What if you threw a party and no one came? News from Canada Border Services Agency today is similarly deflating for Canada’s travel and tourism industry.
Canada’s international borders reopened to fully vaccinated international arrivals on 07SEP, after opening land, air and water entry to fully vaccinated Americans in AUG.
Simultaneous to the international border entry requirements easing for vaccinated travellers, several additional airports across the country once again opened to receive international flights, up from the four designated airports during the height of the pandemic.
But the needle didn’t move much.
According to data released by the CBSA, in the week prior to the easing of restrictions for vaccinated international travellers, just under 80,000 foreign nationals arrived by air in Canada. Between 06 and 12SEP - the week of the border reopening - that number rose to just 95,000 air arrivals.
The increase of only 15,000 additional pax is not the rush of travellers some in the industry were hoping for.
According to CTV News, international air arrivals were already in the 70,000 range most weeks in AUG, before most restrictions were lifted for fully vaccinated international arrivals in SEP. Even in JUN and JUL, some weeks saw arrivals close to 45,000.
Not only was there no initial rush to visit Canada by foreign nationals, CTV News points out the enormous gap between that week's and pre-pandemic numbers. The same week in 2019 saw 326,000 foreign nationals arriving in Canada - over three times as many international visitors.
Industry may be hoping the numbers pick up as vaccination rates in other countries continue to climb and as word gets out that managing the new Canadian arrivals process is achievable.
Other developments may also help international arrivals numbers continue to climb this fall.
That includes the lifting, as of 26SEP, of Transport Canada’s ban on direct flights from India to Canada that had been in place since APR. As Open Jaw has reported, carriers including Air Canada have already resumed flights between India and Canada.
In addition, the paced resumption of international air routes, some of which are ahead of schedule due to demand, may contribute to a steady climb in arrivals numbers and a more positive outlook on the resumption of travel to Canada.
