This week, Eye on Travel broadcasts from New York as many of us celebrate the holidays in quarantine. Peter has an update on global travel, plus a reminder of a very sad anniversary this coming week: Pan Am 103 and Lockerbie, with an update on the largest and longest continuing open murder investigation. Then we cross the pond for a little Christmas cheer from Ireland. Also, from London, Simon Calder, Senior Travel Editor for The Independent, discusses how we should be managing our expectations of the vaccines. Scott McCartney, Travel Editor of The Wall Street Journal, looks back on the year 2020 and expands on the grim reality of the return of business travel and why we’re going to see an increasing number of problems that affect lower-fare travel. Alex Guarnaschelli, Iron Chef and Food Network Celebrity Chef, shares the necessary gestures you can make to support the restaurant industry that are more welcome than ever. There’s all this and more as Eye on Travel broadcasts from New York.
Tune in to PeterGreenberg.com from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. ET for the latest Eye on Travel on Saturday, December 19, 2020.
Have a travel question? Then ask Peter. E-mail him at peter@petergreenberg.com, or tweet your questions to @petersgreenberg (include #AskPeter).
Simon Calder, Senior Travel Editor for The Independent, discusses what he’s hoping will happen in the new year and shares a great place to look at the grounded planes out in the Californian desert. Then, what will flying look like and what will the data surrounding the health of travelers look like? Simon argues there will be a lot of data out there, but it would simplify the travel process. And when the vaccine does arrive, will we be managing our expectations? He says our reality looks like it’s full of masks for quite some time, even if the vaccine does arrive sooner rather than later. And yet, he says this might be the best time to travel. Then, Simon and Peter discuss what the incoming administration means for international travel.
Scott McCartney, Travel Writer for The Wall Street Journal, looks back at 2020 and expands on the dim reality of business travel. He says that front of the airplane revenue is extremely important to airlines and that we’re going to see an increasing number of problems that affect lower-fare travel as well. Then, he has more on what the future of the hotel business looks like, what might be changing forever and what to expect when you check in.
Shannon Guihan, Chief TreadRight & Sustainability Officer at The Travel Corporation, discusses maintaining focus on sustainability through the COVID-19 pandemic and preparing for future sustainable travel. She talks about the company’s goals in becoming more sustainable, including working to become carbon neutral and increasing the use of renewable energy. She also talks about the importance of taking responsibility for climate change as well as continuing to eliminate the use of plastics. Then, she discusses the traveler’s desire and growing expectation of sustainable travel and how The Travel Corporation addresses those desires by including more sustainable and immersive activities on its itineraries through their “Make Travel Matter” experiences.
Alex Guarnaschelli, Iron Chef and Food Network Celebrity Chef, shares why she didn’t need to learn anything she learned this year. She says she’s glad 2020 is over and explains how the pandemic has redefined and punished some professions and industries. She’s looking forward to a time where she can go to a local market, grab some fresh ingredients and make a meal – something she realized is a privilege. Then, she looks back at things we didn’t think would be taken away and what she argues is the only solution to normalcy again. Finally, she discusses the types of gestures that people can make to really support the restaurant industry that are more welcome than ever.
Jennifer Wilson Buttigieg, Co-President of Valerie Wilson Travel, Inc., recaps what she and Peter discussed on the program a couple of months ago and how she hoped things would be better by now. Ten months into the pandemic, her business is still down, and she did not think it would last this long. She speaks about the new norm, wearing masks and new hygiene policies across airlines, hotels and cruise lines. Will travel insurance cover pandemics in the future? Several new insurance firms are working on rolling out new insurance policies and plans.
Francis Brennan, Irish Hotelier, Author and Television Personality, speaks about how Ireland is weathering the pandemic and how the government prepared for the economic impacts it would have. He chats about the town where he lives in near isolation, enjoying the holidays and what happiness really means during these uncertain, but still hopefully festive times.
Ruth Reichl, Food Writer, Restaurant Critic, Chef & Author, talks about the immense versatility that has come from the restaurant industry. Due to COVID-19, she says there will be hundreds if not thousands of empty restaurants that landlords will be eager to rent to young chefs that couldn’t have rented them before. So we’re going to see a shift in the industry. She’s also looking forward to getting out there and visiting restaurants abroad and reveals where she would go first as well as what she would eat if she could go right now.
Tanya Zaufi, Author of All Over the Map: Two Lovers, Six Continents and a Date with Destiny, speaks about working on the cruise ship where “The Love Boat” was filmed and where she found the love of her life. Let’s just say, it really was the “love boat!” She speaks about life and mingling on cruise ships. She then shares the story of how she experienced love at first sight with another crew member from the opposite side of the globe and how she navigated that relationship on land.
