It may have been our only tour, but it was more than that!
Over the past year, I have developed a zen-like attitude towards travel and the future. Maybe it was my habit of meditation that I have developed over the past year, or it was coming to terms that trying to make predictions is a futile exercise. I have become very good at living in the moment and not getting to far ahead of myself. This has really helped me adjust to the uncertainty of the travel environment. When travel restrictions can change in a moments notice, there is really nothing you can control so you learn to roll with the punches.
Early this month, we successfully operated our first and only tour of 2021 to Quebec City for the German Christmas Markets. We limited capacity on the bus to 50% to allow for physical distancing of our guests which allowed them to sit without the requirement of wearing a mask. We also developed Covid Protocols for screening to get on the tour as well as safety tips for our guests to do to keep themselves safe while on tour.
We will be honest with you, as excited as we were to have our first tour depart in 20 months, we were also nervous as heck at the same time thinking about keeping our passengers safe. It helped so much that we had such a great group, and we were so pleased that they were taking individual responsibility to keep themselves safe.
Lynn and I travelled as passengers (I drove the bus from Halifax to Moncton before switching with Jim Doyle) while Gary and Carol Craswell were Tour Directors. I can honestly say this is the first time we have been passengers on our own tour, and we highly recommend it (although Gary may have a different opinion!!). We stayed in Old Quebec for the first time, and it was a highlight for sure. Although it was cold, it did not stop us from enjoying the city. It was even snowing on Saturday evening which made you feel you were in a Hallmark Christmas movie. It was truly magical.
So, when we say it was more than our first and only tour for 2021, we mean it was more emblematic of our determination not to have this pandemic defeat us. We are proud of our tenacity to stick with it and prepare ourselves and our clients for a “new normal” of travel. We will not be going back to our old ways anytime soon, but we can take comfort that we have Quebec City as one of our successes in 2021 that we can be proud of.
We look forward to continuing our rebuild in 2022 and hope we can count on you to be a big part of our comeback. From our family to yours, Happy Holidays! May the New Year bring you joy, happiness and appreciation for those you love the most!
John and Lynn
