Page 8 - Jeri Clausing News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Jeri Clausing With many travelers expected to remain close to home this year, the Dude Ranchers' Association (DRA) has revamped its website to make it easy for travel advisors and consumers to find pandemic-era luxury in the great outdoors. While the site does not have a travel advisor portal, the group's public relations representative, David Wiggins of Widness & Wiggins PR, said most if not all of the member ranches work with travel agents and pay commissions. A page on the site speaks directly to the trade. "This new website from the association is an excellent resource for agents and trav...

| Red Carnation Hotels, part of the Travel Corporation group of companies founded by South Africa natives Stanley and Beatrice Tollman, recently opened its first safari camp, the luxury Xigera in Botswana. Senior editor Jeri Clausing talked with the Tollman's son, TTC CEO Brett Tollman, about the new property and his outlook for travel. Brett Tollman Q: You are recently back from a trip to South Africa and Xigera. Tell me about the new property. A: Phenomenal. It's been a lifetime vision of the family to create our own safari lodge. For my father, what he particularly wanted to create was the...

Jeri Clausing Earlier this year, I wrote about how continued uncertainty surrounding near-term travel has pushed out river cruise bookings, with popular itineraries already filling up for 2022.  That strong, long-term demand, operators say, now is also spilling into 2023, prompting some lines to open up those sailing dates ahead of their usual schedule. Last week, American Queen Steamboat Company opened up 2023 bookings a year early, the farthest in advance it has offered a season.  "Cruisers yearn to travel again, as evidenced by 2021 and 2022 inquiries and our webinar popularity with gues...

Jeri Clausing While the pandemic forced many hotels to close for much or part of 2021, it didn't stop the Forbes Travel Guide from moving ahead with its annual Star Awards that recognize what it considers the best of the best in luxury hotels. It also prompted them to add some categories of recognition for luxury hotels, including one for outstanding pandemic-related health and safety responses and one for philanthropy. "In this unprecedented time for the travel industry, every persisting staff member at a hotel, restaurant and spa is a winner," said Filip Boyen, CEO of Forbes Travel Guide. "...

Jeri Clausing American Queen Steamboat Company and Avalon Waterways have updated their health and safety protocols to include vaccine and testing requirements for guests. But other lines don't seem to be in any rush to follow suit. And given the uncertainty over whether and how Americans will be able to travel more freely, they certainly have time to mull their options. Most European river operators say they won't be able to sail until at least April, and most say they expect it could be summer before they can welcome Americans back on board. Until then, officials with AmaWaterways, Uniworld ...