A loosening of Canadian travel restrictions including ending the mandatory PCR test for returning travellers, easing family travel rules and a lowering of the national travel advisory has been greeted by the industry with a combination of relief and disappointment.
The removal of the costly PCR test requirement is something the industry has been requesting for some time. But a negative rapid antigen test taken within 24 hours of the flight home will still be required.
"While ACTA welcomes this change as an important step forward, we urge the government to lift all pre-departure testing requirements for fully vaccinated travellers," said Wendy Paradis, ACTA president.
"Rapid antigen tests are an additional cost and often difficult to procure. All testing requirements create uncertainty and deter travel. There is no scientific basis to single-out travel for testing."
But the ACTA president praised the decision to lower Canada's travel advisory from Level 3 (avoid non-essential travel) to Level 2 (practice special precautions). "This is an important change for the travel industry and also affects the availability of travel insurance," said Paradis.
The Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable, a coalition of leaders from across the industry, expressed similar sentiments, saying that the government missed an opportunity.
"The Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable welcomes the federal government's decision to remove the advisory against non-essential travel, and its move away from mandatory pre-departure and on-arrival PCR tests," the group said in a statement.
"Though today's announcement brings us one step closer to where our industry needs to be, in requiring pre-departure rapid antigen tests, the government missed an opportunity to align with other international jurisdictions that removed pre-departure test requirements for fully vaccinated travellers."
The WestJet Group sees positives with the changes, but say it will continue to advocate for the removal of all measures impacting fully-vaccinated air travellers.
"The removal of travel barriers for fully-vaccinated travellers and families is a positive step forward for our industry; we have been advocating tirelessly for these changes on behalf of our guests and our communities," said Angela Avery, EVP, External Affairs.
"As a fully-vaccinated industry, we have worked with public health authorities and all governments to curb COVID-19 and today's announcement validates that travel has never been a significant vector of transmission."
WestJet says it will continue to advocate for the return to surveillance arrivals testing only and for the federal government to outline a recovery roadmap for the travel and tourism industry, based on science and reflective of the current realities of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"As measures transition and Canada's pandemic situation continues to improve, we are optimistic that the remaining policies will be reassessed and removed for fully-vaccinated travellers in the weeks ahead as outlined today by the Ministers," Avery added.
Representing 12,500 workers in Canada's aviation industry, the Unifor union took a positive approach to the changes.
"Canadians are ready to travel for work and for pleasure," said Scott Doherty, the Executive Assistant to the Unifor's National President. "Having these rules lifted will not only encourage more people to want to travel, but it removes some of the red tape for those returning to Canada."
David Green, Managing Director for G Adventures in Canada, also focused on the positives, and said "the best is yet to come" for travel agents.
"The Canadian travel industry can breathe a collective sigh of relief today as it gets set to join other key tourism markets in loosening the border restrictions and requirements that have made international travel more difficult in the wake of Omicron. While many people have continued to travel since the non-essential advisory was reinstated two months ago, there is a large segment of potential travellers who have been waiting for holidays to be made easier to take before committing to their long-awaited adventures," Green said.
"My advice to agents now is to buckle up -- the best is yet to come. There is a tonne of pent up demand still waiting to be realized, which we are already seeing reflected in strong February sales results now lockdowns have been lifted," Green added.
Social media reaction to TravelPulse Canada's story yesterday on the changes focused on dismay that pre-arrival testing will still be required.
"For me, nothing changed except for the type of test," said one advisor. "So disappointed in this decision."
"Was hoping they would get rid of the pre-entry test," wrote another. "You're still stuck in another country in the event you test positive. Thought we are beyond this pre-entry test requirement. Happy for people with children, they can get away for a family vacation with less hassle."
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