US Lowers Risk Level For Travel To Canada

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has moved Canada down from Level 4 to Level 3 category of travel risk. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is no longer warning Americans to avoid travel to Canada because of the coronavirus.

In an update to its travel health notices on April 4, the US public health agency said the level of COVI-19 in Canada is “high” rather than “very high”; it had been at Level 4 since Jan. 10, 2022.

Level 3: High level of COVID-19 means:

• Make sure you are fully vaccinated before travel.

• Unvaccinated travelers should avoid nonessential travel to this destination.

View Key Information for US Travelers to Canada →

U.S.A. Advises Against Travel to Canada

Residents in the United States are being advised not to travel to Canada due to COVID-19 hospitalizations.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a Level 4 notice to avoid travel to Canada due to the emerging COVID-19 situation.

The CDC currently lists about 80 destinations worldwide at Level 4. It says that if people must travel, they should make sure they are fully vaccinated.

TIABC has contacted the Prime Minister's Office to enquire about what the Government of Canada is doing to see that the advisory is lifted given the ramifications the advisory has had on the tourism industry already.

View CDC advisory on U.S. travellers to Canada →

Canada - U.S. Border Update

Building on the previous announcement regarding the Canada-U.S. land and ferry border progress, the U.S will allow travellers with mixed doses of vaccinations to cross for non-essential travel. U.S land borders with Canada and Mexico will be open to fully vaccinated tourists by November 8.

While the U.S. will not require Canadians to show negative test results to cross at land borders, returning to Canada requires a negative PCR test within 72 hours of crossing the border.

US to Reopen Canada Land Border to Vaccinated Travellers November 8th

The US is set to reopen its borders to fully vaccinated travellers by air, land or passenger ferry starting November 8th.

Air travellers will need to show proof of vaccination on arrival in the US but will still need to show a pre-departure negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of boarding their flight.

Non-essential travellers crossing at a land border will be required to show proof of vaccination or attest to their vaccination status upon request by a border agent, but unlike air travellers they will face no requirement to show a negative COVID-19 test.

By January, 2022 essential travellers crossing at a land border will also be required to be fully vaccinated.

A number of details are still being worked out by the US Center for Disease Control (CDC). They include the type of documentation that will be accepted to prove a traveller's vaccination status and whether travellers who received doses of two different vaccines will be considered fully vaccinated.

The Canada-U.S. border has been closed to non-essential travel since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Canada opened its border to U.S. travellers in early August.

Canada's Rules Unchanged

For now, the Government of Canada’s travel rules and restrictions remain unchanged for Canadians who are entering back into the country from the U.S.

That means that in order to get back into Canada—whether hours or days after entering the U.S.—travellers will need to negative PCR test within 72 hours of a planned entry into Canada.

For Updates Visit:

• https://www.usa.gov/covid-passports-and-travel

• https://ca.usembassy.gov/travel-restrictions-fact-sheet/

Canada USA Border Reopening Resources

Starting Monday, August 9, Canada plans to allow entry to American citizens and permanent residents who are currently residing in the US and have been fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to entering Canada for non-essential travel. This preliminary step allows for the Government of Canada to fully operationalize the adjusted border measures ahead of September 7.

Subject to limited exceptions, all travellers must use ArriveCAN (app or web portal) to submit their travel information. If they are eligible to enter Canada and meet specific criteria, fully vaccinated travellers will not have to quarantine upon arrival.

Helpful Canada USA Border Resources:

• COVID-19: Entering Canada requirements checklist

• Destination Canada COVID-19: Guidance for Travellers

• COVID-19: Travel, testing, quarantine and borders

• COVID-19: Travel Information for US Citizens

• COVID-19: Passports and Travel for US Citizens

• Destination BC Messaging Guide for BC's Tourism Industry and travellers from the United States.

This is an evolving situation which may require frequent updates.

Destination Canada: USA Global Tourism Watch

2017 United States Public Summary Report

Read the Full Report Here: 2017 Destination Canada USA Public Summary Report

Key Highlights Include:

Market Potential:

• The immediate potential market has increased from the previous year: 53.0 million travellers are definitely or very likely to visit Canada in the next 2 years (versus 47.6 million in 2016).

• The international outlook for US travellers continues to soften, while the outlook for domestic travel, both within and beyond state of residence, has seen significant increases.

Competitive Environment:

• Domestic destinations continue to dominate on an unaided basis, spurred by increases for California.

• Canada has jumped 2 spots to 7th in terms of aided mentions due to significant declines in mentions for New England and the Midwest.

• Travellers from New York are among the most likely to mention Canada on both an unaided and aided basis.

Path-to-Purchase:

• New Yorkers and travellers aged 25-44 are among the most likely to be actively planning a trip to Canada.

• Canada’s performance is no longer below average at converting US travellers between the creating a movie and itinerary planning stages.

• Additional focus could be placed on moving travellers from the consideration phase to creating a vacation movie, where conversion is weakest.

Destinations: 

• There are several significant downward shifts in likelihood to visit in 2017, including with BC’s Rocky Mountains, Edmonton, Fredericton, other PEI regions, and the Prairie provinces (including Churchill, Regina, and other regions within Saskatchewan).

• Montreal saw a significant decline in 2017 for most appealing destination

Vacation Activities:

• Natural attractions, Northern lights, historical sites, cruises, nature parks, trying local food and drink, and wildlife viewing are the top trip anchor activities for US travellers.

• Popular activities that Canada could better promote to US travellers: Northern lights, food and drink festivals, cruises, canoeing/kayaking/paddle boarding, amusement parks, and fall colours.

Barriers:

• Cost remains the primary deterrent to visiting Canada. Mentions of inclement weather have fallen significantly.

• Not enough time to take a vacation is the 2nd most frequently mentioned barrier among those at both the evaluation (gathering information or planning a visit) and consideration stages.

For more research information by TOTA, Visit us online at: https://totabc.org/research/

For more research information by Destination Canada, Visit: https://www.destinationcanada.com/en/research