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

A new study finds Americans are more likely to travel outside the country given new testing rules announced last week. It also shows British travellers are more likely to visit the U.S., which is great for United States’ tourism and travel operators. The travel industry received some long-awaited news last week when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced it was lifting its requirement for travelers to test negative for COVID-19 before entering the country. On the heels of this news MMGY Travel Intelligence, a trusted source for travel and tourism data, surveyed 774 Americans and 436 Britons 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

Travel executives are betting that this summer will be one of the busiest yet even with soaring inflation as consumers excited to leave home will splurge on vacations – potentially going further afield and venturing back into tourist hot spots For its part, ToursByLocals, the Canadian-based company that connects discerning travellers in search of customized, private tours with handpicked tour guides in 189 countries worldwide, sees “substantial demand” for travel heading into the busy summer season after more than two years of Covid-19 restrictions. “May was an all time record month for us after nearly 14 years in business,” says Read more

Swoop, Canada’s leading ultra-low-cost airline, today launched its inaugural flight to St. John’s International Airport from Hamilton’s John C. Munro International Airport.  Swoop flight WO186 received a warm welcome upon landing in St. John’s at 12:55 p.m. local time, the first arrival of an ultra-low-cost-carrier (ULCC) in the city. “We are pleased to continue our Atlantic expansion today with our inaugural flight from St. John’s to Hamilton,” said Bert van der Stege, Head of Commercial and Finance, Swoop. “Affordable air travel is critical to the recovery of Newfoundland’s tourism economy, and we’re proud to support the province’s Come Home 2022 Read more

Air Transat is adding Las Vegas to its roster of destinations available from Montreal this winter. They’re also bringing in flights to Havana, Tampa and New Orleans. Starting November 3, Air Transat will fly nonstop to more than 50 destinations across the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America, the United States and Europe this winter. “Many Canadians are finally ready to take the trip they have been dreaming of over the past two years,” says Michèle Barre, Air Transat’s Vice President of Network, Revenue Management and Pricing. “On one hand, Las Vegas represents the creation of new opportunities for both Read more