Industry head calls for Canada-US border to open in June to save summer tourism

May 29 2021, 8:56 pm

The Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) is calling on the federal government to reopen the land border with the United States by the end of next month.

Beth Potter, the President and CEO of the TIAC, issued a statement on May 28 imploring the government to “save tourism.”

“The pressure is mounting for the Canada/US border to open,” Potter’s statement reads.

“The federal government must act now and open the border for [the] end of June and send a strong signal of a normal travel summer to save tourism in Canada.”

The land border between Canada and the US has been closed to all non-essential travel since March 2020.

As COVID-19 vaccination ramps up in both countries, senior federal officials have reportedly begun early discussions surrounding its reopening.

Although no official date has been announced, both Canada and the US have said the border will remain closed until at least June 21.

Although travellers can still fly into Canada from the US, they are subject to a strict 14-day quarantine upon arrival, the first several days of which must be spent at a designated hotel.

A COVID-19 expert advisory panel has recommended that the federal government do away with the hotel quarantine, noting that there are “significant” costs and resources devoted to the program, and that it is “burdensome” for travellers.

To date, Canada has seen 1,374,275 COVID-19 cases and 25,440 virus-related deaths.

Zoe DemarcoZoe Demarco

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