PAXnews - Hotel quarantine program off to rocky start, Ottawa updates list; Health officials speechless when asked for data

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Monday, February 22, 2021

Hotel quarantine program off to rocky start; Ottawa updates accommodation list

As Canada’s hotel quarantine measure for international arrivals takes effect, reports of how awful the program is have surfaced as travellers scrambled over the weekend to secure their mandatory hotel booking.

What data informed Canada’s hotel quarantine decision? Health officials can’t say

Tory health critic MP Michelle Rempel Garner pressed health officials at a committee meeting on Friday (Feb. 19), asking for data that informed the government's decision to implement mandatory hotel quarantine stays for travellers. The question was met with a lot of silence.

"Mayday! Mayday!": Pilots release video to #SaveCanadianAviation; flight crew use billboards

The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) and Airline Division of CUPE have released video and billboard campaigns that call on the federal government to take urgent action and save Canadian aviation.

Their clients couldn’t travel. So these travel agents invented a game about travel

When COVID-19 brought the travel industry to a halt, travel advisors Rhonda Dashevsky and Kathryn Comeau-Wong invented a travel-inspired game that takes players around the world to relive travel adventures, dream about future trips and participate in fun challenges.

ACV launches webinar series covering Canada, cruise & group travel

Air Canada Vacations has launched a series of webinars that will provide travel advisors with the most up-to-date information on product lines while highlighting important updates. Learn how to book products with ease and take advantage of some great incentives, too!

Crystal mandates proof of COVID-19 vaccination for all guests

Crystal has announced that it will require proof of COVID-19 vaccination for all guests once its operations resume, adding to Crystal Clean+ protocols, including negative COVID-19 tests and health screening questionnaires.

RIU celebrates 20 years in Jamaica

RIU Hotels & Resorts celebrates its 20th anniversary in Jamaica and the company's commitment to the country has not stopped growing. Today it has six hotels in three different destinations (three in Montego Bay, two in Negril and one in Ocho Rios).

Travel agent commissions "are part of the discussions as we speak," says Minister Alghabra

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra confirmed on Thursday (Feb. 18) that travel agent commissions are part of Ottawa's negotiations with airlines as federal officials develop a financial aid package for the aviation industry. Meanwhile, advocacy efforts heat up in trade circles.

Hotel quarantine: Justice Centre sues federal government for "forcible confinement"

The Justice Centre has filed legal action against the federal government for what it says will forcibly confine Canadians returning from travel in hotels, at a high cost, even when they are in possession of a negative PCR test.

Transport Canada fines travellers for presenting bogus COVID-19 test results

Transport Canada has fined two air passengers $10,000 and $7,000 for presenting a false or misleading COVID-19 test and for making a false declaration about their health status.

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