Travel and Tourism Roundtable: Time for a Canada Reopening Plan

The Canadian Travel & Tourism Roundtable says it's time for Canada to come up with a clear reopening plan.

The group said in a statement that it acknowledges the federal government's decision to remove the mandatory hotel quarantine requirement for fully vaccinated Canadians and reduce quarantine upon the results of an arrivals test as an important first step in the right direction, "but additional policy changes are needed to support the recovery of the industry," the group said in a statement issued today (June 9)."

"With that in mind, the federal government has yet to publish a comprehensive reopening plan for international and domestic travel, particularly around fully vaccinated foreign nationals visiting Canada. As Prime Minister Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Freeland travel to the United Kingdom to attend the G7 summit later this week and begin international discussions around a global vaccination passport, Canada remains an outlier among its G7 peers, having yet to announce a comprehensive reopening plan.

"The Roundtable is urging the federal government to release an implementation plan based on the recommendations made in the COVID-19 Testing and Screening Expert Advisory Panel report, presented to the federal government last month. Canadians are doing their part in getting vaccinated; now it is time for the federal government to provide clear, timely, and safe guidance on reopening Canada for travel.

"Though today's announcement addresses quarantine measures for fully vaccinated Canadian, it does not address border measures, quarantine restrictions for partially vaccinated Canadians and fully vaccinated foreign nationals, and ongoing testing requirements."

"Today Canadians were provided some clarity around travel for fully vaccinated Canadians. This is an important first step in the right direction. I urge the government to use the G7 as a platform to announce a comprehensive reopening strategy that will bring Canada in line with most of the other G7 countries rather than a series of piecemeal announcements," said Perrin Beatty, President & CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

"With vaccinations rising and case numbers going down, we must pivot to forward-thinking policies, rooted in science, and begin looking at things like reopening the border," said Beth Potter, President & CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada. "A holistic, Canada-wide plan is needed to provide certainty to Canadian businesses and employees in the sector. We are seeing provinces fill in the gaps that have been created by the absence of a federal reopening plan and this will create confusion for travellers."

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