A group of Canadian travel and tourism experts are asking the Trudeau government to avoid bringing back random tests at Canadian airports. They also want to see the lifting of all remaining COVID-19 travel restrictions. “Three weeks ago, to aid the flow of passengers at ‘Canada’s airports, the federal government announced a pause on Mandatory Random Testing through to June 30, 2022,” the Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable said in a press release today. But that pause expires in only a few hours, and random testing will continue, albeit off-site. “Removing the entire testing process from airports will ease the Read more

With pandemic travel restrictions largely in the rear-view mirror, a new CIBC polls finds that a majority of Canadians (63 per cent) are ready and excited for travel again. However, some vacation plans remain uncertain with three quarters of Canadians (75 per cent) indicating they are very concerned about the cost of travel due to inflationary pressures. Another poll, this one taken by PayPal Canada, finds that nearly half of millennials plan to splurge on their next vacation. A majority of respondents (97%) plan to travel within North America this year and 25 per cent prefer to explore locally in Read more

The union representing Canadian border agents says the Trudeau government “has no plan” to restore normal travel in Canada. The Customs and Immigration (CIU) has issued a statement condemning Ottawa for taking only token, short-term action to solve gnarly lineups and other travel problems at Canada’s airports, including Toronto Pearson. “With no end in sight to delays affecting travelers at airports and border crossings across the country, it’s clear the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has no plan to to get travel back on track anytime soon,” the CIU statement says. “This is only made more evident by CBSA’s recently Read more

More than two years on, widespread COVID-19 concern appears to be declining as international travel resumes, amid easing travel restrictions and rising vaccination rates. According to a live poll conducted by GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, 57% of respondents are “not concerned” or are “not very concerned” about the spread of COVID-19, suggesting that tourists are more prepared to live with COVID-19. GlobalData polling in April, 2020 found more than 70% of respondents were “very concerned” about COVID-19. That was down to just 20.4% in the latest survey, “The outlook for tourism in many countries is brighter than Read more

Now that the U.S. has lifted its COVID testing requirements, San Francisco is now that much easier to get to for Canadians looking to experience one of the most culturally vibrant cities in the United States.   San Francisco was named the “Best City in the World” by Time Out in 2021. A host of direct flights will bring Canadians to the temperate climate that makes San Francisco a year-round favourite – never too cold, and never too hot – which will be a welcomed escape as the summer heats up! Effective public transportation, walkability, and a bike-friendly environment also Read more

A new report finds Canadian hotels are bouncing back nicely from the pandemic. According to str.com, a hotel tracking website based in Tennessee, Canada’s monthly hotel performance improved from the previous month yet again, and room rates reached the highest level since September 2019,. STR’s May 2022 data shows occupancy for the month at 63.4%, which is down a bit from May, 2019 (70.1%). But the average daily rate was up 2.8% to $171.37 CAD. “Overall, May was a strong month for Canada hotels, with many of the segments that have lagged in recovery showing real improvement,” said Laura Baxter, Read more