Amid the Government of Canada’s decision to ease border measures starting on Feb. 28, Sunwing says it is ready to help agents and customers navigate the new measures through key website and content updates.
In the coming days, the tour company will be updating the Travel Requirements page on Sunwing.ca, the Sunwing Agent portal, and agent Facebook page with helpful information and resources, in addition to sending out email reminders around the changing requirements.
Agents and customers will also be able to find updates on Sunwing’s hotel detail pages to reflect which resorts offer on-site antigen tests and associated costs for travellers.
Additional communication will be provided on the Travel Advisories page and within the Sunwing App.
“We welcome (Tuesday’s) government announcement, which marks an important step forward for Sunwing, the agent community and the broader travel industry as we collectively emerge from the effects of the Omicron variant,” says Andrew Dawson, President of Tour Operations for Sunwing.
He adds, “As we look ahead to our spring/summer season, we expect that several measures will have a positive impact on bookings. This includes easing pre-departure test requirements for fully vaccinated travellers and eliminating self-isolation and testing measures for children under the age of 12. In the days ahead, we will be updating our websites and platforms with key content on changing requirements, all in an effort to provide our agent partners and customers with the latest information right at their fingertips, while helping Canadians return to travel with ease and confidence.”
Key changes to COVID-19 border measures include:
• Travellers have the option to undergo a pre-departure Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) as an alterative to a pre-departure COVID-19 molecular test, with the RAT required to be taken 24 hours before the scheduled flight departure.
• A return to mandatory randomized on-arrival testing at Canadian airports for fully vaccinated travellers who, if selected for testing, will not be required to self-isolate while awaiting the test results.
• Elimination of mandatory public health measures for unvaccinated children under the age of 12 travelling with fully vaccinated adults. They will no longer be required to self-isolate or avoid school, camp, daycare of other public spaces upon entry to Canada, nor will they be subject to COVID-19 testing or other specific requirements.
• Downgrading the current travel advisory on non-essential travel from level three to level two, meaning the government will no longer recommend that Canadians avoid travel for non-essential purposes.
In addition to the above border measures, the government has committed to reopening regional airports for international travel and Sunwing notes that it is expected that further easing of travel restrictions may be announced in the weeks ahead.
Sunwing points out that its peace of mind policy gives customers the flexibility to change plans anytime with no fees up to seven days before departure, in addition to providing a range of comprehensive travel insurance options, including emergency COVID-19 medical coverage and quarantine expenses for as low as $4 per day.