Clear, consistent, and timely information to travelers and operators across modes of transportation will be fundamental for a successful reopening of the U.S.-Canada border and swift industry recovery
July 19, 2021 – The Future Borders Coalition (FBC) – the bi-national group of over 70 organizations representing all modes of transportation (air, land, maritime), the cargo and logistics industry, the business and tourism sectors – welcomes the announcement made by the Government of Canada on July 19, 2021, to allow fully vaccinated Americans and permanent residents to travel to Canada for discretionary purposes, starting August 9, 2021. We also applaud the plan to reopening the Canadian border to fully vaccinated foreign travelers by September 7, 2021.
Since July 2020, the FBC has advocated to ease travel restrictions based on a phased and risk-based approach and informed by the latest scientific evidence. The relaxation of entry restrictions by the Canadian government is certainly very encouraging for the tourism industry and operators across modes of transportation. The restoration of people-to-people connections and the reinstatement of trans-border business travel are positive signs of recovery for the travel industry.
In the days leading up to this next phase of reopening, we urge both governments to establish a coordinated framework for the border with a view to ensure that consistent information is disseminated to travelers on both sides, including uniformity of entry requirements across all modes of transportation. While we continue to support the safe reopening of borders based on the evolving epidemiological situation and vaccination rates, we also encourage government authorities to consider that any changes to the current re-opening approach and related timelines should be communicated swiftly to affected industries in order to allow them time to prepare, adjust, and minimize damages.
“We are pleased with the decision to re-open the Canadian border to fully vaccinated American travelers. This is a very positive development for the transportation, business and tourism sectors and the first step towards a revitalized U.S.-Canada partnership. Going forward, the creation of a bilateral cooperation framework for pandemic coordination between both countries will be essential to build a more resilient border”, said Gerry Bruno, Executive Director and Co-Chair of the Future Borders Coalition.
Matt Morrison, Co-Chair of the Future Border Coalition, added: “We look forward to working with governments on both sides to ensure a smooth transition towards the full re-opening of the U.S.-Canada border, including the implementation of technological solutions that can make the border of the future more efficient, safe, and resilient.”
For further information and media inquiries, please contact:
FBC Communications
info@futureborderscoalition.org