Government Lifts Global Travel Advisory

ACTA is clearly pleased that the federal government has lifted its global travel advisory and returned to its pre-COVID-19 country-specific risk assessments, but it’s disappointed that the government’s Level 4 advisory against cruise travel remains in place.

ACTA president, Wendy Paradis said that the industry association is “pleased the government has returned to a risk-based approach to travel advisories for fully-vaccinated travellers.”

She pointed out that: “This approach follows the recommendations ACTA and Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable partners have been making to government officials and ministers for many months now.”

Paradis observed that: “The lifting of the global travel advisory is a significant win for travellers, travel agents and the entire Canadian travel industry. However, it is disappointing that the blanket advisory against all cruise ship travel remains for fully-vaccinated travellers.”

ACTA’s president pointed out that: “Cruise line operators have proven that safe cruise travel is feasible. We continue to call on the federal government to lift the cruise advisory for fully-vaccinated travellers, recognizing the incredible efforts cruise lines have taken to follow strict government-mandated health and safety protocols.”

Pointing out that the government has not changed the requirement for a pre-departure molecular COVID-19 test for all fully vaccinated returning Canadians and all international travellers, Paradis said: “This is a significant barrier to travellers, including families and seniors, and ACTA urges the government to modernize pre-departure testing in accordance with the recommendation of the COVID-19 Testing and Screening Expert Advisory Panel.”

She said that: “Canada’s pre-departure molecular testing requirements for fully-vaccinated travellers do not follow the guidance of the government’s own expert advisory panel. Government should follow the advice of the expert advisory panel and remove the pre-departure molecular testing requirement.”

Poon Tip Comments

G Adventures founder, Bruce Poon Tip also commented on the lifting on Canada’s ban on international travelling, observing that: “This is a well overdue announcement, not just for us as an international tour operator, but for all the travel agents whose livelihoods depend on selling international travel. Canada has been world-leading in terms of having our citizens vaccinated, and now we can be world-leading in encouraging people to start travelling again, and to safely support communities around the world that have been devastated by the lack of tourism these past 18 months.”