News

TORONTO — Product launches. Winter sun brochures. Clients calling to take advantage of EBBs for their winter getaway. Families booking their favourite all-inclusive resort for the holiday break. This is usually one of the busiest times for the travel industry. It all starts in the waning days of summer and really ramps up as we head into the first weeks of fall, when a nip in the air reminds Canadians that cold and snowy days are coming.

Travel advisories from governments in Canada, the U.S. and countries around the world warning against non-essential travel amid the coronavirus pandemic set off a domino effect of operations suspensions for seemingly every supplier in the travel industry.

Earlier this month, when Air Canada and WestJet announced new COVID-19 testing at Pearson Airport and Vancouver Airport respectively, they were in good company.

IATA is calling for the development and deployment of rapid, accurate, affordable, easy-to-operate, scalable and systematic COVID-19 testing for all passengers before departure as an alternative to quarantine measures in order to re-establish global air connectivity.

German airline Lufthansa, already bailed out by the government, says it will have to make more staff cuts and mothball more jumbo jets than originally planned because the outlook for air travel is worse than the company first predicted.

Lanmei Airlines of Cambodia has been announced as a new active member of BSP Canada and is now bookable in all major GDS systems including Amadeus, Sabre and Apollo.

While this is far from a typical year, Europe still beckons for some, and more than a few clients may be wondering how to make their European vacation happen this fall despite the hurdles.

The travel industry is rallying as never before, with two major players - Air Canada and Sunwing - adding their names to a growing list of suppliers offering COVID-19 insurance coverage.

The month of June, typically a high-traffic time for global travel, saw international tourist arrivals plunge 93% compared to 2019, says UNWTO.

Air Canada’s brand new Infinite Canada Flight Pass offers unlimited flights within Canada, for one flat fee, with no blackout dates, booking restrictions or change fees.