Do I need travel insurance?
Travel insurance is available and recommended to protect your travel investment. Many trips, such as tours and cruises, involve non-refundable funds paid months in advance. Travel insurance protects you from losing this investment. Perhaps even more important is the ‘during travel’ coverage and assistance that comes with the top-flight insurance companies we carry.
Should I get tested before taking a flight?
Taking a test is the best way to assure yourself and others that you aren’t spreading the virus. Also, there are two types of tests. One is a diagnostic test and the other one is another type of diagnostic test which is an antigen test, which detects the presence of a specific viral antigen or bits of coronavirus proteins, implying current viral infection. For antigen tests, a sample is collected by nasal swabbing, with hopes that there are some virus proteins in the sample.
When a coronavirus test isn’t required, temperature checks and other precautions are likely to play an outsized role in the screening process. Airlines such as Frontier and Air Canada have added passenger temperature checks to their own safety procedures, and travelers could be denied boarding if they present a fever.
What clothing should I pack for one of your adventures?
We always recommend packing as light as possible however the specific requirements for your tour will vary widely depending on where and when you are traveling. Our ‘Trip Tips’ category includes a suggested packing list.
What kinds of jobs does tourism generate?
Most people associate tourism with hourly jobs in the service sector, and there’s no doubt that tourism is accountable for thousands of jobs locally. What are often overlooked are the management jobs that are a part of the tourism industry. We see desk clerks and maids, but don’t notice the managers, supervisors, accountants and marketers that work in a hotel or resort. We see waiters, bartenders and cooks but don’t notice the team of managers, chefs, accountants and supervisors that run a restaurant. We see flight attendants and counter attendants but don’t notice the pilots, auditors, engineers and other professionals that run airlines. While tourism does create hourly jobs, it also supports and sustains an overlooked corps of managers and other professionals that play an integral role.
Beyond the direct employment within businesses that serve tourists, the impact of tourism spreads well beyond the traditional definition of tourism. Many industries exist to support businesses within the tourism industry: advertising agencies, accounting firms, distributors, furniture makers, etc.
How does a tourism benefit service other than hotels, leisure spaces etc?
Many businesses throughout the world enjoy a balance of customers that include both tourists and residents. This includes retail outlets, grocery stores, entertainment venues and transportation providers. Ultimately, these tourism-dependent businesses need other service which is paid for in part by tourist money.
Doesn’t tourism put added burden on our local infrastructure and essential services?
Tourists use much of the same infrastructure and services that residents use, including roads, bridges, highways, airports, police/fire protection, medical services, etc. In an area like the Grand Strand, our average tourist population nearly equals the permanent population. During peak season, the total population (visitor and resident combined) can more than double. No doubt, a growing tourism industry requires adequate investment and maintenance of our local infrastructure and public services.
Doesn’t tourism put added burden on our local infrastructure and essential services?
Tourists use much of the same infrastructure and services that residents use, including roads, bridges, highways, airports, police/fire protection, medical services, etc. In an area like the Grand Strand, our average tourist population nearly equals the permanent population. During peak season, the total population (visitor and resident combined) can more than double. No doubt, a growing tourism industry requires adequate investment and maintenance of our local infrastructure and public services.