Travel agencies see uptick in tourists

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This article was published 21/02/2022 (1728 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Wanderlust is taking hold of many in Brandon and the Westman region, and it has been a painful two years for the tourism industry, so the sudden influx of people vying to book a vacation is a boon for travel agencies.

“This has been two years in the making, and we couldn’t be happier,” said Cassandra Jamieson, owner of McPhail Travel. “The last couple of weeks have been very busy for us with people booking vacations both in the near future to sunny destinations and later in the year to other locations.”

She said most of their clients are telling them they are tired of being stuck at home during the pandemic. So far, the most popular sun destination has been Mexico due to the ease of entering the country, she added. However, more people are booking further into the year to other destinations, such as Europe and the U.K., for river cruises and land-based tours.

It’s the same story at Vision Travel. There are still some who want to travel, but are holding back for a while in case more restrictions are implemented, said office supervisor Patricia Morin. But on the other end of the spectrum, people are booking get-aways no matter what.

“It’s been a roller-coaster,” she said. “There’s definitely been an uptick in at least inquiries.”

While the increase in bookings is welcome, Morin said for the situation to change drastically, federal restrictions have to be lifted. Last week, the feds announced it will drop its pre-arrival COVID-19 PCR test requirements for fully vaccinated travellers at the end of February.

“It’s still positive. Reducing the PCR testing has definitely helped,” she said. “There is still a testing requirement, and travellers may get confused over that. Some people will just read a tagline about ‘no testing required’ without clicking on the whole story. Some will get caught by that.”

To make travel as hassle-free as possible, all travellers should keep up to date with current restrictions and entry requirements both in Canada and their destination, she said.

A desire to see his newborn nephew reunite with a former Wheat King billet, who now lives in Las Vegas, led James Montgomery to pack his car and dog and head south of the border for a 12-day road trip in January.

It was the best trip of his life, he said, and it was also the first time in two years he was able to get away for a vacation outside of Canada.

“I’m not a big flyer, I prefer to drive for my holidays,” he said. “It was really nice to get away to the States. I hadn’t done much travelling beyond a little into Ontario and Alberta.”

As manager of the Riverbank Discovery Centre and a great supporter of local tourism, he said getting away is good for mental health. He has done a lot of travelling in his life, but this time felt different because after nearly two years in a pandemic, he could feel cabin fever setting in.

“I just wanted to get in the car, go where I wanted to get to every day and not be told what I can and can’t do constantly,” he said.

Crossing the border wasn’t difficult, he said. American border guards checked his and his dog’s vaccinations, asked a few questions about the nature of his trip and sent him on his way. His wife joined him after driving into Minot, N.D., then flew to Las Vegas to watch their former billet play a game in that city.

His first stop was in Yellowstone National Park to meet his five-month-old nephew. He spent the night with his brother and sister-in-law, then drove straight south to Las Vegas.

“One thing a lot of people don’t know is Yellowstone is about halfway between Vegas and Brandon,” he said.

His next stop was Phoenix to see his father, brother and cousin, who were also on vacation. Along the way, he stopped at several sites, including the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon. Then they drove back to Yellowstone.

The couple also had their COVID-19 tests done in Las Vegas, which Montgomery said was free. The National Guard set up a testing facility in an abandoned casino.

For Brian Sterling, the sun and sand of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, was reason enough to fly south for a warm vacation. He and his wife were planning to go to Cozumel, Mexico, but put it off when COVID cases were surging. After a consulting job he was waiting on didn’t pan out, case numbers were dropping, so he believed it was a good time to go.

“Restrictions here are pretty much the same as in Canada,” he said on the phone from Mexico. “Masks are expected indoors, but we aren’t inside much. Most of our time is spent by the pool and on the beach.”

Since tourism has taken such a hit, there are a few more vacancies than normal. Stirling and several friends were able to rent a condo for themselves and stay together.

“It’s been really great here. They are excited to get tourists back, people have been wonderful and the food has been awesome.”

» kmckinley@brandonsun.com

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