ASK JOURNEYS: Bugs, documents, riot-torn tourism gem

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Tunisia was a hidden gem for tourists, and it will be again once the current turmoil is settled.

Passports, pests and protests! These are the sides of tourism that are the least of topics one wishes to talk about. But information is important and today’s column will hopefully help steer you away from problems as a part of your travel planning.

QUESTION: I am confused. I read that to go to Jamaica you don't need a passport, yet my travel agent said I did. Which is correct?

ANSWER: They both are, but in the end you require a passport.

Your travel agent informed you of the requirement because of a recent email Passport Canada sent to all travel agencies.

The message is clear. Although you can travel to Jamaica with ID and proof of citizenship, it takes more than that to get back home. You must have a passport to re-enter Canada. That lack of knowledge has left many stranded in the country until they were able to get their passport delivered to them, or go through the longer process of having one issued.

Canadians attempting to board any flight back to Canada from Jamaica will be denied boarding if they do not present a valid Canadian passport.

Passport Canada reports many travellers each year are in fact turned away at the check-in gate and then are forced to go through considerable extra expense and effort.

It has always been my recommendation that anyone who travels, regardless of destination or entry requirements, should always carry the most valuable and important document they will ever own, a Canadian passport.

Relatively speaking, it is still not an expensive investment for the right to present your highly respected credentials to officials wherever they may be required.

QUESTION: What advice can you give if bedbugs are encountered on one's travels in hotels or cruise ships?

ANSWER: Yours is a question that is becoming more and more frequent.

Up until the middle of the 20th century, bedbugs were a significant public-health problem worldwide. They were brought under control around that time and there were comparatively few incidents in public accommodation until recently.

There has been a dramatic resurgence to the point where some jurisdictions have declared bedbug infestations an epidemic.

Once associated with less-than-clean environments, that is no longer the case. There have been reports of bedbugs in the beds of even the best hotels in the world.

Like us, bedbugs love to travel and readily find comfort in luggage, clothing, furniture, and then in your bedding if you are not careful.

So what can you do?

There are ways of checking a bed for bedbugs but since they hide during the day, entering a bright room will make it difficult to spot them under the covers, so to speak.

In a darkened room, if you carry a small flashlight and don't turn on the lights, by throwing back the covers and shining the flashlight on the bedding you may spot them, but they are very small.

Obviously if you spend a night in such a bed you will certainly know you had bedbug bites in the morning and you will demand a room change.

Some think 'bug bombs' or total-release aerosol insecticide products work, but they do not, and, according to a government website, can be dangerous as well.

There are commercial sheet and pillowcase products that can be used as coverings during a reasonably short stay. While they tend to be bulky and heavy in today's weight-restricted airline environment, many will find the protection well worth the packing dilemmas they may face.

However, luggage covers and drawer liners have been created to help prevent bedbugs from entering your belongings so you don't end up transporting them home with you.

One of them is a brand called 'Bug Zip' which you can see on their website at http://www.bugzip.com

A city of Winnipeg website has an entire section on bedbugs at http://www.winnipeg.ca/cms/bugline/insect_information/bedbugs.stm which might be worth reviewing.

QUESTION: Until I watched news about the riots in Tunisia I did not realize it was a tourist destination. To what degree has it been successful as such?

ANSWER: Until a couple of weeks ago Tunisia was a hidden gem.

Especially attractive as a long-stay destination because of its quality restaurants and accommodation at extremely reasonable prices, it has shown consistent growth over the last few years.

Dubai investors have recently made significant commitments to major developments that hopefully won't be sidelined by the recent upheavals.

Tunisia has an impressive history to share with visitors, and even though it is a Muslim country it has been praised for its modern and moderate approach and lifestyle.

Cruise ships have made it a regular stop and from the many people I have talked with who have spent time in Tunisia, I have received nothing but glowing reports.

We can only hope that with upcoming elections the protests will end and the country can return to being the prime destination that it seemed to be leading toward.

Tourism is such an important economic generator for so many emerging nations like Tunisia that it would be a shame to see its progress curtailed.

In the meantime, the Canadian government has issued an official warning against travel to that country.

Forward your travel questions to askjourneys@journeystravel.com. Ron Pradinuk is president of Journeys Travel & Leisure SuperCentre and can be heard Sundays at noon on CJOB. Previous columns and tips can be found on www.journeystravelgear.com or read Ron's travel blog at www.thattravelguy.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 29, 2011 E2