It’s confirmed: the land border between Canada and the United States will reopen on November 8. Want to take the road south? Here’s what you need to know to plan your trip well.
Long-awaited Canadian tourists
PHOTO ED JONES, FRANCE-PRESS AGENCY
Canadian tourists will be welcome in New York.
The US tourism industry applauds the news of the imminent reopening of land borders. After 19 months of famine, tourist boards in the northeastern United States say they are ready to welcome Canadian visitors. “We were waiting for him. Opening land borders is essential to get Canadians back to New York, ”said Christopher Heywood, vice president of communications for the New York Tourist Board.
PHOTO TIMOTHY A. CLARY, FRANCE-PRESSE AGENCY
The reopening of Broadway theaters signaled the return of the energy that characterizes New York.
The reopening of Broadway theaters in September was a key moment in his return to the bubbling energy that characterizes the city. “You will find the New York you once knew. There is a dynamism that we haven’t felt for some time and it is growing day by day. Canadians will experience a city reinvented with new attractions and patio dining we didn’t have before. ”
“The New Hampshire tourism industry has been eagerly awaiting this news for months,” replied Press Lori Harnois, director of the New Hampshire Tourist Board. “Canada is New Hampshire’s primary international market and is an integral part of the state’s tourism economy. The same goes for Massachusetts, which generally welcomes 700,000 Canadians a year, and Maine, which received 2 million in 2019.
“Canadian visitors will find that businesses in Maine have worked hard to provide a safe experience by following CDC security protocols [Centres pour le contrôle et la prévention des maladies des États-Unis] for accommodation, by requesting proof of testing or vaccination at the sites and by creating new outdoor dining options, ”said Maine Tourism Board director Steve Lyons.
Valérie Simard, Press
Neighboring states: champions of vaccination
PHOTO SARAH MONGEAU-BIRKETT, PRESS ARCHIVES
Almost 80% of Vermonters aged 18 and over are doubly vaccinated. Pictured is downtown Woodstock.
Residents of states bordering Quebec are among the best vaccinated in all of the United States. This is therefore very good for Quebeckers who want to take a short excursion by car or bus south of the border. No less than 80.1% of Vermonters aged 18 and over are doubly vaccinated; for Maine, it is 79.9%, and for Massachusetts, 79.1%. New York State is not far behind, with a vaccination rate of 76.2%. New Hampshire is dragging its feet a bit: with its motto Live Free or Die (“Live free or die”), the state has an immunization rate of 71.9%. However, we are very far from the bottom of the class, such as West Virginia (only 48.6% of adults aged 18 and over are adequately vaccinated) or Wyoming (52.3%).
The CDC provides access to immunization rates in all states in the United States. We can also see the number of cases per 100,000 population for each state, as well as the trend. Again, Vermont ranks well with 184 cases per 100,000 population during the second week of October. For New York State, we are talking about 176 cases. The situation is less favorable in New Hampshire (242 cases) and Maine (269 cases), but for both states, the trend is downward. And we are a long way from the 593 cases per 100,000 inhabitants of Montana.
Visit CDC’s website View detailed reports of COVID-19 cases by state
Marie Tison, Press
The key: getting informed and planning
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, PRESS ARCHIVES
Whether for hotels or outings, one word: reservations! Pictured: The Dream Hotel, New York.
To leave with peace of mind, there is no secret: you need to be informed, recalls Andrée-Ann Déry, spokesperson for CAA-Quebec. In particular, you must examine the health instructions in force in the places you plan to visit (reservations required, maximum number of participants allowed, etc.). “The key is to be organized at a minimum, to avoid headaches when you get there,” she says.
“You really have to plan the trip in advance,” says Heywood of the New York City Tourist Board. And book everything that is possible to book ”, including hotels, restaurants and, of course, shows.
CAA’s advice? Whatever you book, see the “little terms at the bottom of the page”. Hotels, attractions and other establishments have indeed added “more flexible terms” for cancellations or postponements. The spokesperson strongly advises all travelers to obtain cancellation insurance, as a new wave has arrived so quickly. “Take the time to inform yourself before each purchase. And if this whole task exhausts you and paralyzes you, don’t hesitate to hire a professional travel advisor to assist you. “For many, this may be their first trip since the pandemic […]. It may be worthwhile to seek help from a counselor for peace of mind. ”
Check out CAA’s Basic Travel Tips
Silvia Galipeau, with Valérie Simard, Press
By coach: step on the accelerator
PHOTO SCOTT EELLS, BLOOMBERG
New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, Chicago… so many destinations that were very popular for coach tours organized from Quebec
The announcement of the reopening of the Canada-US border was greeted with great enthusiasm by Quebec travel agencies offering guided bus tours to major American metropolises in the East. “We’re jubilant, we’ve been waiting for this news for 19 months and getting ready,” says Mathieu Angers, director of Tours America, a company for which these guided trips to the United States represent the lion’s share. “There is enthusiasm on the part of the customers, who call us. [Mercredi], we had several reservations for the United States. For Christmas packages, it’s madness, ”he says.
The same wind of optimism at Voyages Gendron, whose two coaches are ready to set off on the road to the country of Kerouac. “We are enthusiastic, the clientele will be there to go to New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, Chicago … It breathes life into international travel, it sends the message that it is possible », Indicates Marc-Olivier Gagné, director of digital development and marketing.
For those who used to travel by coach, the majority of companies are aiming for November 8 or the following days for their cross-border journeys to resume service, Busbud informs us. The digital ticket office, which brings together several coach services including Greyhound, NY Trailways, Flixbus and Quick Coach, expects trips from Montreal to be announced soon, particularly to New York and Boston. Once you are on the other side of the border, be aware that you may be there in the company of unvaccinated Americans; although wearing a mask is compulsory, some companies like Trailways do not require a vaccination passport to board their vehicles.
Sylvain Sarrazin and Léa Carrier, Press
Visit the Government of Canada’s travel website