Vancouver tourism and travel officials are keeping the heat on the federal government over mandatory PCR tests. Together with the Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable, leaders representing the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, the British Columbia Hotel Association, Vancouver based travel agencies and Destination Vancouver today called on 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, threatening the survival of Vancouver businesses and freezing business travel. “The PCR test is a major barrier for international visitors who hope to travel to Vancouver and other parts of Read more
Justin Trudeau
Business owners in Banff are urging the Canadian government to get rid of costly and cumbersome testing requirements that are scaring away vital customers. Pete Woods President and CEO of SkiBig3, which represents Mt. Norquay, Banff Sunshine and Lake Louise Ski Resort, said the government’s requirement that visitors provide a negative PCR-style COVID-19 teset result before coming into the country is scaring away international customers that Banff tourism operators rely on. Speaking on the edge of snow-packed slopes at Mt. Norquay, which opened for skiing last weekend, Woods said Ottawa needs to “remove unnecessary and redundant measures that still hang 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
Canada’s new vaccination rules for travel are now in effect. As the Government of Canada announced on August 13, travellers in the federally regulated air and rail sectors will need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Transport Canada issued the final orders and guidance to airlines and railways to implement the new rules for travellers, which went into effect at 3 a.m. EDT today (October 30, 2021). The vaccination requirements will apply to all travellers 12 years of age plus four months who are: Air passengers flying on domestic, transborder, or international flights departing from certain airports in Canada; and Read more
It’s a small change, but an important one. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today announced that he is appointing a Minister of Tourism for his federal cabinet. Trudeau said Edmonton MP Randy Boissonnault will be Minister of Tourism and also Associate Minister of Finance. For years, even decades, tourism ministers in Ottawa have had their tourism duties lumped in with other things, such as small business; even though tourism is a big business that accounts for roughly 10% of our GDP. Now, however, we won’t have a “Minister of Agriculture, Children’s Shoes and Tourism,” but a real “Minister of Tourism.” Read more
