Tourism officials say Canada’s new vaccination rules are a good start, but that the government hasn’t gone nearly far enough to boost the travel industry. The Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO), the Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable and the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses (CFIB) put out statements saying more moves are needed. “As the pandemic has evolved and new tools have emerged to control the impact of COVID-19, TIAO has been advocating for government to remove barriers to travel,” officials said. “TIAO welcomes today’s announcement as an important step towards normalizing travel; it will help increase inter-provincial travel Read more
Canada
The Air Canada Foundation (ACF) is today celebrating its milestone 10-year anniversary focusing on the health and well-being of children and youth. Since its inception in 2012, the Foundation has positively impacted the lives of thousands of children through its various programs, partnerships, and initiatives. Over the past decade, the ACF has provided support to more than 200 Canadian charities each year, connecting children to medical care, alleviating child poverty and helping children fulfill their dreams. The Foundation has also offered continued support to major health-related causes that benefit Canadians and is an active participant in international humanitarian relief activities. Read more
To celebrate the return of Pride around the globe, Airbnb is revealing the top 50 worldwide Pride celebrations this summer. Three Canadian cities made the list. Toronto finished seventh, Montreal was 25th and Vancouver 28th. This ranking is based on total nights booked over respective Pride weekends worldwide, looking at bookings made on Airbnb from January to May 2022. The list uncovers nights booked in each respective city over their Pride weekends this year, with bookings hitting a significant milestone: tens of thousands of nights have already been booked over the top 50 Pride weekends for this summer, bringing Pride weekends in Read more
The federal government today announced an end to mandatory vaccination for Canadians travelling domestically on airplanes and trains, and also for outbound international travel. Senior ministers in the Trudeau government said foreign travellers will still need to show proof of vaccination to enter Canada, while unvaccinated Canadians returning home will still be required to quarantine. The new rules will take effect Monday, June 20. Other entry requirements will stay in place, including the requirement to fill out the government’s ArriveCAN app. Masks will still be required on airplanes, large ships, and trains, officials said. Foreign nationals coming to Canada will Read more
The Trudeau government says it’s working overtime to solve passport logjams for Canadians. Airport congestion has hogged most of the headlines, but Canadians eager to travel also have been waiting in long, long lineups for passports or passport renewals. Karina Gould, Minister of Children, Families and Social Development, issued the following statement today: “After two years of travel restrictions, Canada and many other countries around the world are seeing a significant surge in demand for passports. As is the case in many countries, the size and suddenness of this surge has created delays for Canadians in getting the passport services Read more
