Press this week about the steps the country has taken to provide travellers with both a safe and enjoyable travel experience. What is the state of...

 

CommonPass trial aimed at ensuring safer travel

IAN STALKER A non-profit public trust is hailing what it says was the successful transatlantic testing of a digital health pass aimed at ensuring safer travel and the reopening of borders closed by the coronavirus pandemic. Switzerland-based Common Project Foundation and the World Economic Forum reported late last month (October) that a United Airlines flight between London and Newark had...

 

Light seen at the end of the tunnel for US tourism

IAN STALKER Prominent figures in the United States’ tourist trade are expressing confidence in its long-term prospects, even as the coronavirus pandemic continues to dramatically curtail international visitations to the country. Chris Thompson, president of Brand USA – which promotes the United States internationally as a tourist destination – said during Brand USA’s Oct. 21 opening...

 

The Office: Where we go from here is anybody’s guess

Peter Sobchak (Reprinted courtesy of Canadian Interiors, September/ October 2020 Issue, page 32) The infamous invocation “May you live in interesting times” seems particularly apt these days, doesn’t it? Widely assumed to be a translation of a traditional Chinese curse, there is actually no recorded evidence supporting this assumption, a fact that recalls another popular invocation,...

 

Lighting up the night in Yellowknife

IAN STALKER Anderson Vacations is inviting people to watch Mother Nature light up the night in a setting it says is particularly suited for those wanting to see a celestial spectacular. [caption id="attachment_144146" align="alignright" width="300"] Darcie at Long John Jamboree, Yellowknife[/caption] The tour operator’s Darcie Guarderas notes the company sends clients to the...

 

A job well done

NWT Tourism’s Cathie Bolstad

BOB MOWAT When Cathie Bolstad leaves her post as CEO of NWT Tourism in December after six years in that role, she’ll definitely leave with a lot of accomplishment to her credit. Back in 2014, Bolstad established the NWT Conference Bureau, implementing a sales lead and bid tracking system to measure and report on the performance of the Bureau. [caption id="attachment_144136"...

 

Proactively Prepared: TICO taking the lead in uncertain times

BOB MOWAT If there’s one thing that TICO’s president & CEO, Richard Smart is certain of it’s that “TICO will continue to do its part to promote consumer awareness and education, amplifying the benefits of working with a TICO registrant to fulfill their travel needs.” So, read on and find out why. [caption id="attachment_144130" align="alignright" width="216"]...

 

Down time? What down time?

Advisors are keeping busy during these challenging times

ANN RUPPENSTEIN Although bookings have come to a virtual standstill, Mike Allard of Mallard Travel in Sudbury is doing anything but standing still. “I am really using the down time to up my training,” Allard tells Canadian Travel Press. “Suppliers have been exceptional in providing unique opportunities for personal growth and development and I am taking full advantage. I have also...

 

TICO working to help registrants in a pandemic world

Reducing The Burden

In the first of a two-part conversation TICO’s president & CEO, Richard Smart talks about the kinds of initiatives it has put in place to reduce the burden on both travel agents and wholesalers as they deal with the impact of COVID-19 on their businesses. Maybe you can start by talking about how COVID-19 has impacted on TICO’s operations. What kind of changes did TICO have to make...