Where, when and how will Canadians be able to Travel

Posted on 03/30/2021 | About Canada, Canada

Where does travel really stand, when will we be able to go?

We all know that this is not the time to travel. Canada continues to have in place a “No non-essential travel” for Canadians.

For the past year we have continually said, “Maybe in a few months”.We have said that over and over, and still there is no clear indication of when travel restrictions will be lifted.

So, where does Canada stand in all of this?

On February 1^st, Prime Minister Trudeau restricted all travel to the Caribbean and abroad, imposed new quarantine restrictions in hotels for 3 nights upon return to Canada, as well as a negative Covid test prior to boarding an aircraft to Canada, on top of 14-day self-quarantine.

These restrictions were put into place until April 30^th. We are waiting to see if they will be lifted or extended.

Monday, March 29th, Transport Minister, Omar Alghabra, told the Association of Canadian Independent Travel Advisors (ACITA) that although Canada’s current travel restrictions are temporary, but don’t expect for them to be lifted on May 1.

This was one of several takeaways from a vital zoom call between ACITA, a grassroots group that has been fighting for fairness on behalf of independent travel advisors amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and Canada’s top transportation official.

What Minister Alghabra did say is that Ottawa is trying to get ahead of the third wave of COVID-19 and that the stricter travel rules Canada introduced in January have reduced importation of the virus by 90 per cent, ACITA said.

Countries are opening up to Travel Around the World

March 10^th, Belize announces it is allowing vaccinated travellers to enter the Country without having to present a negative COVID-19 test. The new health order, which became effective at the end of February, states that travellers who enter Belize through the airport and provide proof of COVID-19 immunization are no longer required to present a negative test result for entry. Vaccinated travellers can enter the country without testing requirements if they present the COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card as proof that the vaccine has been administered at least two weeks prior to arrival. Read More at PAX News ...

March 17th, Iceland announces that they will open tourism. Travellers that have been vaccinated against COVID-19 can now visit Iceland without restrictions as the country eases its border measures to restore tourism amid the global pandemic. Iceland becomes one of the first countries this year to ease its border rules as coronavirus vaccinations continue to roll out around the globe.Under the new policy, vaccinated travellers entering Iceland are no longer subject to mandatory testing or quarantine measures on arrival. Read more at PAX News

March 19^th, Cuba announced that by August they will have the entire population of the island vaccinated.“We are happy to hear about the vaccine roll out in Cuba by the end of the summer, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel," Lessner Gomez, Director of the Cuba Tourist Board in Toronto, said in a release. “With the entire population vaccinated, Cuba will be safer than ever and ready to receive Canadians when travel restrictions are lifted. "Read more at PAX News ...

March 26^th, Air Canada unrolled a limited future schedule, offering May flights to Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, and more routes to the United States.The schedule comes as Canadian airlines, in cooporation with the Government of Canada, still maintain a voluntary suspension of flights to Mexico and the Caribbean – an agreement that is in place until at least April 30. Air Canada’s flights to Mexico and the Caribbean, starting in May, consists of just Mexico City (3x/week, starting May 3), Kingston, Jamaica (1 flight/week, starting May 5) and Barbados/Bridgetown (1 flight/week, starting May 9). Read more at PAX News ... For schedule details, call your Travel agent, or visit www.AirCanada.com

March 29^th, Thailand is the latest to announce a tourism reopening as the Southeast Asian country plans to welcome back international visitors to Phuket this summer with an option to skip its mandatory 14-day quarantine requirement. The catch? You must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.Phuket, the capital of Thailand’s Phuket Province and a world-famous beach destination, will be the first region in Thailand to waive quarantine, starting July 1, for vaccinated guests, and reports indicate that other hotspots, such as Koh Samui, will soon do the same. The news comes following a report in the Bangkok Post that the Thai government is looking to vaccinate 70 per cent of the island’s residents before the tourists return. Read more at PAX News.....

Trent Travel’s Advice to our Customers:

It’s time to start planning for 2022.

Some optimist customers are booking for departures this fall or Christmas. Many are booking their Winter Vacations for departures in January, February, March. It’s time to get your reservation secured. Put down a Deposit. Get the room and space you want before it’s gone. Inventory goes down and prices go up.

Talk to your Travel Agent. Ready or not, we are expecting a rush once travel restictions are lifted, and vaccinations are administered. Be ahead of the wave. Let us hlep you.

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Information in the article was provided by; PAX News, https://news.paxeditions.com/our source for all the latest Travel Industry News.