Airport and passport chaos has Canadians ditching summer travel plans

This was set to be the summer of travelling. For the first time since you-know-what, we saw the mass lifting of health restrictions, and the demand for well-deserved vacation getaways went through the roof. So much so that the system, it seems, has not been able to keep up.

Now, many Canadians say they are modifying or ditching their vacation plans altogether. And with impossibly long passport renewal lines, countless lost luggage stories, and an array of recent airport delays and cancellations, who can blame them?

According to a newly published Leger survey, 18% of Canadians have significantly changed their summer travel plans due to airport delays and/or delays with obtaining a passport.

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Nearly half (43%) of survey participants feel airport staffing shortages (baggage handling, security) are most responsible for the delays. Meanwhile, a quarter (25%) of participants blamed COVID-19 screening rules and government regulations.

Leger

Over half of Canadians (53%) called the ongoing situation “concerning.” As a possible result, only 10% of those polled said they intended on travelling outside of North America this summer. When asked about their plans for the season, 57% said they would only be travelling within their province.

This web survey was conducted with a representative sample of 1,538 Canadian adults. Click here to view the full report.