Barbados’ government will spend $150 million to retain “tens of thousands of Bajan hospitality and tourism workers left unemployed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic at 80 percent of their previous salaries, the nation’s governor general said this week.Sandra Mason, the southern Caribbean nation’s governor general, made the announcement in a parliamentary speech delivered September 16. The Barbados Employment and Sustainable Transformation (BEST) project will position island hoteliers and tourism companies to “retain at least 75 percent of the workforce, create sustainable jobs, honor their statutory obligations and manage their debt,” Mason said.The BEST program will also assist hoteliers and tourism companies “to protect, and in some instances, to expand the nation’s hotel stock and to help save our enterprises from bankruptcy and insolvency.” Funds will be distributed through “investment in the companies by way of a class of shares that mirrors preference shares,” plus “some limited opportunity for grants,” said Mason. Nearly 40,000 Barbados residents were left unemployed by the COVID-19 pandemic, with most of the idled workers from the tourism industry. Travel and tourism accounts for approximately 45 percent of Barbados’ gross domestic product, with 15,000 people employed in direct tourism activity and an estimated 32,000 in tourism-related fields, according to a Barbados Today report. Trending Now Mason said the stimulus package will “protect jobs, support the balance sheets of our companies in the tourism sector and those of direct tourism services,” and ensure public and tourism infrastructure “remains fit for when some level of normalcy returns.”The plan will enable tourism firms to retain workers at 80 percent of their normal salaries for up to two years, Mason said. The funding will only be available “if tourism numbers and revenues remain below the levels required for the survival of the sector,” she added.This program will also support “the substantial upskilling of workers in the sector” including “citizenship training” for tourism companies and workers. Mason said participating hospitality and tourism companies will also be required to commit “greening through water conservation and water harvesting measures where applicable and the installation of renewable energy capacity to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.”Mason said Barbados’ government will launch a “Green and Digital Investment Fund” to direct sustainability measures and encourage digitizing Barbados’ tourism-related processes, payments and systems.Tourism firms will also be expected to invest in “localizing the value chain” through stronger connections with Bajan farmers, manufacturers, artists, contractors and professional service providers. In addition, collaborative initiatives including “joint websites, tours, marine sculptures parks, water ferries, and similar initiatives” will be encouraged, said Mason.She added that participating businesses will not be permitted to “draw dividends or unreasonably increase the compensation of management and owners” prior to repaying the program’s investment in their businesses. Let's block ads! (Why?)

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) announced 100 destinations have now received the organization’s Safe Travels stamp with the latest addition of the Philippines.The WTTC launched the world’s first global safety and hygiene certification stamp earlier this year and the certification is now being used by popular travel destinations such as Bermuda, the Maldives, Montenegro, Namibia and Uganda. Trending Now WTTC’s Safe Travels stamp enables tourists to recognize destinations around the world that have adopted the latest standardized health and hygiene protocols to combat the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. “We are delighted to see our innovative initiative is proving such a great success and is being used by destinations from all corners of the globe,” WTTC President Gloria Guevara said. “The 100 destinations which now proudly use the stamp are working together to help rebuild consumer confidence worldwide.”“We welcome the Philippines, an incredible destination and home to some of the world’s most beautiful islands, as our 100th destination, as well as other popular destinations around the globe such as Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia and Kenya,” Guevara continued.The WTTC guidelines also received the backing of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and were developed with help from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Last month, the WTTC and International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) jointly released recommendations for customer-facing businesses seeking to reopen safely amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Let's block ads! (Why?)

South Africa is preparing to reopen its borders to travelers far sooner than originally expected, with international tourism set to resume on October 1, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced this week.As is the case in many recently reopened destinations, visitors to South Africa will be required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of their departure to avoid quarantining for 14 days at their own expense. Travelers will also undergo temperature checks upon landing at airports.Additionally, visitors will need to download a mobile contact-tracing app and be expected to wear face-coverings in public. Trending Now South Africa's coveted beaches, wildlife parks and other tourist attractions will be open in addition to hotels and restaurants but a curfew will be in effect each night from midnight to 4 a.m. starting Sunday as the country moves to Level 1 of the Risk-Adjusted Strategy.It's not yet clear whether the United States will be included in the list of countries approved for travel to South Africa next month, however, as Ramaphosa said travel could be restricted from places with a high level of COVID-19 transmission."We will gradually and cautiously ease restrictions on international travel...allowing travel into and out of South Africa for business, leisure and other travel with effect from October 1, 2020," said Ramaphosa. "Travel may be restricted to and from certain countries that have high infection rates."Progress in the national effort to contain the #COVID19 pandemic https://t.co/9IHiNPijjY— Cyril Ramaphosa #StaySafe (@CyrilRamaphosa) September 16, 2020South Africa hosted nearly 17 million visitors in 2019. Let's block ads! (Why?)

Quito Turismo is partnering with OTA Expedia Group on a marketing campaign that includes incentives for hoteliers in Ecuador’s capital and is aimed at increasing tourism to historic city.Under the parties’ agreement, Expedia is providing Quito hoteliers with support and benefits via the OTA’s global post-pandemic recovery program beginning in October, including $250 million in promotional and marketing support to international hoteliers and $25 million to destinations, said Quito Turismo officials.The partnership will “[allow] the city to be more attractive and competitive to the international traveler,” said Quito Turismo officials in a statement, as well as “boost the [tourism] industry and the economic recovery” of the tourism-reliant city. MORE Destination & Tourism The Expedia recovery program features “global initiatives to support industry recovery and accommodation support measures” intended to assist independent hotels and small chains in rebuilding their business following the global COVID-19 pandemic. Expedia will reinvest 25 percent of its 2019 compensation from hotel partners who sign up for the program in the OTA’s promotional and marketing bonuses.In addition, Expedia will reduce the commissions it charges to hoteliers for all new bookings during the three-month program, regardless of length of stay, said company officials. Expedia Group will also extend payment terms for participating hoteliers’ bookings by 90 days.Meanwhile, the partnership’s marketing campaign will target U.S. and Canadian travelers with “exclusive packages, special airline prices, plus engaging visual content to inspire consumers to plan and book their next trip to Quito.”“Relaunching tourism will require an unprecedented level of public-private collaboration,” said Cyril Ranque, president of Expedia’s Travel Partners Group. “This aid package is the first step in a long journey we take to rebuild the global tourism ecosystem and make it more resilient, inclusive and sustainable.” Let's block ads! (Why?)

Former United States President Bill Clinton and his daughter Chelsea will participate in a virtual conference to drive action on resilience efforts in the Caribbean.The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Action Network will continue to address the urgent need to foster economic recovery and growth in the Caribbean while also grappling with the effects of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. Trending Now Add in the continued threat of the 2020 hurricane season, and leaders from government, civil society and business continue to prepare Caribbean communities for compounding and potentially devastating impacts. Despite the threats, efforts in the Caribbean to transform the region into a climate-resilient zone have been mobilized and many new solutions are needed to tackle the complex challenges that have arisen due to the global health crisis.The discussions are a part of an ongoing series of virtual events hosted by the Clinton Foundation this fall that will inspire action through the Too Small to Fail (TSTF) early childhood initiative, Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) and other events focused on domestic economic recovery in light of the global pandemic.The CGI Action Network virtual week of action includes:—Monday, September 21: Building Back Greener: Promoting an Inclusive and Sustainable Caribbean Recovery—Tuesday, September 22: The Future is Now: Inspiration from Youth-Led Activism in the Caribbean—Wednesday, September 23: Opportunities for Investment in Renewable Energy—Thursday, September 24: COVID-19 in the Caribbean: Public Health Challenges and Innovations Let's block ads! (Why?)

Officials in Mexico have deemed sargassum season over for several popular destinations along the Caribbean Sea.The Secretary of Ecology and Environment of Quintana Roo told the Riviera Maya News on Tuesday that satellite observations made by the Sargasso Monitoring Network indicate a significant decrease that gave the agency the confidence to announce the end of the season.The European Space Agency (ESA) shared data suggesting Mexico can expect minimal amounts of sargassum on Cancun and Riviera Maya beaches through at least the end of 2020. Officials along the Mexican Caribbean reported as much as an 80-percent drop in the amount of sargassum to reach the shorelines. While July saw an influx of the seaweed, it tapered off to almost none being reported in the region.While the sargassum arrived in considerably lower amounts this season, destinations along the coast were prepared with specially-designed collection vessels, seaweed barriers and additional cleaning equipment.On Monday, Cancun mayor Mara Lezama said that all beaches which remained closed due to coronavirus shutdowns would be accessible again after four areas reopened last week. All tourists and locals arriving at the beaches in Cancun will be required to follow health and safety protocols. Let's block ads! (Why?)

Many of the Caribbean’s 33 tourism-reliant nations remain closed to international travelers. However, several destinations across the region are now accepting visitors as they attempt to rebuild tourism activity during the critical fall period.Yet to resume some semblance of the millions of visitors the region previously attracted annually prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, destinations need not only to reopen, but travelers must also feel comfortable returning to the region.To do that, vacationers must access, understand and prepare for required COVID-19 protocols in the Caribbean country they intend to visit. “We forewarn our clients that protocols and guidelines can change on a dime, so they need to be aware that they might need to suddenly follow a new policy, which can be stressful,” said Jennifer Doncsecz, owner of VIP Vacations. Her agency has served “many travelers and even large wedding groups” traveling to Antigua, St. Lucia, Aruba, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic following these countries’ border re-openings. Another top travel seller, Tom Varghese, also identified the “romance market" as ready to travel to Caribbean destinations this fall, including “clients that are celebrating a delayed honeymoon, anniversary or milestone birthday.”MORE Destination & Tourism Here are essential aspects that travelers heading to Caribbean destinations this fall should consider before departing:Get TestedMost Caribbean nations accepting travelers from the U.S. have designated America as a “high risk” COVID-19 country and thus require travelers from the country to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test within as few as three to five days of arrival.But standards can vary across the region. Some Caribbean countries, including Aruba, only “encourage” travelers to obtain proof of a negative test prior to arrival. Last week the Dominican Republic implemented a Responsible Tourism Recovery Plan under which travelers are no longer required to present a negative COVID-19 test at Dominican airports to enter the country.Regardless of regulations in the country to which your clients plan to travel, it is undeniably prudent for travelers to get tested before departing, if only to confirm their personal health status relative to COVID-19 prior to traveling. But checking the specific requirements in the country you are visiting will prevent further problems upon arrival.Contact the AuthoritiesCaribbean government and tourism websites offer the most updated information regarding current protocols for regional countries, which can vary significantly. Some Caribbean governments have changed protocols and requirements several times as more is learned about the illness.Entry requirements also vary within the region. For example, high-risk visitors to The Bahamas and Barbados are required to quarantine for up to 14 days upon arrival. Anguilla requires potential visitors to pre-register online at the Anguilla Tourist Board’s website and provide information including proposed travel dates. The Bahamas and U.S. Virgin Islands both changed protocols earlier this summer due to local COVID-19 spikes.That’s why it’s crucial that travelers access data from official tourism authorities in the Caribbean destination they plan to visit this fall. “The most important things to know about traveling right now is to understand all the protocols that are in place in both the destination and resort you are visiting,” said Varghese, owner of the Travel Tom agency. PHOTO: Antigua is among several Caribbean nations to reopen its borders to visitors this summer. (photo by Brian Major) Not surprisingly, Caribbean countries that “have shown that they have great measures in place to protect our clients as well as provide a relatively hassle-free means of entry” have been most popular with his clients, Varghese said. He cited Antigua and St. Lucia as destinations where “both the countries and resorts are taking great measures to keep our clients safe while providing a great travel experience.”Doncsecz meanwhile advises consumers to select their Caribbean vacation targets carefully. “When we have last-minute travelers, we tend to stay away from suggesting destinations that ‘intend’ on reopening by a certain date,” said Doncsecz, “and suggest destinations that are already reopened.”She noted “Barbados, Turks & Caicos, and The Bahamas have flip-flopped on their entry requirements and reopening dates,” making it imperative travelers access the latest information.Travelers can find government ministry and tourism agency links for 24 Caribbean destinations on the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s website. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends Caribbean-bound travelers consult the destination’s Ministry of Health or the U.S. Department of State’s Country Information page. In addition, the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) maintains a Resource Center that provides regional alerts, travel advisories and airline and accommodation policies and guidelines. PHOTO: Saint Lucia has emerged as a top Caribbean vacation destination for the fall. (photo via Saint Lucia Tourist Board) Buy Travel InsuranceTravel insurance coverage tied specifically to COVID-19 is limited according to travel insurance consolidation firm Squaremouth. Benefits may be available depending on the situation, including coverage for COVID-19-related cancellations or medical emergencies. However, travelers can also protect themselves in case an unforeseen COVID-19 scenario impacts their plans with a “cancel for any reason” policy from a leading provider.Consult a Travel AdvisorThe atmosphere of caution and uncertainty attached to the re-launch of Caribbean travel makes it crucial to re-confirm every aspect of their journey before departing, from airport and flight requirements to hotel bookings and transportation arrangements. Travelers risk missing key details, not to mention increasing their own stress levels to ensure they have all bases covered.“[Travel advisors’] jobs are to stay on top of all the currently available information and to educate our clients so that they are not only fully aware of what to expect,” said Varghese, “but also to set their expectations as to what ‘travel experience’ they can expect while on vacation [including] masks may need to be worn in public places [or] not all facilities may be open and available.” Let's block ads! (Why?)

Travelers from California, Hawaii, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada and Ohio will no longer have to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in New York, New Jersey or Connecticut.On Tuesday, government officials updated the tri-state quarantine list, which highlights areas with a seven-day COVID-19 positivity rate of 10 percent or higher.The updated list now includes Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin and West Virginia along with the U.S. territories of Guam and Puerto Rico. Trending Now The Northern Mariana Islands were also removed from the list."When other states and territories make progress fighting COVID-19, that's good for New York and while I am glad to see areas removed from the travel advisory list, it still remains far too long," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement on Tuesday."Make no mistake: We must continue to be New York Tough and stay smart. Wearing masks, social distancing and hand washing is what tamed this beast in New York and we must keep it up."Visitors from areas on the updated quarantine list or "hotspots" can bypass two weeks of self-isolation upon arrival in Connecticut by presenting a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 72 hours of travel, Gov. Ned Lamont announced Monday. Let's block ads! (Why?)

Hawaii’s Governor David Ige stated yesterday that the Aloha State is unlikely to reopen to transpacific travelers on October 1, as had been previously planned.Speaking with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Ige said that his office will release a revised timeframe for when Hawaii might begin accepting transpacific arrivals again later this week.The Governor explained that he had met with travel industry leaders during this past weekend to discuss the steps that will be necessary for bringing outside visitors back to Hawaii. Trending Now “Just talking with many in the industry, it will probably not be October 1st, but in the next few days we will be providing a better plan for the scheduling of what those dates would look like,” he said.Ige highlighted Hawaii’s new, digital Safe Travels application (mandatory for visitors), which was launched at the start of September as one of those steps toward safely restarting tourism.Other protocols, such as a pre-travel testing option in lieu of quarantine, will help streamline the process of preventing new infection from entering the state; but Ige said that the islands’ hotels and tourism-related businesses indicated to him that they’ll likely need at least a month to prepare for reopening.This will be the third time that the Governor has pushed back Hawaii’s reopening date in light of COVID-19 conditions and delayed the launch of its travel pre-testing program, which was originally scheduled to go into effect on August 1.Addressing the tightened restrictions currently imposed in Honolulu, which saw a surge of COVID-19 cases in August, Ige said that he understands residents’ frustrations with Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s order limiting outdoor activities to individuals only, but he also supports the Mayor’s decision.“The Mayor really felt that there needed to be a bright line that they could enforce on beaches, parks and trails, and decided that it should be individuals,” Ige said. The Governor himself has taken to going for solo runs around the State Capitol.“It is about changing our behavior in a way that helps us fight the virus. And you know, part of these are for short durations so that we can reduce the number of new cases that we’re seeing,” he said. Let's block ads! (Why?)

The Dominican Republic’s president is encouraging the country’s hotels to re-open on October 1, but the president of the nation’s hotel association said only eight percent of Dominican hotels are currently operating, and even if all properties reopen, many will be unable to survive if international vacationers do not return.In a press briefing Friday, Luis Abinader, the Dominican president, called on the country’s hotels and resorts to reopen by October 1 to begin “the [recovery] of the Dominican economy.” Trending Now Earlier this month Abinader and tourism minister David Collado announced a Responsible Tourism Recovery Plan, to begin September 15, which eliminates the requirement that travelers present a negative COVID-19 test result upon arrival at Dominican airports. However in a Dominican Today report, Paola Rainieri, president of the National Association of Hotels and Tourism of the Dominican Republic (Asonahores), said while the country’s hoteliers hope travelers return to the country during its “high season” of November through March, many properties “do not plan to open this year.”“If the tourists do not arrive there are no rooms,” said Rainieri, who added that many potential travelers have already paid for vacations but may be able to change their destinations to countries currently open to visitors. “We have to make sure they can come to the Dominican Republic,” she said. Let's block ads! (Why?)