By Jim Byers Member, Society of American Travel Writers (SATW)   There’s further evidence of a travel rebound in Canada and around the world. Air Canada today announced an expanded Summer 2022 international schedule with 34 routes relaunching across the Atlantic and Pacific. Starting next month, non-stop services will begin resuming from Toronto to Tel Aviv, Paris, Amsterdam, Vienna and Edinburgh, signs that recovery is well underway. Service from Montreal to Casablanca, Nice, Rome, Tel Aviv and Tokyo will also be resuming. From Vancouver, Air Canada will be offering service to Frankfurt, Dublin, and Zurich.   Air Canada is also relaunching Read more

Israel will begin allowing entry to all tourists, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated against COVID-19, starting March 1. Quoting a statement from the prime minister’s office said on Sunday, Global News and Reuters said entry into Israel will still require two PCR tests, one before flying in and one upon landing in Israel, the statement said. Right now, only COVID-19 vaccinated foreigners are allowed into the country. “We are seeing a constant decline in morbidity data, so it is time to gradually open up,” said Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.  “In order to maintain to public’s trust and ensure Read more

New Canadian travel rules are sparking a surge in demand for U.S. and international travel, Expedia Canada reports. One big beneficiary appears to be the cruise industry, as Canadian search cruises are up sharply in the past few days.   “The easing of Canada’s travel restrictions is set to inspire a greater demand for U.S./ international travel and family travel in the coming weeks, in line with the trends that we have seen in our latest research findings,” officials said.   Expedia Group’s 2022 Traveler Value Index anticipates an international travel comeback for 2022, with 43% of Canadians planning to Read more

Two days after the Canadian government said it was removing its “do not travel” advisory, the warning against international travel is still on the official website. The site, which appears to have been last updated on December 15, 2021 states that Canadians should “avoid non-essential travel outside Canada due to the risk of the Omicron variant that causes COVID-19.” Another government website states that “The Public Health Agency of Canada is advising travellers, regardless of their vaccination status, to avoid non-essential travel internationally.” Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos on Tuesday said the government would lower its travel health notice from level Read more

In the public interest, I’m publishing the press release sent out today by the Canadian government regarding travel rule changes. Recent data indicates that the latest wave of COVID-19 driven by the Omicron variant has passed its peak in Canada. As provinces and territories adjust their public health measures, and as we transition away from the crisis phase, it is now time to move towards a more sustainable approach to long-term management of COVID-19. This transition is possible because of a number of factors, including Canada’s high vaccination rates, the increasing availability and use of rapid tests to detect infection, Read more

Starting Feb. 28, fully vaccinated travellers will no longer have to take a PCR-style test to enter Canada. Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos today said  travellers will still be required to take a pre-arrival test but will be allowed to make it a rapid antigen test, which can be purchased more easily than PCR tests, and are a fraction of the cost. Those rapid tests will have to be taken with 24 hours of a scheduled departure to Canada or 24 hours before a traveller arrives at a Canadian land border crossing, Duclos said. There were reports that the changes Read more