While COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths in Canada continue to increase, Ontario in particular is being warned in international warnings.
Japan specifically designated Ontario as a region with community transfer of worrying variants, requiring anyone traveling from the province to the country, in addition to a 14-day quarantine, to be segregated for three days at a designated facility, with a COVID-19 test on the third day.
Earlier this week, ABC News in the US published an article on why Toronto COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations see “boom” while the province is still in the four-week exclusion, citing the spread of concerns and a slow explosion of the vaccine. “
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned Americans to avoid all travel to Canada, even if travelers are fully vaccinated, and categorize the country at the worst risk level.
It is very clear that the travel and tourism industry in Canada has been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including Ontario, which has had numerous changes in closures, closures and regional restrictions.
But Chris Bloore, vice president of government affairs and policy at the Association for Tourism Industry of Ontario, believes that despite the negative press on how Canada and Ontario in particular are managing the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the desire to travel to the province (if possible) is still there, both domestically and internationally.
“I think, apart from maybe New Zealand, every country and every big city has been criticized at some point in this stage,” Bloore said. Yahoo Canada. ‘It’s not long ago that we looked at our neighbors in the south and thought about the great cases they had, the great loss of life they had, so I do not think it’s something that [will] especially an impact on Ontario or Toronto or Canada.
“The reason for that is that I think we’re running a race with our competitors across Canada and … internationally to make sure consumers are confident that safety is going to be at the heart of their journey or their stay, when they choose to travel locally or internationally. ‘
“We have all the tools at our disposal to rebuild after what we had.”
The American Express Travel: Global Travel Trends Report (released in March), with a sample of 1,000 travelers in Australia, Canada, India, Japan, Mexico and the United Kingdom, and 2,000 travelers in the US ranging from 15 and January 24 surveyed, found that 76 percent of respondents were compiling their ‘destination wish list’.
An Expedia holiday survey, conducted online at the end of 2020 with 9,200 respondents in North and South America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific, found that 66 percent of respondents worldwide were inspired by a “travel bucket list” during to set up the pandemic. . The study found that 83 percent of Canadian respondents value holidays more than ever before, higher than the world average of 81 percent.
Bloore stressed that Ontario’s travel and tourism businesses are ready and waiting for governments to give them the opportunity to welcome people back.
“We have all the tools at our disposal to rebuild to what we had before COVID-19, and I’m really confident we’ll be able to do that,” he said.
“We are fairly confident that if we can only divert some of the travelers who have previously booked international trips to Ontario, we will be able to repair the damage that has occurred over the past twelve months.”
While Bloore is confident about the long-term future of Ontario’s travel and tourism industry, it has been a very difficult time for the sector, which includes revenue and job losses, and he is concerned that Ontario may be part of our market. will lose ‘compared to international competitors who are currently further in their recovery.
“We are going to experience a real shortage of labor going forward as many of our staff have moved to other industries,” he said.
“There is concern and frustration that we are not yet in a position where we are again able to follow the examples of other countries that offer critical avenues for recovery.”
One thing that Bloore has identified as an outstanding question for the travel and tourism industry is an indication from the federal government about when international travel could possibly resume, and what criteria must be met to weaken international travel restrictions. This includes the possible setting of faster testing, a vaccine passport or certificate.
“We know we simply will not be able to eliminate and turn on the tourism industry, but also not on demand,” Bloore said. ‘I think it’s going forward, a kind of recognition you have anyway [taken] a quick test, or that you have the vaccine, is going to need something. ‘
“We just have to make sure that it is not burdensome and that it is part of the seamless travel experience that people are now accustomed to.”