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
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A new study finds Canadians will definitely be staying close to home this summer. I also have news on how Europe is opening its doors to Canadians, and a report on safety and health policy changes for Air Canada. My Future of Travel blog for June 29. Let’s Take a Road Trip: Canada Looking Good This Year With apologies to Seinfeld, this is not the Summer of George. Rather, it’s the Summer of Canada. And the summer of road trips in our home province. A new Ipsos poll, conducted on behalf of Toyota Canada, find that only a quarter (24%) Read more
A return to fuller airplanes. Toronto hotel openings. And a potential return to Europe for Canadians. Here’s my Future of Travel blog for today. Middle Seat Occupation Returning on Some Airlines I hope nobody who’s been flying lately was getting used to the space around them. Because you can kiss it goodbye. For the past few months, many airlines have been blocking off middle seats to enforce social distancing. But with COVID-19 somewhat under control in some places, that is coming to an end. In Canada, both Air Canada and WestJet say they will no longer block off seats. Ditto Read more
Canadians are somewhat more skittish about travel than our American friends. Also, AirBnB has brought in new health and safety protocols, and a new study shows younger folks are more willing to travel than older ones. I also look at how New York City will enter phase 2 on Monday, and I have cruise news from Paul Gauguin and UnCruise. All in my Future of Travel blog for June 18. CANADIANS AND TRAVEL: MORE CAUTIOUS THAN AMERICANS As Canada settles into slowly reopening its economy, are people ready to jump back into everyday life? A new study by Accenture shows Read more
I love the story on the Toronto Star Travel website about the flight attendant shaming passengers. Lord knows we’ve probably all seen some pretty stupid stuff on airplanes, right? I must admit I’ve been pretty lucky. But there are a few pet peeves and a few small incidents I can recall from various trips over the years. The most annoying flight I recall was three years ago or so, when I was next to a guy of about 40 for a four-hour flight from the Caribbean to Toronto. Most of the way back he was playing the most insipid video Read more
