Calling the situation “unacceptable,” ACTA has lent its voice to the chorus of complaints over the significant delays experienced by travellers at airport security and customs and immigration check points, as well as for Canadians trying to renew passports.

The association acknowledges that the delays are caused by several factors, including labour shortages and increased administrative burdens due to legacy COVID-19 policies, as well as absenteeism, but ACTA president Wendy Paradis nevertheless says, “Canada’s travel industry, including travel agencies and independent travel agents, is just beginning the long road to recovery. It is essential that travellers have an efficient airport and passport process.”

She adds that ACTA has received reports of travellers cancelling reservations or deferring travel because of these delays, thereby “creating a further obstacle to recovery.”

As such, Paradis says ACTA is expressing “serious concern” over the situation and is urging the Government of Canada, including the Minister of Transport, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, and the Minister of Tourism to “act expeditiously” to relieve airports and passport offices from unnecessary administrative burdens and divert human resources from other programs until labour normalizes.

“Considering the devastation that travel agencies and independent travel agents experienced throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, with most experiencing revenue losses of over 90%, administrative hurdles such as these are unacceptable,” she says. “The onus is on the government to fix this without delay, so that a travel and tourism recovery can recover.”