With all remaining COVID border measures set to expire on September 30, the Canadian travel industry is preparing for its best winter in three years. But the industry remains nervous about the possibility of restrictions being reintroduced during the fall and winter respiratory illness seasons.
"Since the depths of highly restrictive measures, we have started the long road to recovery, and we are relieved to hear reports that all remaining border measures will expire September 30. However, there remains deep fear that new and ineffective measures will be re-introduced," said Wendy Paradis, President of the Association of Canadian Travel Advisors.
Paradis' comments come after the release of a report by leading infectious disease and emergency medicine physicians. The 30-page report concludes that mandatory arrival and departure testing, quarantines, travel advisories, and other border restrictions did not materially reduce the spread of 'Variants of Concern' across Canada.
The 'Evaluating Canada's Pandemic Border and Travel Policies: Lessons Learned' report was commissioned by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada in partnership with the Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable. Four Canadian doctors with infectious disease and pandemic management experience assessed the impact and effectiveness of border measures and other travel restrictions introduced by the Canadian government to manage the COVID-19 pandemic.
The report's main conclusion states: "there is no scientific basis to apply stricter health measures to travel and tourism than to other industries."
"Canada's restrictive COVID-19 border measures have devastated travel and tourism businesses, with travel agencies and independent travel advisors being the hardest-hit of the hardest-hit sectors. In our industry alone, 41% of jobs were lost and nearly 1000 businesses closed," Paradis said.
"The Government of Canada must look at the clear evidence which shows the ineffectiveness of these measures. Now is the time to double down on economic recovery, and only through government-industry cooperation and science-based policy can we rebuild the world's best travel and tourism economy."
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