PAXnews - “Continue to sell with confidence”: ACV’s Nino Montagnese on flight suspensions; PAX visits Yucatan Resort Playa del Carmen; ACTA proposes help for independent agents

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Friday, January 7, 2022

“Continue to sell with confidence”: ACV’s Nino Montagnese debriefs on suspensions, commissions

Following Air Canada's announcement to temporarily suspend flights to select sun destinations from Jan. 24 to April 30, 2022, Nino Montagnese, VP of Air Canada Vacations, talks to PAX about what the news means and what travel agents can expect.

VIDEO: “Wow”: PAX visits the adults-only Yucatan Resort in Playa del Carmen

PAX tours the Yucatan Resort, an all-inclusive, adults-only boutique hotel located on Playa del Carmen's famous Fifth Avenue. The chic property, which opened in May of 2020, belongs to Hilton’s Tapestry Collection and is managed by Playa Hotels & Resorts. Watch our exclusive video report!

ACTA submits proposal to help independent agents; clarity sought on lockdown benefit

The Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA) has submitted an independent travel agent relief proposal, the “Independent Travel Agent Relief Program” (ITARP), to the federal government while it also continues to seek clarity on lockdown benefits for the trade.

UK, Republic of Ireland scrap pre-departure COVID test for vaccinated visitors

Travel to the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland is about to get a little easier: pre-arrival COVID-19 testing for the regions is being eased for fully vaccinated passengers.

Israel set to reopen to Canadians on Jan. 9, says IMOT

As of Sunday, January 9, Israel will be reopening its borders to all international travellers, which means Canadians and Americans can freely enter and depart the country, the Israel Ministry of Tourism (IMOT) said Thursday (Jan. 6).

Tahiti Tourisme’s virtual Tahiti Specialist Conference is Jan 11-13. Learn more!

The Islands of Tahiti are hosting their annual Tahiti Specialist Conference, virtually, from Jan. 11-13, 2022 for Certified Tahiti Specialists. The event promises to provide advisors with the best possible resources, allowing for higher levels of engagement with the The Islands of Tahiti on behalf of their clients. Learn more here.

NYC Hotel Week, Jan. 4-Feb. 13, offers 22% off stays at 110+ hotels

NYC & Company has launched its first-ever NYC Hotel Week, offering a 22 per cent discount off the standard room rate at more than 110 of the New York City's hotels across all five boroughs. It will run from Jan. 4 to Feb. 13.

Ottawa joins Spain's "Light up the Xacobeo" spectacle

Light up the Xacobeo is an initiative where more than a hundred monuments and buildings throughout Spain are illuminated to mark the beginning of the second part of the Xacobeo Holy Year 2021-2022. Ottawa’s Notre-Dame Cathedral is joining in this year with a special illumination on Jan. 7.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Transat cancelling nearly 30% of flights departing from Jan. 6 to Feb. 25

In response to the rising COVID-19 Omicron variant and Canada’s restrictive travel measures, Air Transat is cancelling nearly 30 per cent of the flights in its network for departures scheduled from Jan. 6 to Feb 25, 2022, PAX has learned.

G Adventures rewards travel heroes in G-Normous campaign

Now in its ninth consecutive year, G-Normous is back bigger than ever before with $75K worth of cash and prizes up for grabs across the U.S. and Canada to thank travel agents for their support and for being heroes over this past year.

The Bahamas suspends mandatory PCR testing; antigen accepted

The Bahamas has suspended the mandatory RT-PCR testing requirement for vaccinated travellers, which was expected to take effect on Jan. 7, 2022. Vaccinated travellers, and children ages 2-11, may continue to present either a negative rapid antigen test or negative RT-PCR test.