Traveling to the Dominican Republic during the Coronavirus Pandemic Caribbean Dominican Republic Travel Advisory Travel News by Corey Grant - Travel Agent - September 30, 2020September 30, 20200 Things travelers want to and should know if traveling to the Dominican Republic during the pandemic. This INFORMATION UPDATED AS OF SEPTEMBER 28, 2020: Entry Requirements: Aligning with the launch of the Responsible Tourism Recovery Plan on September 15th, travelers no longer need to provide a negative PCR or COVID-19 test upon arrival. Instead, airports and other ports of entry will administer a quick, aleatory breath test to between 3% and 10% of passengers, and all those who present symptoms, upon arrival. All passengers will also need to perform a temperature check. Passengers who present symptoms or whose test results are positive will be isolated and attended at authorized locations. Prior to departure, travelers should confirm with their airline provider and airport of origin regarding any
British Virgin Islands to Reopen December 1, 2020 to International Visitors British Virgin Islands Caribbean Travel Travel Advisory Travel News by Corey Grant - Travel Agent - September 26, 2020September 26, 20200 British Virgin Islands premier and minister of finance Honourable Andrew A. Fahie has announced that the territory’s borders will open to international visitors on December 1. The premier, while addressing the launch of the "BVILOVE" tourism campaign on Monday, said that the government is optimistic and is vigorously preparing for the reopening. The premier said that the government intends to reopen the territory in the safest way possible, using science and technology as a guide. “This next phase also comes with a risk factor, where if a case of COVID-19 gets into our territory, then it can go through the whole community very quickly. That is why we must use technology,” Premier Fahie said. “The concentration must be to use the technology through a simulation prior, to
Carnival Cruise Line Removes All Cruises In November Except Two Carnival Cruise Florida by Corey Grant - Travel Agent - September 16, 2020September 16, 20200 Carnival Cruise Line has removed all cruises in November from their booking engine except sailings from two ports in Florida. Carnival Cruise Line’s booking engine is now only showing cruises on six cruise ships in November. The cruises leave from two Florida ports, Port Canaveral and the Cruise Capital of the World, PortMiami. Carnival is currently selling cruises to the Bahamas and Caribbean in November on Carnival Conquest, Carnival Liberty, Carnival Elation, Carnival Sunrise, Carnival Breeze, and Carnival Horizon. It is important to note that Carnival Cruise Line has not announced that all other cruises for November have been canceled. However, the past several times that Carnival has removed cruises from their booking engine they ended up canceling them at a later date. Carnival
The Value of Having a Personal Travel Agent Travel by Corey Grant - Travel Agent - September 15, 2020September 15, 20200 Everyone needs someone in their corner. In good times and in the times that challenge us, having someone who is willing and able to support you and work through your travel issues is irreplaceable. This is especially true during a crisis, whether it’s a global pandemic or a personal tragedy. When life gets in the way of even expertly planned vacations, your travel agent will always be there for you. For those travelers who have a personal travel agent that they use all the time, the benefits of using their services is no secret. But for the rest of the world, the impact of coronavirus has turned the spotlight to the incredible service travel agents can provide to their clients. The Fine
Labor Day Weekend Records the Highest Number of Travelers Since Start of COVID-19 Air Travel Travel Travel News by Corey Grant - Travel Agent - September 14, 2020September 14, 20200 After the COVID-19 lockdown, travelers are slowly starting to return to airports — although the numbers are still nowhere near pre-pandemic levels. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported a record-high number of passengers since the coronavirus pandemic shut down travel earlier this year. On the Friday before Labor Day, Sept. 4, 968,673 people passed through TSA checkpoints across the country. It was the first time since mid-March that the TSA screened more than 900,000 travelers in one single day. But that’s still nowhere near the 2.2 million passengers that the TSA had processed exactly one year earlier. A report from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), released Tuesday, revealed that there were 73 percent fewer airline passengers in July 2020 than in July 2019. Although
More Travelers are Turning to Professional Travel Advisors Air Travel Tickets Travel Travel News by Corey Grant - Travel Agent - August 28, 2020August 28, 20200 More travelers are likely to book their trips through a travel agent than before the COVID-19 crisis began seven months ago, according to a new study from British-based travel technology company Travelport. The majority of travelers are now ready to consider booking domestic and international trips, but only if airlines, airports, hotels and car rental companies collectively implement 10 different safety measures throughout their journey, including fully flexible or refundable flight tickets. This is according to the results of Travelport’s independent research. The results of the study are based on a survey of 5,000 travelers across the United States, United Kingdom, India, Australia and New Zealand, as well as in-depth interviews with 29 leading travel suppliers. The study found that at all parts of the travel journey, it
The Caribbean Islands Have Amended Their Travel Entry Requirements Bahamas Barbados Caribbean Jamaica Montego Bay New York Punta Cana St. Lucia Travel Advisory Travel News by Corey Grant - Travel Agent - July 23, 2020July 23, 20200 Caribbean destinations that have opened their borders to tourism this month are amending travel entry requirements amid a sharp resurgence of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. A key market for the Caribbean, the U.S.’s caseload has climbed to over 3.7 million and deaths have reached over 140,000, according to Worldometers. The Bahamas has gone as far closing its borders to American travelers for the time being to prevent the spread of the virus. St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris has closed the country’s borders to travel indefinitely. Many destinations have already updated their policies to require a COVID-19 PCR test 72 hours prior to arrival (see: Turks and Caicos, Puerto Rico). The challenge will be for travelers to find testing programs that process a
Coronavirus related backlog of Passports are now being processed again Travel News by Corey Grant - Travel Agent - June 16, 2020June 16, 20200 The State Department has resumed processing U.S. passports to clear a backlog of 1.7 million pending applications before it can start tackling new requests, officials said Friday. Carl Risch, the assistant secretary of state for consular affairs, said 11 of the 29 passport agencies and centers around the United States that reduced services as the coronavirus began to spread have started Phase 1 on the road to normal. About half the agency’s passport workers have returned to their offices. Passport applications will be processed on a “first in, first out” basis. Risch estimated it will take six to eight weeks to clear the backlog dating from late February. The 1.7 million pending applications represent a little more than the average workload every month. Only then
The BookVIP Travel Scam Don’t Get Taken for a Ride Travel Scams by Corey Grant - Travel Agent - June 10, 2020June 10, 20200 You don't know how many times I hear from potential clients that have never taken a "REAL" vacation before that they think using a travel advisor is going to cost them more money so they want to search the internet day and night because they are going to cut out the middle man and SAVE THEMSELVES a FORTUNE, only to end up getting scammed by unscrupulous travel companies that will tell or show them what they hoped to see. Dirt cheap prices for 5 star accommodations in desirable locations. Yesssssss, score. I knew that travel advisor was over pricing me. Until they come crawling back with their tail between their legs, pockets emptied and not enough money left in their
The Watermark Autograph Collection Baton Rouge Uncategorized by Corey Grant - Travel Agent - June 9, 2020June 9, 20200 Junior Suite - 1 KingDates: 6/19/2020 - 6/21/2020Cost: $579.00 Elegant Meets Edgy In Downtown Baton Rouge Hotel Rooms Elegance with an edge. It is the combination we strive to offer every guest who visits the Watermark Hotel. With a nod to the storied history contained within the walls of our landmark Baton Rouge icon, we've combined the best of old and new to curate an environment like no other. Luxurious appointments combined with industrial touches combine to offer you an unforgettable sensory experience that satisfies mind, body and soul. Walk into your private room or suite and discover a place where lavish appointments are complemented by industrial fixtures to create an unforgettable atmosphere. The flat-screen TV with premium cable vies with stellar
