by Jim Byers
Last updated: 11:50 AM ET, Sun January 17, 2021
Independent travel advisors are in dire straits and need help from the Canadian government.
The Association of Canadian Independent Travel Advisors took their cause to members of the Newfoundland and Labrador Liberal Party caucus on Friday of last week, sharing information on a Zoom call with several party members and a couple dozen advisors.
Everyone in Canada is battling the same storm, but many Canadians are in different boats, said ACITA co-founder Brenda Slater.
"Our boat is extremely leaky, and we're in danger of sinking right now," she said.
Slater said many agents have no revenue stream because they're not booking trips. Given how the industry operates, with trips booked so far in advance and payment coming so late in the process, agents may not get much revenue for months, or even into 2022.
In fact, because of commission recalls, some advisors are in a negative cash flow situation.
ACITA believes Ottawa needs to consider extending programs like the CRB. The Trudeau government also needs to assure agents that airline assistance programs or bailouts will be undertaken only if agents' commissions are protected.
Slater said ACITA fully supports refunds for customers who had flights/trips cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
She also said governments need to bring in rapid testing for "every person and every plane" coming or leaving Canada.
"We need to do something to restore confidence" in travel.
Slater said 248 brick-and-mortar agencies have closed in Ontario due to the pandemic.
The Prime Minister "is always talking that he's going to take care of the people … but we are one of those industries that has totally fallen through the cracks," Slater said. "We really do need, and it's not just travel agents, it's anything travel related, all of your local tour companies, all of your local hotels and car rental agencies and people who lead the tours and take the boats out to o whale-watching, all those great things the tourism industry supports, they're all in the same boat, leaking; terribly leaking."
She also said ACITA would love to get a meeting with the new Minister of Transport, Omar Alghabra.
Members of Parliament said they're quite sympathetic to the plight of agents.
"We hear you," said MP Gudie Hutchings. "We will be sending a letter (to the PM's office) on behalf of the Newfoundland and Labrador caucus. We'll be sure they know how agents have fallen through the cracks."
MP's also noted that recent route cuts by major Canadian airlines are leaving parts of Newfoundland high and dry.
MP Scott Simms said he met with members of the Gander, NL Chamber of Commerce last week. "They need routes re-established. Otherwise, they're dead in the water."
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