“We are on the edge of change”: ACTA holds town hall, urges agents to not give up

“We feel your pain and we understand your frustration,” said Wendy Paradis, president of the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA). “We just need to keep pushing, and pushing and pushing.”

ACTA shared an overview of its pandemic-era advocacy work on financial support for travel agents, border measures and travel advisories at a virtual town hall on Tuesday (Feb. 8).

But the association's main message to the trade was this: don’t give up on the fight for government aid and the safe reopening of travel and tourism. 

Even if it feels like the work is showing little to no results.

Opening the floor to questions, and responding to a concern that “I feel like nothing is happening” shared by some agents who tuned in – Paradis sympathized with the industry’s advocacy fatigue at this stage of the pandemic.

Between writing letters and requesting meetings with politicians: “It feels like Groundhog Day every single Monday,” Paradis said, referencing the struggle of independent travel advisors, many of whom have fallen through the cracks in securing government support over the last two years.   

“But if we are going to move the needle on this, then the advocacy has to continue.”

Avery Campbell, director of advocacy and industry relations at ACTA, noted that when travel agents engage with government, it helps ACTA secure high-level meetings and pushes issues forward.

“The more voices the government and politicians hear, the more likely we are going to find success,” Campbell said.

Let’s Talk Budget  

ACTA is calling on all travel advisors to email or write their local MP to share their story and explain why they need support now, share industry statistics (which ACTA will post on its website soon) and request meetings. 

Ottawa’s 2022 pre-budget consultations are now in full swing, and ACTA is encouraging agents to share their input by filling out the “Let’s Talk Budget 2022” survey here.

“In your survey, talk about the importance of financial support to your business. And how you need new and continued supports to survive the COVID-19 crisis,” Campbell said. “Explain how revenue is down 90 per cent (or more) and how recovery is not possible until our sector’s lockdown from travel advisories and restrictions are fully lifted.”

“The more voices that contribute to this consultation process, the more influence we can have as a sector on the budget outcome.”

Rules for a new reality 

Tuesday’s town hall highlighted the need for “intense advocacy” through 2022.

While the industry has moved on from 2021’s hotel quarantine and ban on foreign travellers, the arrival of Omicron late last year saw Ottawa reintroduce its non-essential travel advisory along with other border measures.

ACTA and partners are “strongly advocating that travel advisories be adapted to reflect the new reality – that fully vaccinated travellers do not impose greater risk of COVID-19 disease spread,” Paradis said.

READ MORE: “This is a significant barrier”: ACTA joins call to lift arrival testing, quarantine

This aligns with remarks recently made by Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam, who, at a press conference last Friday (Feb. 4), said Canadians need to return to some sense of normalcy, suggesting that Canada's travel rules will be re-evaluated in the "days and weeks to come."

ACTA has joined the call for the removal of Canada’s 72-hour pre-arrival molecular test requirement for international arrivals – a rule Paradis called an “unnecessary barrier.”

This measure is also being targeted by the Association of Canadian Independent Travel Advisors (ACITA), which, just yesterday, launched a federal e-petition calling on Ottawa to drop pre-departure testing.

Surveying its own membership, ACITA says 65 per cent of travel advisors believe that PCR testing in destination is the “single greatest deterrent for consumers to book new travel.”

The petition, open to both the industry and general public, can be viewed and signed here.

Ottawa’s on-arrival molecular testing program at airports, where travellers now face up to 10 days in quarantine while awaiting test results, is also “devastating our sector,” Paradis said yesterday. 

READ MORE: ACITA launches petition calling for removal of pre-arrival PCR testing

“Now that Omicron is in every corner of the country, it does not make any sense to keep this requirement,” Paradis said, saying that tests should be redeployed in communities.

This was the message of a campaign launched last month by The Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable, which ACTA, in addition to the Coalition of Hardest Hit Businesses, works closely with.

COVID-19 testing measures have already been scrapped in several countries, such as the United Kingdom., Ireland, Sweden, Spain, Germany and Denmark.

Sharing her opinion on Canada’s approach, Paradis said “the government will do what the government will do.”

“Over past two years, we’ve seen how decisions are made, and in many cases, they seem to be made on politics and consumer polling,” Paradis said. “As an industry we need to keep pushing and leveraging consumer and traveller sentiment.”

With more doctors talking about the need for change, ACTA believes the time to end travel-related testing is now.

READ MORE: Redeploy on-arrival PCR tests to address urgent community needs, says Roundtable

“Maybe it wasn’t four weeks ago,” Paradis said, “but we believe we are on the edge of change here.”

“The ‘iceberg’ is starting to break up and I am hopeful that we will see change in the coming weeks.”

The impact of travel barriers will be highlighted at a press conference this Thursday (Feb. 10) at Toronto Pearson International Airport “and we plan to have major press events across Canada every week until the restrictions are eased,” Paradis said.  

ACTA, meanwhile, has ramped up its advocacy posts on social media and agents are “strongly encouraged” to engage with “likes” and repost content.

“Politicians are following messaging for travel agencies closely,” Campbell said.

Securing financial support

So, it’s been a busy start to 2022 for ACTA as it moves "full steam ahead" with initiatives.

Of course, other key priorities lie in securing ongoing financial support for agents and agencies.

One “significant win” for ACTA was lobbying for the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) to once again waive registrant fees and compensation fund payments for Ontario’s travel agencies and wholesalers.

ACTA has re-engaged with British Columbia and Quebec about implementing similar waivers for 2022, Paradis said.

Support for independent travel advisors remains an urgent priority.

Last month, ACTA, in consultation with host agencies, ACITA and Canadian Travel Agents for Change, submitted a federal proposal – the “Independent Travel Agent Relief Program,” or ITARP – that aims to create equity between independent travel agents and other travel and tourism small businesses.

It’s a proposal, Campbell emphasized. However: “The government is highly engaged to find a solution for independent travel agents,” he said.

“They appear interested in ITARP and other possible tools to support independent travel agents.”

Some feedback ACTA is hearing is how to identify entrepreneurs for support “as there isn’t a legal definition, or CRA identification code,” for independent agents, Campbell said.

“We are working to clarify that definition,” he explained.

There are also “philosophical challenges” Ottawa has in providing support to only one group of sole proprietors, Campbell said.

“We continue to support government in their research and study by sending needed data and addressing their concerns in a corporative solutions-oriented fashion,” he said.

Benefit extensions

Campbell addressed the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit (CWLB), which provides $300 per week ($270 after taxes) to eligible workers impacted by regional lockdown orders.

The CWLB is not a sector-specific program and is available to all Canadian residents, he noted, but ACTA advises applicants to carefully review the eligibility checklist to determine whether they are eligible, and to contact Canada Revenue Agency (1-800-959-8281) if unsure.  

ACTA has a handy financial aid tool, which reviews the various supports available. Access it here.

The association, also, is advocating for the extension of the Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program wage and rent subsidies at the highest levels until July 2022 and, as well, lobbying to extend the HASCAP principal postponement period by six months.

The government, already, has extended the repayment deadline of the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) loan and the COVID-19 Regional Relief and Recovery Fund (RRRF) to Dec. 31, 2023.

Meanwhile, ACTA is preparing a pre-budget consultation submission to the Ministry of Finance, detailing the needs of the travel sector, Campbell said.

READ MORE: ACTA launches diversity & inclusion courses, forms committee to end anti-Black racism

One “emerging issue,” Paradis noted, is the anticipated labour shortage in travel.

Suppliers are seeing this already, she said, and we know that “once COVID restrictions start to ease, the retail travel industry will also have acute labour shortages.”

To help ignite new careers, ACTA has a new online training program, Travel Agent Essentials, which will be promoted more as the industry recovers, Paradis said.

In-person events return

Discussions around all of these topics can take place, face-to-face, in select regions this fall as ACTA resumes in-person events.

One-day conferences, involving more than 50 suppliers, will be held in Toronto (Sept. 14), Vancouver (Sept. 21) and Montreal (Sept. 28) to help the trade reconnect with peers, discover new opportunities, brush up on trends and win great prizes.

ACTA will also be holding its Ontario Golf Tournament at the Royal Ontario Golf Club in Milton, ON on July 14, in support of Tourism Cares Charity and the ACTA Advocacy Fund.

Registration details for both events will be available soon.

“We are really looking forward to seeing you all in person in 2022,” Paradis said.  

For info on becoming an ACTA member or to make a contribution to ACTA's COVID-19 Advocacy Recovery Fund, click here. 

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