In an open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable is calling on the federal government to lay out a clear plan for the reopening of the travel industry and removal of pre-departure and on-arrival testing for fully vaccinated travellers.
The letter was signed by industry and commerce leaders, including Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau, ACTA President Wendy Paradis, Perrin Beatty, CEO, Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Patrick Doyle, VP & GM American Express Global Business Travel, Annick Guérard, CEO, Transat and Harry Taylor, Interim CEO, Westjet, among others.
Here's the text of the letter:
Dear Prime Minister:
Canada is in a new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic - one marked by widespread vaccination and high levels of prior infection, and one which many Medical Officers of Health have called endemic.
From Denmark and the United Kingdom to Switzerland, Ireland and Norway, many forward-thinking countries worldwide have recognized that the time has come to remove COVID-19 travel restrictions for fully vaccinated travellers.
We believe Canada should do the same.
Canadians have been among the most cooperative citizens anywhere in the world, rolling up their sleeves, staying home, and cancelling or adjusting travel or personal plans time and time again.
The Canadian Travel and Tourism industry is calling on the federal government to lay out a plan with a clear timeline for removing travel restrictions for fully vaccinated travellers and their children, including removing unnecessary pre-departure and on-arrival testing and isolation requirements and blanket travel advisories.
Travellers are subject to mandatory vaccination, as is the industry which serves them. Our industry has been in lockstep with the government by prioritizing safety since the beginning of the pandemic - including through our strong support of vaccination.
Since the pandemic's start, only 1% of all cases of COVID-19 in Canada have been related to travel, and throughout the last wave, the test positivity rate in communities reached ten times what it was at our borders.
We strongly agree with the government's repeated statements that Canada's COVID-19 policies should be based on science but there is no logical or scientific reason that travel should be singled out as the only activity that requires testing and isolation.
As a country we have learned a lot over the last two years and it's time we apply an updated approach to our thinking to quickly and safely transition out of this most recent phase of the pandemic.
It's time for the federal government to begin encouraging Canadians to travel and to invite the world to once again explore what our great country has to offer.
As provinces come out of lockdowns and with the spring and summer travel seasons on the horizon, we urgently request that the federal government allow the travel and tourism sector to reopen alongside all other sectors of the economy.
The industry is expecting to hear an announcement this week on changes to Canada's travel measures and restrictions. Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos hinted late last week that changes will soon be coming to the country's strict border and travel restrictions.
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