Holiday & Travel

Qatar Airways enhanced its presence in Southern Africa with the launch of a new linked service between Doha and Lusaka, Zambia and Harare, Zimbabwe. To mark this milestone, the new linked service was inaugurated by the airline’s state-of-the-art Airbus A350-900 featuring 36 seats in the award-winning Qsuite Business Class and 247 seats in Economy Class.

Qatar Airways now operates to Lusaka’s Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (LUN). The country’s largest city and commercial centre, Lusaka is the gateway to experiencing Zambia’s legendary tourist attractions from the Victoria Falls which it shares with Zimbabwe, to game reserves and a variety of wildlife.

As part of The Bahamas' continued efforts to provide a safe and healthy island experience for everyone to enjoy, new testing requirements have been announced for persons applying for a Bahamas Travel Health Visa to enter The Bahamas or travel inter-island within The Bahamas.

Effective Friday, August 6, 2021, all fully vaccinated travellers, as well as children ages 2-11, will be required to obtain a negative COVID-19 test (either a rapid antigen test or PCR test) taken no more than five (5) days prior to the date of arrival to The Bahamas. Unvaccinated travellers ages 12 and older must still obtain a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken no more than 5 days prior to the date of arrival. All children under the age of 2 are exempt from any testing requirements.

With Summer holidays across much of the UK now in full swing, many families will be setting off on staycations. However, new research commissioned by Europcar UK has found that the lack of car use over the last 18 months could be cause for concern for some drivers. There’s also a question mark over whether the family car is ‘fit for purpose’ for the big trip away.

The research found that over half of UK motorists (58%) worry that their car is unreliable and will not be able to make the trip. Despite this, 55% admitted they don’t do basic vehicle checks, such as oil levels or tyre pressure before embarking on a long journey, with a worrying one in ten admitting to never doing this. 

Nickelodeon's renowned Slimings and Character Experiences are combined with Karisma Hotels & Resorts' and Grupo Lomas' unmatched hospitality, with the brand's first all Oceanfront Swim-Up Suite resort featuring an enormous six-acre Aqua Nick water park, new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles themed penthouse suites, World-Class Gourmet Inclusive dining with fan faves Good Burger and Piazza and endless play-all-day entertainment. 

Qatar Airways passengers will be able to explore even more of Africa following its new partnership with Rwanda’s flag carrier, RwandAir via their hubs at Doha and Kigali. As a part of the strategic partnership, the extensive interline agreement will give customers access to the networks of both airlines, providing a seamless travel experience and enhanced customer service including in the frequent flyers programmes. 

Customers can pick and choose from over 160 destinations in the combined networks of both airlines, which are perfectly connected via their home hubs of Doha and Kigali. This latest cooperation comes hot on the heels of the airlines’ recent loyalty partnerships announcement, giving RwandAir Dream Miles and Qatar Airways Privilege Club loyalty members, access to each other’s destinations with the opportunity to ‘earn and burn’ points across their reciprocal route networks.

The Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) has launched the Caribbean Community Tourism Network (CCTN) to provide a platform to support the continued development of CBT in the Caribbean. The network will facilitate the exchange of best practices among CTO member countries and interested tourism development partners and help identify capacity-building needs as well as challenges and opportunities for CBT development.

“Community-based tourism offers an opportunity to bridge the social and economic gap of local communities, allows community members a path to sustainable livelihoods, and is a conduit for the active participation and empowerment of local people in the tourism industry,” said Amanda Charles, the CTO’s sustainable tourism specialist. “This network provides an avenue for CTO members to share knowledge, resources, and best practices to improve community tourism experiences and economic impact.”

The UK is preparing for a bumper summer, with 33 million people expected to enjoy staycations over the next couple of months. That should provide a welcome £30 billion boom for the domestic holiday sector, according to Sykes Holiday Cottages’ 2021 Staycation Index.

In 2019, half of Britons planned to spend their main summer holiday in the UK. In 2021, that proportion has risen to 62%, with the Peak District, Bournemouth, East Anglia and Lyme Regis among the most popular destinations. For Quay Holidays, based in Poole, near Bournemouth, this certainly rings true, with Lettings Assistant Hannah Challis reporting that, “Most of our properties are solidly booked for the rest of the season”.

Packed with natural spectacles, warm locals and ritualistic cultures, those seeking their next dream getaway, should look towards southeast Asia’s Indochinese peninsula with small ship experts, Emerald Cruises.

With 2022/23 dates now bookable, Emerald Cruises’ Vietnam, Cambodia and Mekong river cruises offer a contemporary luxury cruising experience through the quintessential heart of southeast Asia.

After 17 months of paused operations, Scenic has today resumed its luxury sailings on Portugal’s Douro River.

To celebrate the return, Scenic has released a series of new short films to showcase the exceptional guest experience, on board health and safety protocols and first-hand accounts of what guests can expect when sailing in Portugal with Scenic. Scenic will operate a combination of eight and 11-day round-trip sailings from Porto on board its spacious, boutique Scenic Azure Star-Ship.

The UK is preparing for a bumper summer, with 33 million people expected to enjoy staycations over the next couple of months. That should provide a welcome £30 billion boom for the domestic holiday sector, according to Sykes Holiday Cottages’ 2021 Staycation Index.

In 2019, half of Britons planned to spend their main summer holiday in the UK. In 2021, that proportion has risen to 62%, with the Peak District, Bournemouth, East Anglia and Lyme Regis among the most popular destinations.

WTM London has announced that China Travel Online is the show’s newest buyer partner and media partner in China. China Travel Online is a leading China outbound travel portal that connects destinations, attractions, hotels and other travel suppliers around the world to Chinese operators and professionals.

The new partnership means that China Travel Online will invite up to 50 Chinese buyers to network and do business with suppliers and destinations across the globe during WTM Virtual on 8-9 November.

New research from Churchill Motor Insurance reveals the factors which make for the most stress-free driving experience during staycations this year.

With some 29 million people (55 per cent) planning a staycation this year, having as least stressful a journey as possible will be a priority for millions of families. As motorists predict their holiday will be around a 236-mile round trip, this means 9.9billion staycation miles will be driven this year.

St. Kitts and Nevis is welcoming the return of cruise tourism Thursday with the arrival of the Seabourn Odyssey.

The Seabourn Cruise Line ship will make a port call every week during the period July to October 2021. The twin-island federation planned a symbolic ship-to-ship salute, live steelpan performances, and the renowned drummers to greet the Odyssey as it docked at South Friars Bay.

That marks a number of ships increasing arrivals to St. Kitts over the summer, beginning with Celebrity Summit on July 29. Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas will arrive August 11, followed by Celebrity Summit on August 12, Celebrity Equinox on Aug. 24, and Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas on August 26. 

Currently, the minimum protocols for any cruise ship visiting in St. Kitts & Nevis include vaccination for all crew and passengers over the age of 18; all passengers, crew, and children under the age of 18 must present a negative RT-PCR test within 72 hours of home-port embarkation; and passengers and crew are not permitted to interact with the general population.

Additionally, only bubble-vaccinated tours and attractions will be offered to cruise passengers. All tours will leave the dispatch area within the secure perimeter and return. In conjunction with the Ministry of Health, the St. Kitts Tourism Authority has worked with stakeholders to develop fully vaccinated ‘Travel Approved’ bubble tours to showcase the island’s one-of-a-kind attractions such as UNESCO World Heritage recognized Brimstone Hill Fortress, the St. Kitts Scenic Railway, and Caribelle Batik.

St. Kitts became a Marquee Port after reaching the one million passenger mark in two cruise seasons in a row, 2017-2019 and 2018-2019. The Federation was anticipating a third consecutive year of a million arrivals before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

With the 2021 summer season underway, there is increasing evidence in the marketplace that pent-up demand is roaring back much earlier and at a much quicker pace than forecasters had predicted.

At the same time, the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) is encouraged by the data from our member countries, who have worked tirelessly to contain the coronavirus and reopen their economies. Although on the surface, a 60 percent decline in the first quarter of 2021, compared to the same period last year, may not seem encouraging, a closer examination would suggest that the Caribbean is beginning to reverse the slide which began at the end of March 2020.

This is being demonstrated by a decrease in the levels of decline which the Caribbean has been recording for the past fifteen months. The first quarter of 2020 was the last period of regular levels of travel, when 7.3 million international overnight visitors (tourist arrivals) visited the region.

In January and February 2021, arrivals to the region declined by just over 71 per cent when compared to the same two months last year. However, the 16.5 per cent drop in March 2021 compared to March 2020 is an indication of a level of reversal of the trend of declining numbers of tourist arrivals. 

The data collected from twelve destinations reporting tourist arrivals for April 2021 shows that each of these destinations registered growth, when compared to April 2020, when tourism activity was curtailed globally.

Similarly, tourist arrivals bounced back in the destinations reporting data for May. It must be pointed out, however, that the number of stay-over visitors is still below the corresponding levels in 2019.

Recent statements made by key aviation players for whom the Caribbean is an important market, have been encouraging. During our recent series of online discussions, both the CEO of British Airways, Sean Doyle, and the VP of sales for the Caribbean at American Airlines, Christine Valls, spoke of the high levels of interest in travel to the region.

In fact, Ms. Valls indicated that the Caribbean has been booming for American Airlines, with an average 60 per cent load factor by late May 2021, and that the airline planned to have more daily flights to the region this summer than it did in 2019. American Airlines told the CTO this week that it added five new routes to the Caribbean this summer, with a sixth to be added in November – and will serve 35 destinations in the Caribbean.

Based on these indicators, the CTO is guardedly optimistic about the prospects for summer travel, and for the rest of the year into 2022. It is recognised that any optimism must be tempered by the fact that new COVID-19 cases are rising rapidly in both the UK and the US, two of the Caribbean's major source markets.

These are signs that the virus remains a major threat which can quickly reverse any progress we have made.

Island Sea Fest has just announced a partnership with the world’s leading cruise line, Royal Caribbean International, for an eleven-night cruise that features a five-night stop at the magical celebration that is Trinidad’s famous Carnival in February 2023.

The cruise departs from beautiful San Juan, Puerto Rico (Wednesday Feb 15^th 2023) and in addition to five nights in Trinidad during the peak of the island’s Carnival celebrations, the itinerary also offers three additional exotic stops in Tobago, Barbados, and St. Lucia, returning to San Juan (Sunday Feb 26^th 2023).

This unique island excursion to the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’ features an all-inclusive onboard pricing structure which includes: base cruise fare, taxes, fees, gratuities, beverages, meals, onboard parties, WIFI, and basic travel insurance.

The upcoming Trinidad Carnival cruise experience encompasses two weekends resulting in less time away from work for guests i.e. only 7 vacation days needed for an 11night extravaganza.

Island Sea Fest Itinerary:

WED   San Juan, Puerto Rico                                               departs 8:30 pm

THU    Cruising

FRI      Port of Spain, Trinidad            arrives 4:00 am

SAT     Port of Spain, Trinidad           

SUN    Port of Spain, Trinidad

MON   Port of Spain, Trinidad

TUE     Port of Spain, Trinidad                                                departs 12:00 am

WED   Scarborough, Tobago             arrives 8:00 am           departs 7:00 pm

THU    Bridgetown Barbados             arrives 8:00 am           departs 7:00 pm

FRI      Castries, St. Lucia                  arrives 8:00 am           departs 7:00 pm

SAT     Cruising          

SUN    San Juan, Puerto Rico           arrives 6:00 am

Starting Jul. 19^th, 2021, a Hold Your Spot special offer for two easy payments of $175US per person, will be available on the Island Sea Fest website. Once the full reservations system is launched on Sept 2^nd, 2021, all Hold Your Spot guests will be granted priority access for first stateroom choices and fees will be converted into credits that guests can apply towards their full reservation cost.

Should a guest not wish to proceed with a reservation, the Hold Your Spot fee is fully refundable, less a $120US administration fee, until Sept. 1^st, 2021. Affordable stateroom payment plans start at $181US per month, and should guests require more time to pay after the cruise, a payment plan partner will offer a variety of flexible options.

Island Sea Fest will offer basic travel insurance, and for a small upgrade fee, guests will have the option to enhance the plan to a “cancel for any reason” coverage directly through the insurance carrier.           

On July 21, 2021, Comfort Suites Paradise Island celebrated 30 years of operation. Since welcoming its first guests in 1991, the family-friendly property has witnessed much change in The Bahamas’ tourism landscape, but the hotel has remained faithful to its vision to offer excellence in service, value and product to its guests, many of whom have returned faithfully again and again.

Comfort Suites Paradise Island is marking its Pearl Anniversary by offering its attractive “4th Night Free” promotion through November 15, 2021. In addition, there are daily specials at Crusoe’s Restaurant, the property’s poolside eatery which serves signature dishes featuring local seafood as well as international favorites. For the month of July 2021, patrons can enjoy lunch and dinner specials for $30.30, excluding VAT and gratuity, which have been created to celebrate this milestone. A specialty 30th anniversary cocktail crafted by an outstanding local mixologist is available all month at the hotel’s bars.

In addition to cementing its reputation for delivering exceptional service and remarkable value to travelers over the past three decades, the hotel, located adjacent to Atlantis Paradise Island Resort, is also noteworthy for the longevity of its ownership.

William Naughton, Senior V.P. and Managing Partner of Comfort Suites Paradise Island, is especially proud of the anniversary. “When we opened our doors in 1991 we envisioned becoming a landmark in the inventory of Paradise Island hotels by giving our guests an unforgettable experience at an affordable price point, and we have achieved that and so much more,” he noted.

“By maintaining our commitment to continuous improvement, we have been recognized repeatedly as one of the most popular and family-friendly accommodations options on Paradise Island,” said Naughton.

Naughton also attributes Comfort Suites Paradise Island’s success to an outstanding management team, comprising all Bahamians, and its stellar employees who routinely go above and beyond to anticipate and meet guests’ expectations.

Anniversary celebrations at the property have included a t-shirt day for staff where long-term employees were celebrated for 10, 20 or 30 years of dedicated service to Comfort Suites Paradise Island. Special 30-year memorabilia items are being distributed to guests staying at the hotel in July in keeping with current COVID-19 safety protocols.

Jermaine Wright, General Manager of Comfort Suites Paradise Island, echoed Mr. Naughton’s sentiments about the hotel’s staff and shared his excitement over the anniversary: “Every member of our team truly cares about the well-being and experience of each guest, and as we mark this significant milestone in our history, we look forward to welcoming many of our loyal, long-time returning guests who have become a part of our Comfort Suites Paradise Island family as well as welcoming new family members.”