The Association of Canadian Independent Travel Advisors (ACITA) has joined the growing chorus of voices calling for Canada to ease its border protocols – specifically to end pre-arrival testing – in line with measures taken by many other countries around the world.

ACITA has initiated an official e-Petition, which is now open on the Parliament of Canada website, for travel agents and industry colleagues of all stripes, to sign. Agents are encouraged to share the document with clients as well.

ACITA says a recent survey of its members indicated that more than 65% of respondents believe that PCR testing in destination is the single greatest deterrent for consumers to book new travel and that clients are most worried about testing positive in-destination and having to quarantine in a foreign country.

“The issue of PCR testing in destination affects every single one of us in the travel industry, including tour operators, storefront agencies, and independent travel advisors,” ACITA’ co-founder Judith Coates told Travel Industry Today. “Many consumers are hesitant to travel because of the uncertainty of where to get tests, and the possibility of getting a false positive result and having to quarantine in destination.”

Coates says a stroke of luck led to the idea for the petition, which pointedly asks the government to remove the requirement for travellers to obtain a negative PCR test for re-entry into Canada.

The Toronto-based Travel Agent Next Door advisor says she was flying home from a trip to Vancouver and met Thornhill, Ont., MP Melissa Lantsman, who also happens to be shadow minister for transport for the opposition.

Coates says “we had a great chat about travel restrictions” after which Lantsman encouraged her to initiate an official e-Petition to the government, which the MP would sponsor and read out in the House of Commons, thereby requiring the government to table a response withing 45 days.

In the petition, ACITA cites research that suggests that pre-testing protocols are “likely to be ineffective at stopping or even limiting the spread of the omicron variant” and notes that Canadians are over 80% vaccinated.

It adds, “A growing number of issues are being reported by Canadian travellers in destination, including inaccuracy of tests (false positives), exorbitant price gouging, reports of people obtaining counterfeit tests, and corrupt PCR practices, with some labs contracted by resorts providing falsified results to keep guests for extended stays at their own expense…”

Also noted is that there is an expanding list of countries that have eliminated the requirement of a negative pre-departure COVID-19 test results for vaccinated travellers, including the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Spain, Germany, and Denmark.

ACITA’s grassroots effort is the latest in a long list of industry voices calling for a similar evolution of Canada’s border protocols to help revive the travel and tourism industry as the pandemic nears its two-year mark.

Earlier this week, WestJet reiterated its demand for an end to pre-testing and quarantines for international travellers, advocating periodic testing at the border instead.

“It is disappointing that Canada remains stagnant in its approach and continues to make travel inaccessible and punitive for Canadians and inbound tourists,” WestJet CEO Harry Taylor said.

ACITA’s Petition #e-3835, which on Wednesday had already garnered close to 3,400 signatures, will remain open to be signed through March 10. It can be accessed HERE.