As a society, we have faced a threat like no other, COVID-19. And we are still dealing with it. Under the leadership of our governments, we agreed to implement tough decisions to protect our health and safety. We shut down our schools, our businesses, and our borders. We all made sacrifices and continue to adapt to this new reality.
Now, it seems, we are getting through the worst of it.
As we re-open, we are learning to live with the virus, not hide from it or from each other. And, just like we are re-opening the front doors of our homes and businesses, we need to re-open the doors of our provinces, territories – and our country.
The Canadian travel, tourism and hospitality sector employs 1.8 million people and contributes $102 billion to our economy. It relies on the summer season to survive. As Canadians, we wait all year to travel during the summer. We need the summer.
Like you, we believe personal safety is critical. However, many of the travel restrictions currently in place are simply too broad or unnecessary. Limitations on inter-provincial travel that restrict Canadians from freely exploring our country, should be removed. Canadians should be free to travel across Canada.
We also need a more targeted approach to international travel. The mandatory 14-day quarantine and complete closure of our country to all visitors from abroad is no longer necessary and is out of step with other countries across the globe.
Not all countries and regions are risky, and we shouldn’t treat them as such. For international visitors, it’s time to mirror the measured and safe approaches taken in other countries – like Germany, France, Italy and Australia, among many that have started to re-open borders to safe countries.
Heightened hygiene and bio-safety measures are being adopted across travel and tourism in Canada to allow for safe travel, with confidence.
It’s time to encourage Canadians and some visitors from abroad to explore our country this summer, to begin reuniting friends and families, to allow important business travel to occur, and to get our employees working safely again.
It’s time our governments allow Canadians to travel freely.
It’s Time.
Join the movement with #timetotravel
Sincerely,
The Friends and Supporters of the
Canadian Travel & Tourism Roundtable
- John Allard, President & General Manager, Fleury Michon America
- Bridgitte Anderson, President & CEO, Greater Vancouver Board of Trade
- Shawn Ashton, President, Sportscorp Travel
- Howard August, EVP, Canadian Operations, KAG Canada
- Deirdre Baxter, Corporate Partner, Forbes Travel, Vancouver
- Perrin Beatty, President & CEO, The Canadian Chamber of Commerce
- Jacques Beauchamp, President & CEO, Petro-Nav Inc.
- Scott Beck, President & CEO, Tourism Toronto
- Kathy Bedell, Senior Vice President, Americas & Affiliate Program, BCD Travel
- Charlotte Bell, President & CEO, Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC)
- Kathryn Benn, President, K. Benn Travel
- Marc Bibeau, President & CEO, OEC Group
- James Bogusz, President & CEO, Regina International Airport
- Paul Burns, President & CEO, Canadian Gaming Association (CGA)
- Gene Cabral, Executive Vice-President, Ports Toronto and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport
- Joyce Carter, President & CEO, Halifax International Airport Authority
- Lydia Chen, President & CEO, InnVest Hotels
- Don Cleary, President, Marriott Hotels of Canada
- Zita Cobb, Inn Keeper, Fogo Island Inn
- Ken Colangelo, President & Managing Director, Gate Gourmet Canada
- Maxime Cretin, General Manager, Station Mont Ste-Anne
- Vito Curalli, Executive Director, International Sales & Industry Relations, Hilton Worldwide
- Yuvraj Datta, President, Skylink Travel Group
- Greg D’Avignon, President & CEO, Business Council of BC
- Alexandre De Juniac, Director General & CEO, IATA
- Janet De Silva, President & CEO, Toronto Region Board of Trade
- Robert Deluce, Executive Chairman, Porter Airlines
- Frank DeMarinis, President & CEO, Travel Brands
- Nick Di Donato, President & CEO, Liberty Entertainment Group
- Jerry Dias, National President, Unifor
- Geoff Dickson, President & CEO, Victoria International Airport
- Yves-Thomas Dorval, President & CEO, Conseil du Patronat du Québec
- Patrick Doyle, Vice President & General Manager, American Express Global Business Travel Canada
- Carolyne Doyon, President & CEO North America, Club Med
- Gord Duke, President & CEO, Prince George International Airport
- Jean-Marc Eustache, President & CEO, Transat
- Shelley Ewing, President & Partner, TierOne Travel
- Jim Facette, Executive Director, Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA)
- Deborah Flint, President & CEO, Greater Toronto Airports Authority
- Flemming Friisdahl, Owner & President, The Travel Agent Next Door
- Beth Gardner, President & CEO, Custom Travel Solutions Inc.
- Gary Gaudry, President, Maritime Travel
- Zeina Gedeon, CEO, Travel Professionals International
- Christiane Germain, Co-President, Germain Hôtels
- Raymond Girard, Chief Client Officer, Bookmark / Spafax Group
- Daniel-Robert Gooch, President & CEO, Canadian Airports Council (CAC)
- Cheryl Green, Corporate Partner, Forbes Travel, Vancouver
- Clark Grue, Chair, Meetings Mean Business Canada
- Susie Grynol, President & CEO, Hotel Association of Canada
- Reetu Gupta, President & CEO, The Gupta Group & The Easton’s Group
- Yan Hamel, President & CEO, Croisières AML
- Serge Harnois, CEO, Harnois Energies Inc
- Alison Hickey, President, Kensington Tours
- John Holmes, President, AAR Canada Holdings ULC
- Stephen Hunter, CEO & President, Sunwing Travel Group
- Grant Hurrle, Corporate Partner, Forbes Travel, Vancouver
- Goldy Hyder, President & CEO, Business Council of Canada
- Robert Iasenza, President, FSM Group
- Sam S Jain, CEO, Fareportal Inc.
- Chippy Jegathesan, CEO, Voyzant
- Monica Johnstone, President, Uniglobe Travel Innovations
- Stéphane Jussiaume, Directeur Ventes & Opérations, GHL Transport
- David Keith, President, SDK Tek Services Ltd.
- Han Koren, President, ASAP Secured Inc.
- Frédéric Lalonde, Founder & CEO, Hopper
- Yves Lalumiere, President & CEO, Tourisme Montreal
- Roger Langille, President & CEO, Inland Technologies Canada Inc.
- Mark Laroche, President & CEO, Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier Airport Authority
- Adam Legge, President, Business Council of Alberta
- Wesley Lesosky, Component President, Air Canada Component of CUPE
- Mark MacAlpine, President, AirTime Express Inc.
- Lee Mainman, Partner, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Bits In Glass
- Patrice Malo, President & Chief Operating Officer, Station Mont Tremblant
- Fredrik Manse, President, EF Education First
- Monique Mardinian, CEO & Founder, Voyages Encore Travel Inc.
- Stephen Maybury, President & CEO, Saskatoon International Airport
- David McKenna, President, Banff Jasper Collection by Pursuit
- Lynette McMann, Vice President Operations,Westcan Bulk Transport
- Mike McNaney, President & CEO, National Airlines Council of Canada (NACC)
- Jamie Milton, Partner, Uniglobe Carefree Travel
- Jules Molinari, Vice President, Canadian Fuelling Operations, Menzies Aviation Fueling
- Danny Ng, CEO, Jade Travel Ltd.
- Joel Ostrov, President – Canada East Region, Direct Travel
- Steve Paccagnan, President & CEO, Panorama Mountain Resort
- Sam Patel, Director, Airnets International
- Wendy Paradis, President of the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA)
- Russell Payson, Chairman of the Board, Sky Regional Airlines Inc
- Alexandra Pelts, President, YYZ Travel Group
- Paul Pinchbeck, President & CEO, Canadian Ski Council
- Laurent Plourde, Président, Groupe Voyages Québec
- Stéphane Poirier, President & CEO, Quebec City Jean Lesage International Airport
- Mark Pollack, President & CEO, Sage Parts
- Rocky Racco, CEO, TTI Travel
- Philippe Rainville, President & CEO, Aéroports de Montréal
- Joseph Randell, President & CEO, Chorus Aviation Inc
- Barry Rempel, President & CEO, Winnipeg Richardson International Airport
- Don Renshaw Jr., Owner/CEO, Renshaw Travel Ltd.
- Craig Richmond, President & CEO, Vancouver Airport Authority
- Charles Roberge, CEO, Swissport Canada
- Brian Robertson, President – Canada West Region, Direct Travel
- Cecilia Rossos, President & Owner, CWT Victor Travel and Victours International
- Calin Rovinescu, President & CEO, Air Canada
- Deepak Ruparell, Owner/President, Silver Hotel Group
- Tom Ruth, President & CEO, Edmonton International Airport
- Jean-Michel Ryan, CEO, Mont Sutton
- Sam Samaddar, Airport Director, Kelowna International Airport
- Steve Sammut, President & CEO, Rocky Mountaineer
- Bob Sartor, President & CEO, Calgary Airport Authority
- Marc Savoie, Owner, Sportvac Plus Inc.
- Mike Seabrook, President & CEO, London International Airport
- Arvin Shah, Chairman & CEO, Sky Bird Travel
- Zulkifle Shaikhali, Owner, Uniglobe The Premiere Travel Group
- Mark Shannon, President, Seaboard Liquid Carriers
- John Shea, President & Chief Resorts Officer, Resorts of the Canadian Rockies Inc
- Daryl Silver, President, Continental Travel Group
- Ed Sims, President & CEO, WestJet
- Danny Sitnam, President & CEO, Helijet
- Derrick Stanford, President & CEO, Saint John International Airport
- RJ Steenstra, President & CEO, Fort McMurray International Airport
- Jonathan Stent-Torriani, CEO, Newrest
- Claude St-Pierre, General Manager, Tours Chanteclerc
- Allan Sum, President, Mandarin Holidays
- Ehud Telem, President & CEO, Peerless Travel
- Joane Tetreault, President & CEO, Skylink Voyages
- Andrew Torriani, President & CEO, Ritz-Carlton, Montreal
- Peter Truong, Owner, Big Ben Travel
- Rita Tsang, Founder and Chairman, Tour East Holidays
- Jeffrey Verman, CEO, Plus Travel Group
- Lena Watters, President, Airbase Services, Inc.
- Catherine Wei, CEO, Compass Holidays
- Jeff Willner, CEO, Travel Edge
- Reg Wright, President & CEO, Gander International Airport
- Ivy Yeung, CEO, Royal Scenic