Partial border reopening expected to kickstart Alberta's tourism recovery
Alberta's tourism industry is hoping for a big boost when the international border partially reopens this week.
Starting midnight Sunday, fully vaccinated American citizens and permanent residents are allowed to once again recreationally cross into Canada.
Those who have had two shots of a Health Canada-approved COVID-19 vaccine -- Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca or the single-shot Johnson and Johnson -- will be eligible for non-essential travel two weeks after their last dose.
They'll still need to provide a negative COVID-19 test.
Cindy Ady with Tourism Calgary says it's already having an impact.
"We are seeing more interest and our phones have begun to ring," Ady told CTV News. "So now we are looking at winter and obviously we have a very robust winter ski season that comes in to Alberta and through our city, as well as different groups that would choose to hold their business meetings here. It should be exciting."
The local hotel association doesn't expect the rule change to flip over a tough year and a half, but director Sol Zia does believe it'll move the pin.
"The average non-domestic traveller spends at least 40 per cent more than a Canadian domestic traveler," he said. "We're basically crawling out of where we were a year ago, and it could be a long climb...this is a start."
The American government has yet to announce when it'll lift restrictions for Canadians who want to cross the land border and head south.
The Canadian government, meanwhile, are slowly making the country more accessible as the year goes on.
The government plans to open Canada's borders to all fully vaccinated travellers on Sept. 7. Five additional airports -- Halifax, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Quebec City and Edmonton -- will begin accepting international flights beginning Monday.
Also ending is the government-mandated three night hotel stay for all travellers. And the Feds will be nixing the required post-arrival COVID-19 test for fully vaccinated travellers in favour of randomized day one molecular tests.
There are no changes to the mandatory testing requirements for those who are unvaccinated.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza's vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife's edge.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
Highlights from the 2024 Met Gala exhibit: Sleeping Beauty would wake up for these gowns
Sure, she was a royal princess and all. But there’s no way Sleeping Beauty — either before or after her nap — ever had quite the fabulous wardrobe that’s been assembled at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Putin begins his fifth term as president, more in control of Russia than ever
Vladimir Putin began his fifth term Tuesday as Russian leader at a glittering Kremlin inauguration, setting out on another six years in office after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.