Airlines, cruise companies and other tourism-related groups are welcoming the announcement that Canada will end all travel restrictions and end the Canadian mask mandate for planes and trains on Saturday, October 1.
The Trudeau government today announced that mandatory vaccination rules will end on that date, as will random border testing of travellers. Ottawa also is making the controversial ArriveCAN app optional, and ending the requirement for masks on airplanes and trains.
“Air Canada welcomes the removal of these restrictions, acknowledging that air travel is safe and that the measures were not justified by science,” We believe it will greatly facilitate travel, help to continue stabilizing the country’s air transport sector and support Canada’s economy. Customers and crew will still have the option to wear masks and we also encourage customers to monitor their own health to be sure they feel well and fit to travel,” said Craig Landry, Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer at Air Canada.
“While today’s announcement is a positive step, we urge the government not to lose momentum. Lessons learned during the pandemic should now be applied to streamlining the air transport system in Canada and to enact further reforms. This includes improving processes, such as security and customs at airports, developing new trusted traveller programs, deploying new technologies and, more fundamentally, re-examining the user-pay model that finances air transportation in Canada, whose weaknesses and interdependencies were exposed by COVID,” Landry said.
“As Canadians and international visitors look to make travel plans, the long-awaited removal of all remaining measures effective October 1, 2022 will further expedite recovery for our industry and the Canadian economy,” said Alexis von Hoensbroech, WestJet Group’s CEO. “We are relieved our guests can finally travel with additional confidence and certainty, knowing they can make decisions that are the best for them, and their travel plans won’t be interrupted.”
“This is a win for the cruise industry and for our guests, as we are seeing growing interest for booking 2023 cruises to Alaska and Canada/New England,” said Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line. “It’s a positive step that puts health protocols for our Canada and Alaska cruises more in line with most of our other global cruises. We thank Transport Canada for taking action that will continue to protect the health of travelers while also making it easier for them to book a cruise that allows us to support the local economy.”
The Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable said the federal government’s border measures should not be re-deployed for future variants of concern.
“We are heartened the Government of Canada has heeded our calls, after two long, difficult and devastating years for our industry,” aid Beth Potter, President & CEO of TIAC, the national association that represents thousands of tourism businesses across the country. “We are now focused on rebuilding tourism back to the $105 billion economic powerhouse it was pre-pandemic.”
The association is pleased that the Government of Canada is also moving to permanently lift the mandatory masking requirement on flights as other countries and trading blocs have done, such as the U.S. and European Union.
“We know airlines have the most highly-efficient air filtration systems and effective mitigation measures found anywhere, and that the levels of abuse and harassment of airline crews in enforcing mask mandates has skyrocketed,” adds Potter, noting that TIAC is currently gathering data with regard to the number of abuse incidents and that there is no other sector in Canada still mandating mask usage.
