Katie Summers cancelled her wedding anniversary trip three times over the past 18 months. Now, the Omicron variant of COVID-19 means her January vacation to Hawaii with her husband may be added to the scrap heap.

B次元官网网址淭his one is a bucket-list trip for us,B次元官网网址� says the 34-year-old radio host from Calgary.

B次元官网网址淏ut itB次元官网网址檚 so expensive, because youB次元官网网址檙e budgeting for testing B次元官网网址� your flight might get cancelled randomly and you have to pay for a hotel. It just suddenly has made travelling not as fun anymore.B次元官网网址�

The prospect of sunny beaches and the threat of lost deposits have kept them from calling off the vacation so far. But confusion around testing, quarantining and layovers as well as the possibility of tighter restrictions are adding to their uncertainty.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e kind of taking the wait-and-see approach at this point,B次元官网网址� she says. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e not going to make any decisions until some kind of clarification or new information comes out.B次元官网网址�

Summers is one of many Canadians second-guessing their travel plans as information trickles out about Omicron, even as travel and tourism stakeholders see slivers of optimism in the latest updates.

Hotel and resort operators remain hopeful the strain is less serious than previous ones, says Walt Judas, CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of B.C.

B次元官网网址淏ut the news changes daily,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭he biggest worry for our members is that things will shut back down again.

B次元官网网址淎ny further clampdowns, as far as border crossings are concerned, would be seriously detrimental to our sector,B次元官网网址� he said, noting cross-border travel is critical to ski resorts over the holidays.

B次元官网网址淲histler is picking up B次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 not where it normally is,B次元官网网址� Judas added, though he said large resorts in the interior have seen a wave of cancellations after the recent flooding in southern British Columbia.

Meanwhile, hotels in Victoria and Vancouver are enjoying healthier bookings this month, in part due to the B次元官网网址渟light returnB次元官网网址� of conferences and special events, he said.

But Beth Potter, CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, says the hoped-for surge in December travel and hospitality has not come to pass, while some guests have already called off holiday trips due to anxieties around Omicron.

Complicating matters are new measures by the United States that require all foreign travellers to show a negative COVID-19 test taken within one day of departure.

The Canadian government also announced last week that air travellers entering Canada, except for those coming from the U.S., will now need to be tested upon arrival at the airport and isolate until they get their results, even if they are fully vaccinated against the virus.

Canadians returning home by air or land after more than 72 hours abroad must show proof of a pre-departure negative COVID-19 molecular test as well.

Nonetheless, analysts at ATB Capital Markets say airline stocks have rebounded slightly from an Omicron-induced dip over the past two weeks after preliminary data emerged suggesting the variant may not be as severe as initially feared.

B次元官网网址淲e view data coming out of the U.S. as a positive leading indicator for demand trends in Canada heading into the holiday season and 2022,B次元官网网址� ATB said in a note to clients.

Last week Air Canada shares closed at their lowest price since January, hovering just above $20 before rallying to close the day at $21.73 on the Toronto Stock Exchange Tuesday.

Air Canada told investors last month that ticket sales, particularly for sun destinations, remain strong heading into the new year.

Optimism and apprehension continue to mark the sector, said Windsor International Airport CEO Mark Galvin.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a mix of that cautiousness, but thereB次元官网网址檚 a mix of the hopeful that the vaccines and their efficacy will be there and we can move forward,B次元官网网址� he said.

Critical questions about the new COVID-19 strain remain unanswered, including whether it causes milder or harsher symptoms and how effectively current vaccines inoculate against it.

In response to the detection of Omicron, Canada quickly imposed travel measures to curb the spread that include banning visitors who have recently travelled through 10 African countries.

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra has said the federal government is consulting with experts daily on potential measures to slow OmicronB次元官网网址檚 spread.

Walt Judas of the B.C. tourism association says industry is still looking to Ottawa for a B次元官网网址渟unset clauseB次元官网网址� on PCR tests for fully vaccinated international visitors.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e not trying to be callous about it or careless. Obviously health and safety is paramount,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淏ut if people have been doubly vaccinated, and in many cases have the booster, really theyB次元官网网址檙e about as protected as they can be.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址擟hristopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press