'Have patience': B.C. staycations more expensive as travel rules ease during staffing crunch
CTV
Industry insiders are urging British Columbians to be patient and brace for sticker shock as the hospitality and travel industries prepare for an influx of visitors once the federal government eases pandemic restrictions.
Industry insiders are urging British Columbians to be patient and brace for sticker shock as the hospitality and travel industries prepare for an influx of visitors once the federal government eases pandemic restrictions.
Sources tell CTV News that as of April 1, the federal government will remove the requirement for a negative COVID-19 test upon entry to Canada, an expensive and time-consuming requirement that has kept many travellers at home until now. Those entering the country will still need to be fully vaccinated.
The timing has come as a surprise to many British Columbians who’ve already booked their summer vacations, and that could mean few options and higher prices for those not ready to travel internationally.
“The Gulf Islands, Tofino – everything is sold out – and in the Okanagan, you're already seeing very high prices and limited availability, so you throw in international travelers to that and it's going to be challenging if you haven't already booked travel," said Allison Wallace of Flight Centre.
“Travel is about supply and demand and we've already seen a massive rise in demand, so I think with the news coming out about testing, people aren’t going to wait till April 1 to book.”
She expects masks will still be mandated in aircraft, random PCR testing will be required upon arrival in Canada, and the Arrive Can app will be used to prove vaccination status.
Destination BC believes the requirement for travellers to provide a negative rapid test under medical supervision has been an “excessive burden” since the tests have been expensive and often hard to obtain within the required time frame.
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