Following the federal election on 20SEP, ACTA says it looks forward to working with the newly-elected Liberal minority government - holding the party to its promise to introduce a new wage and rent subsidy program for hardest-hit businesses.
ACTA says it was "pleased" to confirm prior to the election that travel agencies will be eligible for these programs. ACTA will urge government to act quickly on this promise and ensure broad program rules to ensure no eligible business is left behind.
“Of critical importance is the survival of the hardest-hit businesses. Tourism businesses, including travel agencies, travel agents and independent travel agents, continue to experience severe impacts on revenue resulting from government travel restrictions and advisories,” said Wendy Paradis, ACTA president.
“With nearly two years of little to no revenue, many travel agencies and independent travel agents are facing immediate challenges to their continued operations. There is an urgent need for continued wage, rent, and CRB-type financial support for hardest-hit tourism businesses so they can survive to see recovery,” she added.
Support Needed for IC's
ACTA points out that thousands of independent travel agents across Canada have relied on CRB for survival during the pandemic - and that the risk to that large sector of travel professionals is dire.
“If independent travel agents are not included in the platform promise, government must introduce a new program that is like the CRB targeted to hardest-hit persons in the tourism sector,” said Paradis.
“ACTA will get to work immediately to advocate for this urgent need.”
But the organization is warning not to expect quick results from the newly-formed government. Paradis advises its members that new governments take a few weeks post-election to get up and running again.
“We hope there won’t be delays," she said. "This is a unique situation – there’s a global pandemic and wave 4 is hitting Canada. Extended financial support of travel agencies, travel agents and independent travel agents is urgent with current program expiry dates looming. We urge the new government to act quickly.”
