Dominican Republic's New Plan for Bringing Back Tourism: Fewer Tests, Longer Stays
Posted on 08/28/2020, 11:00 AM
The tourism industry of the Dominican Republic has faced a downturn for far longer than most any other destination. The D.R.'s problems started long before Covid-19. In spring of 2019, the media declared a spate of deaths there "mysterious," severely reducing the flow of vacation travel to the country for the rest of the year. The FBI looked into the issue and announced in October that American ci...
The Rules at Ski Resorts Will Be Different This Winter. Here's What to Expect
Posted on 08/27/2020, 12:00 PM
What will the upcoming ski season be like this winter? "There is no doubt this season will be different," according to Rob Katz, CEO of Vail Resorts, which operates 34 mountain resorts in North America. Katz made that remark in an open letter released to the public this week. In the document, he outlines the changes his company is enacting in response to the coronavirus pandemic—the same crisis...
U.S. Tourist Faces Huge Fine and Jail Time for Breaking Canada’s Covid Laws
Posted on 08/26/2020, 11:00 AM
Canada closed its border with the United States on March 21 due to the coronavirus, and the border is currently slated to remain closed at least until September 21. There's an exception, however. Americans on their way to or from Alaska are allowed to enter Canada, provided they take the most direct route possible to points of exit, avoid national parks and tourist activities, and isolate themselv...
A Weather Expert Predicts New England's Fall Foliage Peaks for 2020
Posted on 08/20/2020, 8:00 AM
In Homer's Iliad, Thetis, the mother of Achilles, foretold two diametrically opposed fates for her son. He could either die young but achieve great glory in the process or live a long but obscure life. The folks at NewEngland.com have put forth two similar predictions for leaf-peeping season this year. I'm only sorta kidding. Jim Salge, who has spent years forecasting foliage for Yankee Magazine...
Is Vegas a Secret Superspreader? Study Shows Alarming Reach of City's Visitors
Posted on 08/18/2020, 11:00 PM
It has been about two and a half months since Las Vegas began reopening its casinos and resorts on June 4, following this spring's pandemic lockdown. How have things been going since visitors started coming back? Not great. Nevada's confirmed coronavirus cases skyrocketed in July, and, while the numbers have improved in recent days, NPR reports that the state still has one of the highest infecti...
Ghouls of the Road: Drive-Through Haunts Are a Frightful Halloween Trend
Posted on 08/17/2020, 10:00 AM
Given the still-raging pandemic and the looming U.S. presidential election, there's plenty to fear this fall, even with the cancellation of haunted houses and other Halloween attractions (such as the spooky festivities at Universal and Disney theme parks) due to social distancing concerns. But if you still crave manufactured scares, some horror mavens are soldiering on with new, drive-in and driv...
Airlines Are Cutting Smaller Cities: Aren't We Tired of Having Two Americas?
Posted on 08/17/2020, 5:00 AM
American Airlines is threatening to cut flights to dozens of small and medium-sized American cities after September 30, when the conditions of the recent federal aid package expire. Delta Air Lines did something similar back in May, consolidating service from clusters of neighboring cities into the largest airport among them. So did JetBlue, for the summer, as a way to balance the books. Whether ...
What Are Your Chances of Catching Coronavirus on Planes? MIT Study Has Answers
Posted on 08/10/2020, 5:00 AM
Not long ago, a dear friend reached out to me for advice. His aunt was dying of cancer, and his mother wanted to fly across country to be at the deathbed. My friend was trying to dissuade his mother from going, as he was terrified at the prospect of her flying. She's in her seventies, and he felt the risk was too great. A study newly released by the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts ...
U.S. State Dept. Lifts Warning Against International Travel: So What?
Posted on 08/06/2020, 8:00 AM
Let us flag this moment. Today, the U.S. State Department announced that, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control, it was lifting its blanket travel warning against all international travel. Just read what the government's press release said: "With health and safety conditions improving in some countries and potentially deteriorating in others, the Department is returning to our previ...
Advice from an Airline Pilot About Flying Safely in 2020
Posted on 08/04/2020, 6:00 AM
Like me, my friend Andrea Eldridge, a pilot with a major airline, has been barraged by questions from family and friends about the wisdom of flying right now. In response, she posted a pithy list of tips on Facebook and gave me permission to reprint the list here at Frommers.com. I think her tips are sensible and based on direct experience. Since she didn't write them for widespread publication, I...
