After months and months of talking about it, the Ontario government has finally approved a “stay at home” travel tax credit to spur provincial tourism. Ontario residents who take a trip within the province in the 2022 tax year could be eligible for rebates under the new “Ontario Staycation Tax Credit” program, which was announced late this week as part of Premier Doug Ford’s Fall Economic Statement. Provincial residents will be eligible for a 20% personal income tax credit on eligible accommodation between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, up to a maximum of $1,000 for an individual and $2,000 for Read more
Canada
Test requirements for vaccinated travellers entering Canada need to be re-examined, particularly for short trips, says the country’s top doctor. On Friday the Canadian Border Services Agency reiterated the testing requirements for vaccinated travellers entering Canada in advance of the border with the United States reopening next week. But that policy is being “actively looked at,” said chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam in a Canadian Press story posted on CP24 today. “I do think that all this needs to be re-examined, as we are doing with all of the border measures moving ahead,” Tam said in a story Read more
Canadian government testing rules are too expensive for families and are simply “irrational,” critics suggest. The Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable, speaking on behalf of families and the business community across Canada, are asking the Trudeau government to remove “unnecessary and non-science-based obstacles to international travel,” such as the pre-departure PCR test for fully vaccinated travellers, which it says disproportionately impact average Canadian families. The Roundtable also is calling on the government to amend the discriminatory child policy for travelling minors. For the average Canadian family, travel is becoming increasingly difficult. The burdensome cost of a PCR test can add Read more
Business travel is on the mend, according to a new study from the World Travel and Tourism Council and McKinsey & Company consultants. The latest WTTC/McKinsey report suggests that, following a 61% decline in 2020, global business travel spending is expected to rise by 26% this year and by 34% in 2022. Overall, they expect business travel to recover to two-thirds of 2019 levels by next year. But the report, titled Adapting to Endemic Covid-19: The Outlook for Business Travel, says recovery will vary by region. In the Asia-Pacific region, business travel is expected to rise 32% this year and Read more
Germany takes the cake, but Canada wins the silver medal. A new Nations Brand Index report from Anholt Ipsos finds Germany ranks in first place out of 60 countries around the world. It’s the seventh time overall and fifth year in a row that Germany has taken top honours. Germany was the highest ranked NBI nation in 2008, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, and now in 2021. With another first place ranking this year, Germany has now tied the United States’ record of seven years as the top NBI nation. Germany’s reputational strengths lie on the Exports, Immigration and Read more
