This was particularly eagerly awaited news by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada. The country will reopen its land border on August 9 for U.S. citizens fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and all of its borders on September 7 for foreign travelers, the government announced on Monday.
To enter Canada, travelers must have received two doses of a vaccine authorized by Health Canada at least 14 days before entering the country and be free of symptoms. The reopening of the Canada-US border on August 9 will be followed by the “reopening of our border to fully vaccinated travelers from any country provided they meet the conditions for entry,” said Dominic LeBlanc , the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs.
“An important step”
For the CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Perrin Beatty, this is “an important step” even though he fears that “the costly and administrative procedures discourage short trips and business trips” . For some provinces, such as Quebec, American tourists represent a significant portion of visitors. United Airlines also announced on Monday that it would offer more flights from the United States to Canada in September.
As of February 3, only the airports of Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver can accommodate international flights. As of August 9, airports in Halifax, Quebec City, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Edmonton will be able to resume receiving them. Canada closed its air borders on March 18, 2020 and then three days later its land border with the United States, the longest in the world.