(Montreal) Travel agencies are seeing a surge in overseas bookings as March Break approaches, but whether they soar will depend on how much the federal government eases drug testing rules. COVID-19, says the airline industry.
Posted at 2:09 p.m.
Bookings to sun destinations through Tripcentral.ca are now over 50% of their pre-pandemic levels, with a slight increase over the weekend as word spread about a possible reduction in testing requirements, a observed President Richard Vanderlubbe.
The calls follow one another so quickly that Mr. Vanderlubbe says he has difficulty hiring enough employees to handle them, in an environment where new reservations following canceled flights make discussions with customer service particularly long.
Allison Wallace, a spokeswoman for Flight Centre, said confidence in travel safety is growing because about 80% of Canadians are now double-vaccinated.
While bookings for next month remain at 40% of pre-pandemic levels, the number of departures has increased more than eight times from a year earlier, when Canadian airlines suspended flights to sun destinations.
Ottawa continues to mandate pre-departure and return molecular testing, even as airlines and infectious disease specialists call for an end to travel testing and countries like the UK scrap requirements for vaccinated passengers.