News & Resources - Canadian Travel & Tourism Roundtable

October 28

With proper measures flying can be safer than eating at a restaurant during the pandemic, study says

The risk of catching the coronavirus on an airplane can be significantly reduced if travelers wash their hands frequently, wear masks at all times, and if airlines clean and sanitize planes thoroughly and ensure there is a constant flow of air throughout the cabin — even when the plane is parked, according to a study released Tuesday.

October 6

ICC Roadmap for Restoring International Travel Safely and Quickly

International Chamber of Commerce open letter to G20 Tourism Ministers calling for the development of a G20-wide pre-departure testing system.

October 5

Rapid testing devices ‘good’, but just one part of COVID defense strategy

Air Canada has ordered 25,000 rapid COVID-19 testing kits developed by Abbott Laboratories. Dr. Jim Chung, chief medical officer at Air Canada, discusses the preliminary results from Air Canada's study in partnership with McMaster HealthLabs and Toronto Airport, which looks at the effectiveness of airport COVID-19 testing upon traveler arrival.

September 26

Go Ahead and Catch the Travel Bug

Life has its hazards, even getting up in the morning. But plane travel is one of the safest forms of transportation. We must not become so paranoid that we become afraid of our own shadow.

September 15

Report: “Face Mask Use in Air Travel”

Harvard’s National Preparedness Leadership Initiative published report details why face masks are an “essential protective measure”.

September 11

Travel and tourism industry calls for urgent dialogue and action with governments

This week, as tourism ministers across the country convened at the Canadian Council of Tourism Ministers (CCTM), business leaders in the sector are calling for urgent dialogue and action with governments to discuss the pandemic and its impacts on the sector.

August 13

Time for a cautious return to air travel

Air travel was hit hard and fast by the pandemic as international and domestic travel ground to a halt. Today, we need all levels of government to get behind developing a detailed plan for opening up the travel sector, and strong funding support for the industry.

August 1

Air Canada’s Flight Out of Darkness

Despite current limitations on travel, Canada’s largest airline is gradually rebuilding for its customers, employees and owners. It’s a slow, deliberate process that is subject to constant change as the global pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the aviation industry.

July 31

Air Canada, WestJet Cabin Crew Unions implore Federal Government to ‘Let Us Work’, or bail us out

The Unions representing the Cabin Crew Members of Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge, WestJet, Swoop and WestJet Encore are calling on the Trudeau Government to safely remove domestic and most international travel restrictions to let our Airlines fly and Let Us Work.

July 29

European Air Executives Press Canada for Safe Return of Travel

European airline and airport executives are urging the Canadian government to allow a safe "restoration of travel" between Canada and Europe, encouraging Ottawa to remove coronavirus-related restrictions that have discouraged international travel.

July 8

Health experts press Ottawa for a more ‘balanced approach’ to tackling COVID-19 pandemic – Globe and Mail

Some of Canada’s top public-health experts say the country’s focus on wiping out the coronavirus is posing “significant risks to overall population health,” as other priorities take a backseat to the pandemic.

July 8

Air Canada to Explore Rapid COVID-19 Testing with Spartan Bioscience – Air Canada News Release

Air Canada is pleased to announce it has engaged Spartan Bioscience Inc., an Ottawa-based biotechnology leader in portable DNA testing technology, to assess how best to deploy Spartan's portable COVID-19 testing technology in the aviation sector.

July 7

Government of Canada—Help Reduce the Spread of COVID-19

Take the following precautions to reduce the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

July 6

Business leaders urge Ottawa, provinces to work together to ‘open up Canada’ – Financial Post

The head of the Business Council of Canada is urging Ottawa and the provinces to coordinate re-opening rules and bring down provincial barriers to capitalize on what he views as success in the first phase of combatting the coronavirus pandemic.

July 2

There’s An Interactive Map That Tells You Where You Can Travel In Canada Now – NARCITY

This could come in handy for any summer vacation plans. Are you asking yourself where can I travel in Canada now? A new interactive map tool will tell you exactly what the situation is in different parts of the country and if there are any restrictions to be aware of.

June 30

Airlines need aid or ability to fly to escape ‘catastrophic territory,’ Air Canada CEO warns– Financial Post

The chief executive of Canada’s largest air carrier says it’s time for the federal government to either relax pandemic - related restrictions on travel or provide more aid to a beleaguered airline industry that has been left “basically ... in shutdown mode” due to measures put in place to limit the spread of COVID-19.

June 25

Hotels Will Be Ready: HAC Boss Says– Travel Press

The Hotel Association of Canada is calling on governments to remove restrictions on province-to-province travel, saying doing so would be a boost to the country’s struggling lodging industry and could be done in a manner that wouldn’t lead to a further spread of coronavirus.

June 23

From cleaning robots to walk-thru disinfecting spray: How Pearson airport is planning for post-shutdown crowds– Toronto Star

Robots that clean surfaces. Fogging that cleanses departure waiting areas. Touchless entry points. A spray that disinfects as you leave.

June 12

Mayo Clinic—Coronavirus Travel Advice

Need to travel during the COVID-19 outbreak? Protect yourself and others with these precautions.

June 10

Tourism sector calls for national plan to cut back pandemic travel restrictions– Globe and Mail

Canada’s tourism and travel sector says it is time for the country to ease border restrictions ahead of the summer season – including some international travel – even as the federal government looks to extend border closings.

June

Health and Cleaning Initiatives Take Off– Hotel Business.com

Companies are continuing to roll out their health and safety plans to help guests feel confident in their stays.