Keeping up with the changing travel rules in a pandemic world is no easy feat for travellers or travel agents.
Even though travelling can be challenging these days, Karen Fournier owner and operator of Four Stories Travel in Cochrane says she is very busy booking trips for residents seeking an escape. For example, the anticipated change in quarantine rules for young children saw a lot of young families booking holidays for spring break.
Fournier says at the moment, she is busy booking holidays for November, December, and January. “They’re thinking ahead, they’re saving their money they know they want to go. We all have hopes that the requirements will be even less by then, fingers crossed, so yeah lots of Christmas right now.”
There are now three different types of COVID-19 tests that will allow entry into Canada. Fournier explains, “You can either return with a negative rapid antigen test. So, that’s the quick turn-around test you’re taking it within one day of coming back to Canada and it’s the cheap test.” Travellers must realize that it is not the same as the at-home self-tests that Albertans received for free from the province. A self-administered test will not be accepted. Secondly, a negative PCR test is accepted if taken within 72 hours of departure. Fournier says the third option is, “You can come back with a positive PCR test as long as it is 10 to 180 days old from the date of your return.”
Something else that is relatively new is you can now take your PCR or antigen test virtually while on your holiday. Fournier explains, “You order your test to your home, you download an app to your phone, and you make an appointment. And then when you’re in destination, you don’t have to leave your hotel room to go get your PCR test or antigen test. You then log in to the app and into your appointment and virtually, a healthcare professional will watch you do the test.”
Just when it seems the travel industry is starting to see a light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, now the Ukraine and Russia crisis may cause additional travel problems. When it comes to travel plans to Europe, Fournier says, “People are holding back so if they had something on the go, we’re seeing people say, we’re just going wait and see what happens. Cruise ships especially, because they’re one of the primary vessels that will go into Ukraine and Russia. They are shutting down the itineraries that have Russia and Ukraine and they’re going to do other ports instead, so we are seeing that happen already.”
According to Fournier, the other thing that agents are watching closely with the Ukraine crisis is travel insurance. “Because if things escalate in Europe, then potentially your insurance is not going to be valid because this is a known world event.”
Fournier cannot stress enough that it is imperative that travellers know the travel rules of their destination and all stops in between. Even if it is just a brief stopover in a country you still must follow their rules. As Fournier says, "You might not think it’s important because you’re not staying there but you still have to follow whatever that country’s rules are even if you are just walking 50 feet to the next gate in that airport, you’ve got to follow all the rules for every single country your touch.”
February 28 the following travel measures went into effect.
• Travellers can now opt to take a rapid antigen test instead of a more expensive PCR test 72 hours prior to departing.
• Unvaccinated children under the age of 12 entering Canada with fully vaccinated parents will no longer need to quarantine for 14 days.
• Fully vaccinated travellers randomly selected to be tested upon arrival won’t have to quarantine while awaiting test results.