OTTOWA, Ontario — Politicians from both parties in the U.S. are pressuring President Joe Biden to act unilaterally and open the U.S. border to Canadian travellers, according to a recent CBC report. However, the Canadian government is taking a more cautious approach.
“We need to look at the variants of concern in Canada and the situation around the world, because every step of the way we’re going to be careful and responsible in how we proceed. We’re all looking forward to getting back to normal, but we’re going to make sure we do it in a way that’s safe for Canadians,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on June 22.
Non-essential travel between the United States and Canada has been severely restricted since March 2020, and last week the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) launched a campaign calling on the federal government to reopen the Canada-U.S. border. The campaign aims to urge Canadian decision-makers to recognize the urgency of the situation and commit to setting a date for the border to open before another summer tourism season is lost.
Trade shows, conventions and meetings require advance bookings, said Beth Potter, president and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC), adding that Canadian tourism operators and businesses need to be able to plan. “We need time to market, reorganize, rehire and retrain. We will be ready to welcome visitors, but we need more time to plan than just flipping a switch.”
As other countries begin to welcome travellers, Canada has fallen behind, Potter said. “We need to be prepared to open the border quickly and safely and, as a result, restart our tourism economy. It is definitely time for the federal government to put in place an evidence-based plan to reopen the border and restart travel.”
According to Global News Canada, as of June 28thCanada has passed all COVID-19 vaccination milestones, with over 77% of its citizens having received one dose and 30% fully vaccinated. This is very welcome news for a country that outpaced its neighbour in active infection control but fell far behind when vaccinations first began. The surge was only temporary, and Canadians are vaccinated in record numbers and eager to welcome back tourists and trade shows. And according to Our World in Data, 46.8% of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated, so the question remains: when will we be able to travel back and forth?
Related. Trade fairs are anxiously and cautiously optimistically prepared
“We are beginning to welcome back our local guests and are optimistic that we will be able to welcome larger groups, including international guests, in the near future when the time is right. We are seeing great optimism from our guests who are considering booking at our property in the future,” said Claire Smith, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at the Vancouver Convention Centre.
“The signs of the U.S.-Canada border opening on July 21 are indeed positive,” said Cathy Breden, Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer, CMP, CAE, CEM, International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE). “And the news that the province of Ontario is moving to Stage 2 of its reopening plan on June 30 is also a step in the right direction, even though indoor commercial and consumer events are not yet permitted. Just as in the U.S., the exhibition and other live experience sector has been particularly hard hit in Canada. I know our colleagues at the Canadian Association of Exhibition Management are working with the Coalition of Hardest Hit Businesses to get the message out that businesses are hurting and may not survive. IAEE stands ready to support our northern colleagues in their efforts to get back to business.”
Find out if you can enter Canada here
Contact Beth Potter at (416) 806-4094, BPotter@tiac-aitc.ca; contact Claire Smith at (604) 647-7354 or CSMITH@vancouverconventioncentre.com; contact Cathy Breden at (972) 687-9201 or cbreden@iaee.com