March 2021 Update   

Grateful… Cliché or the Truth?

This past year has been one of reflection I’m sure for many of us.  I know for myself the one word that keeps resonating with me is Grateful, as cliché as that may sound.  Having spent the majority of my life (which now spans over 5 decades… but shhh – don’t tell) living and working in a family business alongside my parents, sister and brother in the tour, travel and  transportation industry, a sector in which we all know has been one of the hardest hit through this pandemic, I am grateful and here is why.  I am grateful to have been introduced at a very young age to the joys of travel and the incredible destinations I’ve visited and continue to seek out. I’m grateful of the knowledge, work ethic, values and commitment that my parents instilled and shared with their children to ensure we could not only carry on our second generation family business – Sun Fun Tours and Canada West Coachlines, but to also be able to go to work every day loving what we do.  I’m grateful that we had an opportunity four years ago to sell our company allowing my parents to retire after more than 40 years of hard work and dedication to their livelihood and I’m grateful that my sister and brother were able to take the skills they developed in our trade and incorporate them in their new occupations.  I’m grateful that our current ownership group is dedicated, supportive and committed to our company’s future, valued employees and faithful customers so that we can continue to make your travel dreams a reality when we can safely do so again soon.  I am grateful that my loyal and energetic Sun Fun co-workers have been able to use this past year to take time to enjoy the things that fulfill them including time with family, gardening, cooking and even welcoming new puppies into their homes.  I am grateful that these team members who so many of you have gotten to know and formed friendships with over the years can’t wait to get back to work to reconnect with you.  This is only a small sample of what I am grateful for (I could go on and on but don’t want to bore you) but most of all, I am grateful to all of you – our guests and our friends for your continued support, understanding, patience and flexibility through this unprecedented ride.   My team both on the front lines and those at home have been inspired and uplifted by the incredible outpouring of support and encouraging comments you’ve shared to help us bridge this gap.  The phones are ringing again, and people are excited to have something to look forward to even if it may still be a few months off.  With smaller groups and a high demand, I encourage you to book now for your next journey.  Give us a call – we can’t wait to talk to you.

Warmest regards,

Shelley Thiessen
Vice President

Good afternoon,

Dear friends,

Dear friends,

Dear friends.

First and foremost, all of us at Sun Fun Tours send you our well wishes and hope you are in good spirits.  Our offices remain closed at this time to the public, however our team regularly meets up online for virtual visits and updates. And as always we are available to you by phone or email. If we miss your call, please leave a message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

The past few months have been challenging, but we’ve been inspired by the incredible outpouring of support from our guests who have shared many thoughtful and encouraging comments.  This makes us excited and positive for a bright future when we are all ready to get back on the road again. So as our province moves closer to the next phases, and British Columbians are encouraged to travel locally and throughout the province, we are working with our industry partners including hoteliers, attractions, restaurants and transportation in preparation for a re-opening that includes conducting business in a new environment with the safety and precautions in place meant to offer our guests peace of mind.

When you are ready to resume travel you can expect things to be different than before but as travelers you are used to adapting, and know and appreciate that this is what has always made travel exciting. It’s about new experiences, new destinations, revisiting familiar favorites, and now it will include new protocols that are designed to let you Travel with Confidence. More information will soon be available on this new program.

We’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Sun Fun has remained focused on ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for all and when the time comes to welcome you back onboard, we do so with your comfort and confidence as our top priority.

Thank you on behalf of our entire Sun Fun Tours family for your continued support and loyalty.  We look forward to seeing you again soon. Until then, stay safe and healthy.

Shelley Thiessen
Vice-President
Sun Fun Tours

Dear friends,

As we slowly start to see businesses, industry and social circles re-open, our tour operations continue to be paused with tours postponed up to June 30, 2020.  Sun Fun has remained focused on ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for all and when the time comes to welcome you back onboard, we do so with your comfort and confidence as our top priority.

We continue to monitor the guidance provided by the World Health Organization, Centre for Disease Control and the Government of Canada and will keep you informed of any upcoming  changes to our July and August departures in the coming weeks.  We know there is a bucket list of adventures waiting to be embarked upon, but we must continue to exercise patience and perseverance during this time.

On behalf of our Sun Fun office team – Carol, Eroca, Amelia, Cindy (Kelowna), Cindy (Penticton), Colleen, Wendy, Charlene and myself – as well as our wonderful tour directors and coach operators, we thank you for your continued support, loyalty, kind words and heartfelt messages as we navigate through this challenging period.  We share not only a love of travel with all of you but value the connections, friendships and memories we have created together through our more than 40 years in business.

Our offices remain closed to the public, but we continue to work behind the scenes, knowing that when travel does resume, Sun Fun will be ready.

We look forward to seeing you again soon. Until then, stay safe and healthy.

Shelley Thiessen
Vice President

Dear Friends,

During these uncertain times we appreciate your support more than ever. The many thoughtful and encouraging comments from our clients go a long way to lift our spirits and provide a positive outlook for the future. I want to share just a few of the special messages we have received and invite you to keep sending them. They are a welcome reminder of the wonderful friendships we have forged and experiences we have created with each and every one of you.  During this challenging time, there remains one constant – the love of travel and when the time comes for you to choose a destination and pack your suitcase, we are ready to welcome you.

Thank you for the update.  I have enjoyed all my travels with your company and your office have a wonderful staff.  I hope to do more bus travels in the future.  Take care – Nicole

Thanx Shelley, you’re the Bees Knees, be healthy – Steve 

Appreciate your update, and look forward to possibly travelling with Sun Fun in June. – Harv 

Thank you for your update…..stay safe and healthy and enjoy our sunshine 🌞 we will be in touch later. – Joan 

Thank you very much for cancelling your tours & being a responsible business. – Gayle 

Please know we continue to monitor the evolving COVID-19 situation and evaluate each scheduled tour individually to determine the best course of action. The health, safety, and well-being of our customers and staff will always be our top priority. We will continue to follow the guidance of local and federal government and public health authorities. We will not resume operation of our tours until it is safe to do so.

We look forward to seeing you again soon. Until then, stay safe and healthy.

Shelley Thiessen

Vice President
Sun Fun Tours

Dear Friends,

The health and safety of our valued travellers and dedicated employees is always our number one priority.  We have always felt so connected to and grateful for our Sun Fun Tours community – in many ways you are an extension of our own family. Therefore, we would like to share with you the most recent steps we are taking related to the social and economic impacts of the coronavirus.

In order to practice the highly recommended social distancing, we have made the difficult decision to close our offices to the public and have postponed all tours scheduled to depart the remainder of March and April, 2020.

Sun Fun Tours continues to closely monitor the guidance provided by the World Health Organization, Centres for Disease Control, Canadian, U.S. and International travel advisements and other public and private organizations to ensure the safety and security of our guests and employees.

Amid this crisis, there have been so many beautiful reminders about the kindness and resilience of the human spirit and it is during this unthinkable and unprecedented time that we want to assure you that we are here for you and will continue to be available to you to answer your questions through email and phone, making it a priority to assist you as quickly as possible.

You can connect with us:

By Phone:
Local: 250-314-9923             Toll Free: 1-877-786-3860

By Email:
info@sunfuntours.ca

Online:
www.sunfuntours.ca

Now is the time to be safe, be smart and to take care of yourself, your family and your friends.  We remain very optimistic that with the measures our country and province have put in place, coupled with broad cooperation and prudence from all of us, we will get through these uncertain times and emerge stronger and ready to travel again.

We will continue to work diligently to update our customers on all changes to their travel plans.

Thank you for your ongoing loyalty and support.

Sincerely,

Shelley Thiessen
Vice-President

Sun Fun Tours

Dear valued travellers ,

As a tour operator, Sun Fun Tours is following the news related to the current Coronavirus outbreak closely to determine if additional modifications and updates are needed in accordance with Canadian, U.S. and International travel advisements and policies.  We are also working with partners in our industry to make sure travel is safe and enjoyable for everyone.  The health and wellbeing of our guests has always been of upmost importance to us.

In an effort to keep our customers’ best interest at top of mind and do our part in limiting the spread of the disease, we have made the very difficult decision to postpone all tours departing in March and April. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and will update you on further tour schedule changes in the coming weeks.

For customers who are booked on a March departure, we will be reaching out to you shortly if we have not done so already. Please understand that we are working as quickly as possible. Your patience is very much appreciated.

We will continue following the advice of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization and suggest following these sites to keep yourself informed of the latest information and news:

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Thank you for your continued support and understanding at this time.

Sincerely,

Shelley Thiessen
Vice-President
Sun Fun Tours