Tourism operators hoping for a more concrete plan on reopening Canadian borders were disappointed yesterday.
A CTV News reporter asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when the tourism sector could start welcoming back vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers from abroad.
In his response, Trudeau said, "I can tell you right now that's not going to happen for quite a while."
He added the government needs to ensure the safety of Canadians so all the sacrifices made so far are not for nothing.
A clearly communicated plan to even start allowing fully vaccinated foreign tourists has not yet been announced.
"Before we get to reflecting on what international travellers who are not fully vaccinated might be able to do, we are going to proceed in a step by step - and I call tell you that the next step we'll be looking at what measures we can allow for international travellers who are fully vaccinated. That will be our first focus," Trudeau said.
Tourism industries across Canada have been asking for a clearly defined framework so they can start planning when to rehire staff and make other necessary preparations
Niagara Falls MP and Special Advisor to the Conservative Party Leader on Tourism Recovery Tony Baldinelli reacted to the lack of a plan yesterday, saying, "This is getting ridiculous – Canada's Conservatives and I have been advocating for over a year for the Trudeau government to come forward with a safe and responsible reopening plan for our hardest hit sectors and our economy, which includes international border crossings. They are letting the good people of Niagara down."