The Coalition of Hardest Hit Businesses released a survey March 24th on Parliament Hill revealing that 60% of Canada's hardest hit businesses will not survive if the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) as well as the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) are not extended beyond the June 5th deadline to the end of the year.
Based on the survey results, the Coalition is formally appealing to the Federal Government to extend the CEWS and CERS supports to the end of the year in the April budget.
The Coalition said that it hopes by summer there will be an easing of restrictions and a modest return of leisure travel. However, conventions for this fall have already been cancelled and business travel will not recover in the short term.
"As a member of the Coalition, we support the Coalition's request for the extension and enhancement of vital programs such as the wage and rent subsidy through to the end of 2021," said Wendy Paradis, ACTA President.
Paradis said that ahead of the release of the Federal Budget on April 19, 2021, ACTA has also intensified lobbying efforts for the extension of other programs of critical importance to Travel Agencies, Travel Agents and Independent Contractors, including the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) and Employment Insurance (EI) until the end of 2021. And, unique to the travel industry sector, funding to protect Travel Agencies and Independent Travel Agents from recall commission when the government announces mandatory consumer refunds by airlines.
"The travel industry will be in a holding pattern until we see a fully developed Roadmap to Recovery from the Federal Government that includes the conditions and metrics required to start easing restrictions such as the mandatory hotel stop over program, the 14-day quarantine, the travel advisories and other measures," said Paradis.
ACTA is a member of the Coalition, which is an industry-driven group of over 100 stakeholders representing a variety of sectors including tourism, travel, arts and culture, events and festivals, accommodation and hospitality.
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