NYC & Company introduced the All In NYC: Neighborhood Getaways program, which includes discounts on hotels, attractions, cultural experiences, dining, museums, shopping and tours to encourage locals and visitors alike to spend and explore in the city safely.In all, the programs include more than 150 participants.Additionally, Mastercard is backing the campaign by offering cardholders statement credits. Cardholders will receive $25 statement credits for purchases at hotels on single transactions of $100 or more, and $10 statement credits on single transactions of $20 or more for all other categories. They may redeem up to $100 in total statement credit. Trending Now “Now more than ever, we need New Yorkers to support their city and help stimulate the tourism economy and the jobs that come with it,” said Fred Dixon, NYC & Company President and CEO. “All In NYC: Neighborhood Getaways is NYC & Company’s latest All In NYC initiative, incentivizing locals and regional visitors to help the city we all know and love get back on its feet.”Offers are available under seven categories: Discount, Free Amenity/Item, Kid(s) Free with Adult, Pay What You Wish, Prix-Fixe, Special Packages and Charitable Components.Hotel discounts are also available.The program is in effect for the remainder of the year, with new promotions and participants being added on an ongoing basis. Let's block ads! (Why?)

The Monroe County Tourist Development Council created a video that puts the spotlight on a roster of resorts in Key West and the Florida Keys that are ideally suited for meeting and incentive groups (MICE).The video was created for IMEX America 2020 attendees participating in the Sept. 15-17 conference in Las Vegas, which was canceled in June due to the pandemic concerns.“We are seeing intense MICE market interest throughout the Keys with new programs competing with those already booked for 2021,” said Jack Meier, group sales manager for the Florida Keys & Key West. “With our expansive wide-open spaces of land and sea, the Keys offer memorable outdoor experiences and natural areas providing uncrowded personal spaces.”[embedded content]The new video showcases Rudy Gonnella, executive director of conference sales at Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo; Brianna Birtles, director of sales and marketing at Cheeca Lodge & Spa in Islamorada; Anna Lawrence, director of sales at Hawks Cay Resort on Duck Key; Jenny Lorenz, complex director of marketing for The Perry Hotel Key West & Stock Island Marina Village; and Matt Pave, regional director of group sales for Ocean Properties’ Margaritaville Resort & Marina Key West and Sunset Key Cottages.“Our islands are a world away from a typical meeting experience in a large convention city,” Meier said. “With many Keys resorts offering an increase in new villa and cottage accommodations, it’s simply about finding the right fit for your group.”The Florida Keys and Key West began to welcoming visitors back on June 1. Let's block ads! (Why?)

Officials in Cancun announced that all beaches in the city have reopened to the public.According to The Riviera Maya News, 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. The final beaches to reopen are in Playas Ballenas, Coral and Marlin, with the latter having special restrictions due to turtle nesting season in the region. Trending Now Lezama is asking citizens and travelers visiting Playa Marlin to exercise an abundance of caution with the approximately 9,000 sea turtle eggs along the beach. While the region was not prepared for the high number of eggs, the mayor says the animals must be protected.To help enforce the new coronavirus-related rules put in place on the beaches, Cancun has teamed with Zofemat, the Directorate of Ecology, Cancun firefighters and the Tourist Police to protect people and the animals inhabiting the newly reopened areas.Lezama also said those using the beaches in the first week of reopening followed protocols and helped convince the government to continue the process of welcoming guests again. The mayor claims there were no reported health and safety violations on the beaches.Cancun and other tourist-friendly destinations in Quintana Roo, Mexico, are poised to bounce back in the final third of 2020, according to the Tourism Promotion Council of Quintana Roo (CPTQ). Occupancy is expected to double and reach 60 percent by the end of the year, helping restore tourism jobs in the region. Let's block ads! (Why?)

Puerto Rico reopened its beaches, casinos, gyms and theaters on September 12, following a recent drop in COVID-19 cases and related death. The change was effected through an executive order issued by Governor Wanda Vazquez and remains in place through October 2, when the territory’s epidemiological situation will be reassessed.Governor Vazquez said that there were around 3,900 fewer COVID-19 cases, compared to the previous counts during the four weeks leading up to August 22. Likewise, she cited 162 deaths recorded from August 1 – 22, compared with 88 deaths during the period from August 22 – September 10.Social-distancing guidelines must still be adhered to, including at public beaches and nature preserves, and masks must be worn whenever visitors are not in the water. Sports activities, such as beach volleyball, and other games competitions typically held on the sand are still prohibited. Trending Now An island-wide curfew from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. is still in effect, although the previous 24-hour lockdown on Sundays will be lifted.Bars, clubs, discos and cafes remain closed, while restaurants, malls and retail shops are allowed to open at 50-percent capacity. Museums can now also operate at 50-percent capacity, but theatres, casinos and gym facilities are currently limited to 25-percent capacity.Reportedly, independent health experts are skeptical about the easing of restrictions, given that similar reopenings occurred in early June, which led to a spike in infection rates, and the subsequent retightening of measures in August.Epidemiologist Roberta Lugo told AP News that such a wide-ranging relaxation of health and safety precautions was worrisome, considering that contact-tracing and monitoring systems have yet to become implemented fully, and the success of reopening largely depends upon business and individuals regulating themselves. She said that gyms, theatres and casino are considered high-risk venues and that she anticipates an increase in new cases and resulting deaths linked to their reopening.Dr. Jose Rodriguez Orengo of the Puerto Rico Public Health Trust agreed that COVID-19 conditions on the island have improved, but, "It's all going to depend on people's behavior to maintain that."Visitors to Puerto Rico are required to complete an online Travel Declaration and provide proof of their negative results of a molecular-based COVID-19 test performed no more than 72 hours prior to departure if they wish to circumvent a 14-day self-quarantine requirement upon entry. Let's block ads! (Why?)

Hoping to kickstart a much-needed tourism industry that provides 11 million jobs, Mexico has begun to reopen its ancient ruins sites around the county, with most set to begin hosting tourists this coming week.All sites will be impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, and all visitors will need to navigate lowered ticket sales, wear face masks, use hand sanitizer and stay at least four-and-a-half feet from other guests, according to the Associated Press. Trending Now Admission will be limited to just 30 percent of the sites’ capacities. Mayan ruins like Tulum and Cobá will reopen Monday, Sept. 14; Chichen Itza will apparently reopen later. The pyramids of Teotihuacan just north of Mexico City have already opened but visitors are limited to 3,000 per day and are not allowed to climb up the Pyramids of the Sun or Moon, which used to draw tens of thousands of visitors for the Spring and Fall equinoxes each year. Teotihuacan was perhaps the most important and influential city in the region during its apex between 100 B.C. and A.D. 750, when it had about 100,000 residents.Great archaeological sites like Chichen Itza are a key part of the country’s attractions and certainly a huge part of tourism. Many people who arrive in Cancun for the hotels and beaches and nightlife, often find themselves taking excursions to the Mayan ruins. Let's block ads! (Why?)

Campspot, an online marketplace for RV resorts, family campgrounds, cabins, glamping options and more, has revealed the top 10 U.S. destinations campers are booking this fall based on the highest total reservation count from post-Labor Day through October. The scenic settings range from coast to coast with campers seeking out relaxing beaches, fall foliage and Halloween festivities.  Let's block ads! (Why?)

The team at the flight-comparison site Jetcost recently analyzed the number of searches for flights from U.S. airports for May 2021 to August 2021 to determine the most-sought-after places for a summer getaway next year. "Admittedly summer 2020 has been a terrible one, and not many of us have been able to get away on vacation," said Jetcost spokesperson Alana Gomez. "However, encouraging signs show that people are already looking forward to a big trip next summer and we wanted to uncover the most popular destinations for these long-overdue getaways." Let's block ads! (Why?)

WHY IT RATES: The famously picturesque Mexican colonial city is already recovering well from COVID-19 fallout, with available hotel capacity at 50 percent. Now, it's anticipating an increase in meetings and events, including plenty of weddings, once crowd-size restrictions are lifted. — Laurie Baratti, TravelPulse Associate Writer The Mexican city of San Miguel de Allende started its reopening process on July 15, and has proceeded with the recovery of its economy slowly and carefully, and in line with recommendations by local and international health and wellness authorities. With local hotels already able to book up to 50 percent of available rooms and 37 non-stop flights per week arriving from the U.S. to Guanajuato’s international airport (BJX), which serves San Miguel de Allende, the city is now looking to regain its footing in the business and romance travel markets.A key part of this work will be the opening of a new International Convention Center (CCI) in December. The new conference center will provide 34,000 square feet (3,200 square meters) of meeting and event space with a capacity for 1,400 people, further increasing San Miguel de Allende’s offer to the business travel and meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions, or MICE, markets. San Miguel de Allende’s MICE infrastructure is world-class, anchored by its current convention center, La Casona, which offers almost 17,000 square feet of flexible indoor function space and a maximum capacity of 800 people. The destination is also home to 165 hotels, of which 70 are well prepared for the meetings and conventions experience. Five international chains are set to further increase capacity over the next two years.Events with a maximum of 60 people can take place currently, but the city expects its event spaces to be a big visitor draw, particularly for weddings, once COVID-19 restrictions on crowd sizes are lifted.The weddings market is of great importance to the colonial city. With cobblestone streets and romantic architecture, San Miguel de Allende brings both Old World flair and the latest in international nuptial trends to couples’ special day. In 2019, 830 couples, of whom 70 percent were foreign, were wed in the city. This year, 300 weddings have been canceled and another 300 postponed until 2021, according to the San Miguel de Allende Tourism Board.As of August, Guanajuato’s international airport (BJX), which serves San Miguel de Allende, is receiving 175 flights from the U.S. per month. This includes 68 flights from Dallas (DFW); 60 from Houston (IAH); 13 from Los Angeles (LAX); 17 from Chicago (MDW and ORD); nine from Oakland (OAK); four from San Jose (SJC); and four from Sacramento, California (SMF).The San Miguel de Allende Tourism Board will be hosting a virtual presentation on the latest information regarding the city’s reopening and the future of its meeting and incentives offering on September 29 at 2:00 p.m. EST. To learn more or register, please click here. For more information, visit visitsanmiguel.com.SOURCE: San Miguel de Allende press release. Let's block ads! (Why?)

Travelers looking for socially distant vacation options need to look no further than the Mexican Caribbean, with its secluded beaches and islands, and countless outdoor activities.“The Mexican Caribbean has unlimited options for travelers that want to embrace nature’s call, to experience it both in conventional and unexpected ways,” said Dario Flota Ocampo, director of the Quintana Roo Tourism Board. “The versatility of its destinations allows for an intimate retreat while being able to explore all the attractions that characterize it.”A case in point is Isla Holbox, about a two-hour drive (plus a ferry ride) from Cancun. There are no cars on the island, so rather than hailing cabs, visitors instead hail dune buggies. Its collection of independent, ecologically minded hotels include such properties as Aldea Kuka, which offers nightly sunset yoga among other relaxing amenities. Nativa Park, a few miles from Holbox in the village of Solferino, travelers can ATV, kayak and birdwatch. Trending Now On the island of Cozumel, a visit to Pearl Farm is recommended for small group tours focusing on the cultivation process of pearls. Travelers can also “glamp” at the farm overnight.Ventanas al Mar Cozumel, the only oceanfront property on the island’s East Coast, offers guests amazing stargazing experiences.In Costa Mujeres, the still-emerging destination 30 minutes north of Cancun, travelers will find a tranquil setting featuring Grand Palladium, Secrets, Dreams, Finest and Excellence properties, among others.Coba, 40 minutes from Tulum, features a serious Mayan history to explore, along with a range of boutique hotels, including Aldea Coba, and Coqui Coba Papolchac Residence & Spa.To the south, the Grand Costa Maya region is known for its spectacular natural setting and a generous selection of outdoor activities. Visitors can opt for private paddleboarding lessons on Bacalar’s Lagoon of Seven Colors or a dive excursion to Banco Chinchorro reef in Mahahual.Accommodations options include The Explorean Kohunlich, which is cradled in the jungle, and the Almaplena Beach Resort, a sweet nine-room resort.Travelers interested in Cancun vacations will find a robust roster of resorts that have instituted rigorous health and safety protocols.They will also find a healthy collection of outdoor activities nearby. Options include kayak excursions to Nichupte Lagoon Conexion Nativa Cancun to paddle past mangroves while exploring the area’s ecosystem; and sailing and catamaran tours with such companies as Cancun Adventures and Aquatours. Let's block ads! (Why?)

Focused communications updating travelers on health and safety protocols to address the COVID-19 pandemic enabled Bermuda’s to make “undeniable progress” in re-establishing critical tourism activity, the director of the territory’s tourism authority said this week.In an email to local stakeholders reported in Bernews.com, Glenn Jones, the Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA) interim CEO, said the territory is “making undeniable progress” in “bringing back visitors as quickly, safely and responsibly as possible.”Jones said 61 percent of Bermuda’s hotel inventory “is now back online” although “many hospitality employees remain out of work.” Nevertheless, Jones said Bermuda is “long strides ahead” of other destinations since reopening the country’s borders to international visitors on July 1.“Effective testing, diligent contact tracing, and stringent protocols,” said Jones, enabled Bermuda to avoid the fate of other regional destinations that have reopened their borders to international travelers, only to subsequently tighten restrictions following local COVID-19 spikes. Trending Now In the immediate wake of the outbreak, BTA officials “[gathered] guidelines across tourism industry sectors to compile a consolidated resource,” said Jones, creating a Tourism Health & Safety Guide, that will be updated as guidelines change.Available on the BTA website, the guide is intended to raise travelers’ awareness regarding Bermuda’s pandemic management and protocols, while also “helping assist local tourism businesses to align with effective global health and hygiene standards.”Jones said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently upgraded Bermuda’s travel advisory ranking to Level 2, or “moderate,” with cases new COVID-19 cases “decreasing or stable.” Bermuda is among only six global destinations to earn this distinction. The territory has also earned the World Travel & Tourism Council “Safe Travels” stamp, Jones said.Traveler exit surveys compiled since July indicate 95 percent of visitors “said they felt safe from the virus while on-island,” said Jones. He added BTA officials will next seek “to convince a greater number of consumers that enduring Bermuda’s testing protocols is worth the effort.” Let's block ads! (Why?)