Vancouver Business and Indigenous Tourism Leaders Call on Federal Government to Urgently Remove Pre-Departure Testing for Fully Vaccinated Travellers by April 1

VANCOUVER, BC, March 2, 2022 /CNW/ - Together with the Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable ("The Roundtable"), local business and Indigenous tourism leaders and industry associations, including the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, the Tourism Industry Association of British Columbia, and the Vancouver Board of Trade have come together to urge the federal government to remove unnecessary and non-science-based obstacles to international travel immediately.

The Roundtable is calling on the government to remove the pre-departure rapid antigen test for fully vaccinated travellers by April 1, when the regulations will be updated. 

Canada's border rules are not keeping Canadians safe. Since the pandemic's beginning, only 1% of COVID-19 cases in Canada have been related to travel. The COVID-19 positivity rate in communities reached ten times the infectious rate at the border throughout the last pandemic wave. Infectious Disease Dr Zain Chagla suggested that "the likelihood of picking up a positive case at the border is like finding a needle in a haystack."

While the federal government's updated travel measures brought Canada one step closer to reopening, the federal government's decision to maintain pre-departure testing requirement forced Canada out of step with other international jurisdictions that have reopened to fully vaccinated travellers.  

"Tourism is a massive economic driver in our province, and many businesses in Vancouver depend on international travellers. The federal government's travel restrictions are still a significant deterrent at a time when we need to remove all unnecessary barriers to travel and make our region a destination again. Since the start of the pandemic, Vancouver has seen only a fraction of the 11 million overnight visitors it welcomed in 2019," said Bridgitte Anderson, President and CEO of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade. "It is time for the federal government to remove obstacles to travel, including the rapid-antigen test. Our tourism sector depends on it," concluded Ms Anderson.

"Indigenous tourism in Canada is fueled by international visitors, 65 per cent of indigenous tourism's sales revenue was generated from international travellers in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic has decimated the indigenous tourism sector – we are currently operating at 30% of our 2019 capacity. This sad reality is having a significant impact on indigenous communities across Canada. Overnight our sector went from employing 40,000 workers to 7,000," said Keith Henry, President and CEO of the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada. "We are calling on the federal government to reopen Canada to foreign travellers by immediately removing all remaining travel restrictions. There's no reason to kill another summer travel season," stated Mr Henry.

"Last week, I was encouraged to see the government make some changes to Canada's travel rules. However, the government's changes did not go far enough," said Walt Judas, CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of British Columbia. "These changes don't provide the certainty necessary to attract families and travellers back to British Columbia. It's time to follow the rest of the world and remove unnecessary testing requirements for fully vaccinated travellers and let the tourism industry get back to work," finished Mr Judas.

"Very few industries have seen have been impacted like the travel and tourism sector. Not only were we the first industry impacted by COVID-19, but it is also quickly becoming clear that we will be last," said Claire Newell, President of Travel Best Bets. "My travel agency continues to see cancellations, as well as hesitancy in people to book travel due to the confusion around the rules and fear of getting stuck abroad. We need to remove testing for travel – it's the only way to get international visitors back to Canada," continued Ms Newell.

The pandemic, vaccination status, and available science have evolved; so should the response and measures to keep Canadians safe while allowing the travel and tourism industry to reopen. 

About the Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable

Travel and Tourism is a $102 billion sector, employing millions of Canadians across the country and accounting for 2.1% of the country's gross domestic product. It advocates for safe and prosperous tourism and travel sector across Canada. The Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable is a cross-Canadian coalition of leaders in the tourism and travel sector – including representatives from airports, airlines, hotels, and chambers of commerce across the country – committed to working together to restart the sector smoothly and safely.

SOURCE Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable

Media Contact: Randi Rahamim, [email protected]