Category Archives for Destinations.
As properties re-open in Las Vegas it looks like there’s a new opportunity for a surprise ‘gotcha,’ a COVID-19 surcharge. When destinations around the world that have re-opened, or that are looking to, are practically paying you to come, we’re starting to see extra charges not listed on the menu show up on bills in Las Vegas.
And yes – it’s identified as a “COVID-19 crisis” surcharge.
Currently the border closure lasts through June 21, though Canada has loosened restrictions somewhat to allow family members of citizens and permanent residents to return starting today.
However the ban is expected to be extended by both the U.S. and Canada into late July, according to sources on both sides of the border.
Disney has been using Star Wars storm troopers to enforce social distancing requirements and compliment guest on their face masks at the Disney Springs shopping and dining complex near Disney World, which re-opened May 20. The characters “tell people to ‘stay in your sector’ and ‘move along.’”
This “could indicate how the theme park plans to utilize its colorful cast of characters to enforce safety measures” as theme parks prepare to re-open.
Hawaii is set to re-open some travel – but only for its own residents and not other U.S. citizens.
During the coronavirus crisis Hawaii has kicked people off the island who couldn’t possibly have brought the virus there and still be spreading it. They use the virus as an excuse to push out Airbnb rentals which compete with local hotel owners as well as trying to keep tourists segregated in resort areas. They’ve considered requiring anyone coming to the islands have a ticket to leave.
You might actually catch the virus while you’re traveling. And if you do you’re faced with an unexpected situation. You’re going to need to quarantine. That may mean a couple of extra weeks on the ground with lodging and meals, and changes to your onward or return flights. You may need additional medical care.
If you travel to Cyprus and catch COVID-19, Cyprus will cover all of your expenses. That should make it easier to visit with confidence. But isn’t this just an invitation for anyone with the virus to travel to Cyprus and have all their expenses covered..?
Even as Hawaii prepares a marketing campaign to bring back tourism calling the state ‘the safest place in the world’ for how well it has managed to contain COVID-19, it’s also ramping up restrictions on visitors – some designed to protect the state from coronavirus, others clearly motivated by an antipathy towards outsiders coming from the mainland.
In March Hawaii started asking tourists not to visit the state. And then they got so serious about keeping outsiders away, who might bring a virus, that they started paying for plane tickets so tourists would leave.
Now the State of Hawaii – with fewer than 700 confirmed coronavirus cases and just 16 deaths – is making its success containing coronavirus part of a new tourism marketing campaign that’s in the works.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
