Today in the travel industry we’re kicking off the New Year with a look at the U.S. customs breakdown, a relaunched Sandals resort and a big hotel brand going smoke-free.
U.S. Customs Experiences Outage
The new year was off to a rocky start Monday night when a temporary computer outage of U.S. Customs and Border Protection systems caused travel delays at airports across the country, USA Today reports. The outage, which lasted for four hours, caused issues in Chicago, Boston, New York City, Baltimore, Miami and Atlanta.
"U.S. Customs and Border Protection experienced a temporary outage with its processing systems at various airports today beginning at 5 p.m. EST and ending at approximately 9 p.m. EST. All airports are currently back on line," the agency told USA Today. "CBP took immediate action to address the issue and CBP officers continued to process international travelers using alternative procedures at airports experiencing the disruption. Travelers at some ports of entry experienced longer than usual wait times as CBP officers processed travelers as quickly as possible while maintaining the highest levels of security.
"During the technology disruption, CBP had access to national security-related databases and all travelers were screened according to security standards. At this time, there is no indication the service disruption was malicious in nature,” the agency said.
U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow called the incident “disturbing.”
“Technology at these facilities is too outdated to cope with existing travel volume, let alone the increased traffic we hope and expect to see at our gateway airports in years to come,” Dow said in a written statement.
"The headaches this inflicts upon American travelers is bad enough, but policymakers should be especially mindful of the effect on international visitors. The U.S. customs and entry process is already notorious for dissuading long-haul visitors from dealing with the hassle of coming here, and lost inbound travelers means lost export dollars at a time when our economy can ill afford that.
"A modern system is not only more efficient, but more secure, and both of those are very worthy priorities in the current security and economic environment. Let's not forget that we have seen this problem before, and it is all too likely we will see it again if we keep failing to learn from these mistakes."
Sandals Whitehouse to Relaunch
In resort news, Sandals Resorts has relaunched the Sandals Whitehouse European Village & Spa in Jamaica as the Sandals South Coast.
The reimagined Luxury Included resort has added 12 over-the-water bungalows accessible via a heart-shaped pier, as well as Sandals’ first dedicated over-the-water bar, called Latitudes, where guests can enjoy cocktails in hammocks suspended above the Caribbean Sea. The resort also now has a floating, ocean-based swim up bar called Bar-Tender and an over-the-water wedding chapel with 360-degree, panoramic water views and a glass floor aisle. Brides and grooms here will be able to arrive to the chapel via boat.
The resort also undertook renovations to its five restaurants and added four more dining options: Sushi on the Sand; Beach Picnic, an option for Butler guests to have a romantic picnic on the beach; Jerk Shack, a dining option with open-air seating and rustic vibe that serves authentic jerk dishes; and Schooner’s, which serves Caribbean fare.
All accommodations at Sandals South Coast are ocean-facing. The Italian Riviera, formerly known as the Italian Village, which was completed in December, houses 112 rooms and suites, featuring upgraded room categories including Italian Beachfront One Bedroom Butler Suite; Italian Beachfront Club Level Walkout Junior Suite; Italian Beachfront Club Level Junior Suite; and the Italian Honeymoon Beachfront Room.
Visit http://www.sandals.com/main/whitehouse/wh-home
Comfort Inn Goes Smoke Free
In other hotel news, Comfort Inn has announced plans to offer guests 100 percent smoke-free rooms at its more than 1,800 franchised hotels across the United States and Canada. Comfort is now the largest hotel brand to allow travelers to enjoy a smoke-free stay, according to a statement from parent company Choice Hotels International.
Comfort said the move was based on consumer research, which revealed that preferences for smoke-free environments have increased and even smokers are more likely to choose smoke-free accommodations. The brand is also launching a #GoodForYou social media campaign aimed at promoting healthy living.
Visit www.choicehotels.com
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