ACTA Says Airport, Passport Delays Need To Be Addressed

With Canadian travellers experiencing significant delays at airport security and customs & immigration check points and long wait times for Canadians renewing passports in-person, ACTA is calling on the government to urgently address the situation.

The association notes in a statement that these delays are caused by several factors, including labour shortages and increased administrative burdens due to legacy COVID-19 policies, as well as absenteeism.

Wendy Paradis, president of ACTA, said: “Canada’s travel industry, including travel agencies and independent travel agents, is just beginning the long road to recovery. It is essential that travellers have an efficient airport and passport process. ACTA has received reports of travellers cancelling reservations or deferring travel because of these delays, creating a further obstacle to recovery.”

Not surprisingly, the association is expressing serious concern over these reports and is urging the Canadian government — including the Minister of Transport, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and the Minister of Tourism — to act expeditiously to relieve airports and passport offices from unnecessary administrative burdens –and divert human resources from other programs until labour normalizes.

Said Paradis: “Considering the devastation that travel agencies and independent travel agents experienced throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, with most experiencing revenue losses of over 90%, administrative hurdles such as these are unacceptable.”

And ACTA’s president added: “The onus is on the government to fix this without delay, so that a travel and tourism recovery can recover.”

ACTA is engaging government on these issues and continues to advocate for removing all barriers to travel and tourism recovery.

Go to www.acta.ca for more.