ACV: Sun destinations open for business

Last week, Air Canada Vacations sent a team of specialists from Montreal and Toronto to assess its Sun destinations, mainly Antigua, Holguin, Varadero and Punta Cana, in the wake of hurricanes Irma and Maria’s passage, in order to ensure all hotels receiving guests continue to meet the company’s quality standards.

Antigua

The team found infrastructure such as airport and roads, in perfect condition. Apart from shredded vegetation, which has been cleared and picked up, the island shows very little sign that a hurricane has passed through. The roadside vendors are back, the hotels are fully operational, the zip line is open, and the beaches have kept their white sand and clean turquoise blue waters. “It’s hard to imagine Antigua was even in the path of Hurricane Irma. The island is absolutely beautiful. In St. John’s, all businesses are open and Antiguans are ready to welcome guests” said Angela Barroso, manager, product development at Air Canada Vacations.

Air Canada will serve Antigua with two flights a week from Toronto starting Oct. 28, 2017, with one additional flight starting on Dec. 21, 2017.

Holguin

The Air Canada Vacations team found very few signs of the recent weather events. The infrastructure has suffered no significant damage, all resorts are fully operational and the beautiful beaches, with their blue and emerald waters, remain so. In fact, one upside of the hurricane is that large quantities of sand were moved during the storm and have increased the width of the beaches in the area.

“We were amazed by what we saw; Holguin is in pristine condition. The beaches are bigger and feel even better than before, with super soft and fine sand. It’s definitely a destination where you can send your customers in full confidence”, declared Mabel Ocampo, Manager, Product Development at Air Canada Vacations.

Air Canada Rouge will fly weekly on Fridays from Montreal to Holguin starting on Oct. 20, 2017 and a new flight has been added which will fly weekly on Mondays commencing Nov. 6, 2017. From Toronto, it will fly weekly starting Oct. 29, 2017, with an addition of two flights as of Dec. 20, 2017.

Varadero

Last Friday, Air Canada Vacations’ commercial teams from Montreal and Toronto, as well as some members of the local team in Varadero, had the opportunity to meet with Cuba’s Ministry of Tourism at the Varadero convention center. The press release aimed to give an update on Cuba’s various regions to an audience comprised mostly of local hoteliers and suppliers. One of the key messages from the Ministry, is that the country is taking this opportunity to make Cuba even more beautiful than ever.

Following site inspections of 37 resorts of the greater peninsula, the Air Canada Vacations’ report is positive. The airport is fully functional, the streets are clean and there are no visible damages in the area. Similar to Holguin, the beaches are in pristine condition and larger as well. The vast majority of hotels are now completely operational and the town of Varadero is ready for the winter season, with all its restaurants and boutiques opened.

Flights from Montreal to Varadero will resume on Oct. 1, 2017. Air Canada Rouge operates four flights weekly and will increase to daily service as of Dec. 22, 2017. From Toronto, Rouge will resume its service on Oct. 4, 2017 with three flights per week, and an increase to daily service as of December 18, 2017.

The ACV team

Punta Cana

The Air Canada Vacations team who visited the Dominican Republic noted that infrastructure, such as airport and roads, was in great condition. Hotels’ staff were working hard to clean the remaining branches and leaves from the various beaches, which are now almost back to their original state. The vast majority of resorts are fully operational.

Air Canada Rouge is resuming its Montreal to Punta Cana service on September 28, with four flights per week and daily service as of Dec. 19, 2017. From Toronto, flights have already resumed, starting with four flights weekly and increasing gradually to daily flights as of Dec. 19, 2017.

Also important to note, Air Canada Vacations is adding this year one flight from Montreal to Cozumel as of Oct. 16, one flight from Toronto to Montego Bay as of Oct. 20, one flight from Montreal to Holguin as of Oct. 20 and one more flight from Montreal to Cancun between Oct. 6 and Oct. 20.

Travellers have a few more days to benefit from the early booking bonus, with $200 off per adult and $100 off per child, which means a family of four can save $600 if they book a package to Mexico & the Caribbean. They also receive eight days of free airport parking in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg, when booking a package by Oct. 31, 2017.