Leaders from the travel and aviation industries are welcoming the federal government's further easing of COVID-19 travel restrictions.
Federal ministers announced on Tuesday afternoon that as of June 20, travellers will no longer be required to present proof of vaccination to board a plane or a train, although vaccines will still be required for foreign tourists. Unvaccinated travellers will also have to quarantine upon returning to Canada.
The travel and aviation industries have long been calling on the feds to ease the remaining COVID-19 travel mandates amid long lines and delays at Canada's airports, especially at Toronto Pearson. But while Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc told reporters that this easing of restrictions was not done with the intent to address airport delays, industry leaders are happy.
"This is something we've been asking for," Beth Potter, CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada told CTV News Channel on Tuesday. "We really hope that it will help to eliminate some of the congestion … as well as reunite a whole lot of Canadians with their friends and family who have not been able to travel for the last almost two years."
The federal government will also lift the vaccine requirement for federally-regulated transportation workers, allowing unvaccinated employees in these sectors to return to work. The says this measure will help alleviate staff shortages at airlines and airports.
"This is good news for travel and tourism in Canada and a step forward that will help relieve air travel bottlenecks and aviation staff shortages," the council said in a statement on social media.
The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), which operates Pearson airport, says there are "hundreds of workers across the Pearson ecosystem who are sitting on the sidelines" thanks to the now-lifted vaccine mandates.
"This represents a very positive development," the GTAA said in a statement.
Marty Firestone, president of Travel Secure Inc., says the eased restrictions will "absolutely 100 per cent" help reduce long lines for domestic travellers. But on the other hand, he says allowing unvaccinated travellers could result in even longer lines at customs and immigrations now that millions of unvaccinated Canadians can travel again.
"That's going to slow lines down again because you have to show proof that you are vaccinated or be prepared to sit 14 days in a quarantine and give them your address and everything," he told CTV News Channel on Tuesday. "So, a little up in the air at this point."
Firestone says the surge in travel demand among unvaccinated Canadians could also worsen the already long delays and lines outside passport offices, which are also struggling with staffing shortages.
When asked whether an influx of unvaccinated travellers could make the delays worse, Transportation Minister Omar Alghabra pointed to the hiring of new CATSA and CBSA officers as well as the suspension of random testing at airports.
"We're adding resources. We're seeing airports need to add more resources, but there is a plan. Measures have been in place and regular discussions on a daily basis are taking place," he told reporters during a media briefing on Tuesday.
But other travel measures, including mandatory use of the ArriveCAN app and restrictions for unvaccinated foreign tourists, still remain. Industry groups, as well as the opposition Conservative Party, continue to call on the federal government to revert back to pre-pandemic travel rules and lift all remaining restrictions.
"We are a huge destination for Americans. We have 10 million Americans to come across the border every year for day trips, and we're not seeing those Americans come across right now because of the vaccine requirements. So that will be a significant impact on our border towns," Potter said.
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