CanadaB次元官网网址檚 two main airlines continue to slash their schedules and demand that Ottawa roll back COVID-19 travel restrictions to staunch the cash bleed B次元官网网址� though experts see glimmers of hope on the horizon.
WestJet Airlines Ltd. has cancelled 20 per cent of its flights in March, extending schedule cuts from February amid ongoing uncertainty that continues to drain demand.
Interim CEO Harry Taylor said travel advisories and testing requirements were meant to be temporary, but that after two years the industry crisis has come to a head.
B次元官网网址淚t is disappointing that Canada remains stagnant in its approach and continues to make travel inaccessible and punitive for Canadians and inbound tourists,B次元官网网址� he said Monday.
Echoing demands from Air Canada and TorontoB次元官网网址檚 Pearson airport last month, WestJet called for randomized testing upon arrival only, rather than mandatory molecular testing before takeoff and after landing for fully vaccinated international passengers. The Calgary-based company also wants an end to quarantines for travellers awaiting results when they return from abroad.
Canada remains the only G7 country to require pre-departure and on-arrival molecular testing, Taylor noted, adding Ottawa must outline a recovery path for the travel and tourism industry.
Since early November, WestJet and budget subsidiary Swoop have cancelled 11,285 trips that they had planned for March, or 48 per cent. Meanwhile, compared with its plan in mid-October, Air Canada has scrapped 16,617 or 41 per cent of its scheduled March flights, according to flight data firm Cirium.
More cuts may be en route across the airlines, as passengers hold off on ticket purchases until closer to the departure date to ensure pandemic measures donB次元官网网址檛 mar their travel plans. If the bookings come through, the flight schedule may hold steady, but if they donB次元官网网址檛 then even fewer planes will leave the tarmac than planned.
B次元官网网址淣owadays many more people are making even their leisure travel decisions at the last minute, because the world is a very fluid place right now and people are finding it difficult to plan months in advance with changing restrictions and changing rules,B次元官网网址� said David Huttner, a London-based aviation expert.
B次元官网网址淢aybe IB次元官网网址檇 rather drive in my own car by myself B次元官网网址� travel habits have changed too, especially on shorter flights.B次元官网网址�
Richard Vanderlubbe, president of Hamilton-base Tripcentral.ca, has cut nearly 60 per cent of his 160 employees and shuttered all 26 office locations in Ontario and Atlantic Canada since early 2020. But the travel agency founder, who offers bookings mainly to Caribbean destinations, remains upbeat.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 seeing lots of hope,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淐onsumer confidence is climbing, despite the travel advisory still being there B次元官网网址� Things are returning. WeB次元官网网址檝e seen a big uptick.B次元官网网址�
Bookings for winter and early spring are on the rise as Family Day B次元官网网址� observed in six provinces including Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia B次元官网网址� reading week and March break approach, Vanderlubbe said.
B次元官网网址淔or summer itB次元官网网址檚 a little more wait and see right now.B次元官网网址�
Even with a return of vacation bookings, business remains at 40 per cent of 2019 numbers, Vanderlubbe said.
Travel agencies have also had to adjust their approach to pitches and promotions.
B次元官网网址淲e used to sell the resorts and everything about it,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淣ow people just sorting out through all of the restrictions and rules has become kind of the new marketing for travel, which is very odd.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址擟hristopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press
