Staff Picks | The Great Canadian Travel Co.

STAFF PICKS

March 14, 2023 | Pearl McCallum

We want to paint a picture for you.   Imagine you’re at a gathering with friends and acquaintances. It’s a fairly large group, let’s say around 15-20 people. Just as you begin to get hungry, someone brings out a large, layered cake. It’s smothered in rich, chocolate buttercream frosting – …

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June 29, 2022 | Lois Farley

Way back in 2017 I wrote a blog in recognition of Canada Day; 50 Great Things Canada Contributed to the World. Since I wrote that blog I’ve been studying about the Indigenous peoples who have lived on this land we now call Canada for millennia – the First Nations and …

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March 17, 2022 | Lois Farley

Saint Patrick’s Day brings Ireland and all things Irish to a lot of people’s minds. And, those of us lucky enough to be Irish or are of Irish descent, particularly so! My ancestors on both sides of my family emigrated to Canada from Ireland back in the mid to late …

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March 1, 2022 | Allison Silvaggio

There are so many things that we miss when it comes to travel, such as exploring new places, trying new things and meeting new people.  What I miss the most, are those extremely peaceful moments where you can just take it all in.  Whether you are enjoying a beautiful hike, …

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Let’s Get Real!

March 14, 2023 | Pearl McCallum

We want to paint a picture for you.

 

Imagine you’re at a gathering with friends and acquaintances. It’s a fairly large group, let’s say around 15-20 people. Just as you begin to get hungry, someone brings out a large, layered cake. It’s smothered in rich, chocolate buttercream frosting – multiple ooh’s and ahh’s are uttered around the room! But, someone points out a big problem; the venue only has 2 forks, a few plates and no knife to cut the cake with. This cake is absolutely big enough to feed all of these hungry party-goers, but what good is that without the supplies needed to appropriately dispense this delicious dessert to everyone who wants it? 

 

If you haven’t already caught on, we’re not really talking about cake – although that does sound good right now, doesn’t it?

 

 It is widely known that the travel industry has been hugely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, suffering more than most other sectors. The pandemic has forced airlines, hotels, and travel agencies to drastically reduce their services and lay off employees. As a result, the travel industry has suffered a significant financial and labour loss and is still dealing with significant hardships. Meanwhile, global tourism in 2023 is expected to reach approximately 80% to 95% of pre-pandemic levels, according to the tourism recovery outlook issued by the United Nations World Tourism Organization. While this is great news, it doesn’t mean it’s an easy journey getting there – and this is where our analogy with the large cake and finite number of utensils comes in. 

 

You have likely already experienced this yourself if you’ve travelled in the past year. “We’re seeing flights being cancelled because they’ve only filled about 50% of the seats onboard, and then merging those tickets with other flights with similar low occupancy” says Shauna Cook, one of our Travel Consultants, who specializes in travel to northern Canadian destinations, such as Churchill, MB and Scandinavian countries. “In some cases, my clients have been waiting over an hour to retrieve their baggage, which is understandable when airports and airlines are still dealing with staffing issues, but it can be incredibly frustrating for all travellers.” 

 

The aviation field is heavily regulated. Commercial planes must follow the guidelines of the Continuous Airworthiness Maintenance Program (CAMP) established by the Transport Canada Civil Aviation Directorate (TCCA). This program requires that aircrafts complete inspections, commonly referred to as “checks,” regularly to ensure compliance. Because of these regulations and a lack of people to oversee these jobs, there is a significant backlog of planes still needing to be certified before they hit the air. All of these components make for limited and often more expensive fares.

 

And it’s not just the airline industry reeling from the uptick in demand and low staffing levels. Many hotels have been forced to cut back on their housekeeping services, some hotel restaurants have shortened business hours and limited menus, and in many cases the quality of service may be compromised because employees are working longer hours or taking on additional responsibilities beyond what they would have done before the pandemic. Currently, there are roughly one-third less travel agents globally than there were in 2019.

 

As a business, we have always valued openness and honesty. We’re thankful and thrilled to be receiving so much business – but the reality is we’re struggling to keep up with the workload. You may have seen the disclaimer on the homepage of our website: 

”Due to overwhelming demand, our travel agency is unable to process requests as usual. We are doing our best to accommodate everyone, but the volume of requests is simply too high for us to keep up with.”  

 

Globally, the number of travel agents has decreased by approximately one-third compared to 2019, but the good news is that it’s all uphill from here. Using a travel agency in a post (are we saying that yet?) pandemic world can have several benefits, including access to up-to-date information on travel restrictions and safety protocols, assistance with rebooking or cancelling trips if necessary, personalized travel planning and recommendations, and potentially better deals and discounts. Travel agents can also provide peace of mind and save time by handling all the details and logistics of a trip, allowing travelers to focus on enjoying their vacation. Starting a career in the travel industry is a lucrative opportunity, and this is common knowledge. 

 

Please be patient with us as we put in extra effort to ensure our valued customers reach their desired destinations. Let’s work together and make this industry thrive again – so everyone who wants a piece of cake, gets one!

Indigenous Inventions

June 29, 2022 | Lois Farley

Way back in 2017 I wrote a blog in recognition of Canada Day; 50 Great Things Canada Contributed to the World. Since I wrote that blog I’ve been studying about the Indigenous peoples who have lived on this land we now call Canada for millennia – the First Nations and Inuit, and more recently the Métis – trying to learn and understand more about their histories and cultures.

As part of my studies I thought it would be cool to research their contributions to the world. And, there are some great ones!

So, in celebration of National Indigenous Peoples Day here we go with my entirely unofficial, un-scientific and unvetted list of some Indigenous Inventions. Read More >

Saint Patrick’s Ireland

March 17, 2022 | Lois Farley

Saint Patrick’s Day brings Ireland and all things Irish to a lot of people’s minds. And, those of us lucky enough to be Irish or are of Irish descent, particularly so!

My ancestors on both sides of my family emigrated to Canada from Ireland back in the mid to late 1800s. My maternal Grandmother’s family home in County Antrim is a special place to me from a genealogical standpoint, nestled as it is at the foot of nearby Mt. Slemish. It’s where my Grandma Hannah was born and raised, and is the land she left behind when she left for Canada. But, I discovered, it was also a very significant place for Saint Patrick. Read More >

Taking Care of You!

March 01, 2022 | Allison Silvaggio

There are so many things that we miss when it comes to travel, such as exploring new places, trying new things and meeting new people.  What I miss the most, are those extremely peaceful moments where you can just take it all in.  Whether you are enjoying a beautiful hike, or standing on the Antarctic Peninsula surrounded by penguins, those moments that you take to look around and just breath.  Examine the flora, count the penguins or search the beauty in each unique iceberg.

Shortly before the pandemic began, I decided to apply for the 200-hour yoga teacher’s training, mainly to deepen my own personal practice.  I had been practicing yoga for over 12 years and found it to be a huge part of my life, helping to keep me grounded and, most importantly, positive.  Towards the end of 2020, I had completed the 200-hour teacher’s course.  This accomplishment helped me immensely, especially on those days when it was hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  After spending the first year voluntarily teaching online, I am now teaching one class per week and loving it!

 

My passion for yoga along with over 25 years in travel has led to my interest to ‘Wellness Travel.’  There are several fantastic options, from hiking in the rainforest to be one with nature, joining a yoga and meditation retreat or experiencing a culinary and spa package.  Taking care of yourself should be important, as we need to focus on what makes us happy and complete.  It’s been an emotional and trying two years, and I now feel that it is time to rebuild ourselves, our lifestyles, our happiness!

Please contact our office for more ideas on wellness travel, and make sure that you take care of you!

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