On Vancouver Island, pressure mounts to reopen Canada-U.S. border to tourists
As vaccination rates rise on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border, so too is pressure to reopen the border to tourist travel.
Clipper Vacations CEO David Gudgel says there is a lot of pent up demand for the passenger ferry that connects Seattle and Victoria.
“We felt like it’s pressure behind a dam, and the dam is beginning to crack, and it may happen very quickly,” said Gudgel on Tuesday.
Meanwhile on the Canadian side of the border, the Tourism Industry Association of Canada launched a campaign Tuesday calling on Ottawa to lay out a timeline for reopening the border, and to allow recreational travel as soon as safely possible.
Paul Nursey, head of Destination Greater Victoria and a director of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, says a roadmap for when the border will reopen is important for the industry to start its planning.
“Our association thought the time was right to start to press the government more concretely to try and get a roadmap and a plan,” said Nursey on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Trudeau was asked about rumours the Canadian border might partially open to tourists from the U.S. by June 21. “We have no announcements to make today,” said Trudeau.
Still, political pressure has been mounting from south of the border, where more people have second doses, and large gatherings are already occurring at events, including sports competitions.
The Canadian Press quoted Trudeau Monday acknowledging that the government was looking at a phased approach to reopening the border, perhaps by July or August.
What is clear: tourism businesses on both sides of the border need international tourists to survive.
“We have had to lay off many people, including about 20 folks from Victoria,” said Gudgel, noting that the company would be “elated” to be able to bring back those folks after the border reopens, something it’s now hopeful may happen sooner than the fall.
Nursey added that American travellers spend more money than domestic travellers.
“The U.S. traveller is a much more lucrative traveller in terms of average spending — almost twice as much compared to the Canadian traveller,” he said.
While previously the fall was seen as the earliest date for the international border to open, Nursey now says an August opening would be a “win” for the industry.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Body of Quebec man who died in Cuba found in Russia, family confirms
A Montreal-area family confirmed to CTV News that the body of their loved one who died while on vacation in Cuba is being repatriated to Canada after it was mistakenly sent to Russia.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Saskatchewan isn't remitting the carbon tax on home heating. Why isn't my province following suit?
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
RCMP officers had no legal authority to enter man's home, make arrest: B.C. court
A B.C. man has been found not guilty of assaulting two RCMP officers – with the court finding he was resisting an "unlawful entry and arrest" in his home before he was tasered, taken down and hauled away in handcuffs.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.