ASTA and ACTA Encourage Border Opening

The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) and its Canadian counterpart the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA) are working together to encourage the reopening of the U.S.-Canadian border.

Leaders of both associations sent a joint letter illustrating how the border closure is affecting members.

“While securing additional financial relief for our members from our respective governments remains the top priority for both associations, responsibly reopening travel between our two great countries is a critical needed step in order for meaningful recovery of the travel agency sector to occur,” reads the letter.

The document also noted that both agencies would be willing to work on a resolution.

“We stand ready to work with you and your staff to develop a plan to clearly spell out how and when we will restart travel between Canada and the U.S., with the objective of releasing it prior to June 21, when the existing Canadian border measures are set to potentially be renewed,” the letter said.

Zane Kerby, president and CEO of ASTA, noted that opening the border will have an immediate impact on the travel advisors.

“While it will take several years for our part of the travel industry to return to health, taken together with the urgently needed additional relief funding from our legislatures, we believe that safely reopening U.S.-Canada travel will help speed the recovery and put travel agencies in a position to serve the traveling public,” said Kerby.
“We stand ready to work with you and your staff to develop a plan to clearly spell out how and when we will restart travel between Canada and the U.S., with the objective of releasing it prior to June 21, when the existing Canadian border measures are set to potentially be renewed.”

The letter, signed by Kerby and Wendy Paradis, president of ACTA, was delivered to the U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken; Canada’s Minister of Transport, Omar Alghabra; Alejandro Mayorkas, the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security; and Patty Hajdu, Canada’s Minister of Health.