Strange days indeed: The travel ban’s still in place, but the phones are ringing again

TORONTO — Getting rid of quarantine measures for fully vaccinated travellers eliminates a major stumbling block to travel’s restart.

The non-essential travel ban is still in place, so Canadians are still cautious about booking travel for the immediate future.

But travel for later in 2021, and into 2022? Tour operators and travel agents say the phones are ringing and bookings are coming in at a good clip for fall and winter 2021, and 2022.…

…Collette is also seeing an uptick. Almost all the new bookings are for 2022 and 2023. “We have dates available through May 31, 2023,” says Collette’s General Manager, Brett Walker.

Sales of Collette’s cancel for any reason waiver have skyrocketed, Walker added, from a 36% buy-rate pre-pandemic, to 62% now. “It’s been climbing consistently,” he says. “Our waiver allows guests to cancel at any point, up to 24 hours prior to departure and receive a full cash refund and Collette made good on that promise throughout the pandemic.”

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