Canadians spend far more money traveling to other countries than foreign visitors spend visiting Canada and this has long irked government.
Canada is a big time loser when it comes to tourism. Every dollar you spend in Cancun, Old Orchard Beach and New York City is a dollar lost to Canada's economy, escaping the government GST/PST tax grab. The money foreign tourists spend in Canada comes nowhere close to replacing that lost revenue.
Canada's travel deficit ballooned in recent years to $17 billions at last count, as Canadians spent $37.5 billion abroad while foreigners visiting Canada spent $20.5 billion in 2015, the last time anybody reported on it. Canada's mainstream media would report on the travel deficit once every few years but data is now scarce and Statscan does not have it listed on its site.
Quebec alone had a fast-growing tourism deficit of $3 billion per year in 2012 and it's safe to assume that it grew considerably until elected officials manufactured new rules based on covid fear, which banned or discouraged - and even shamed - Canadians from leaving Canada and spending their money elsewhere.
Even after the biggest covid panic ended, the Trudeau regime issued an order in late 2021 advising Canadians to "avoid non-essential travel outside of Canada." The recommendation was sparked by the rise of the omicron covid variant, which is considerably milder than its predecessors and does not enter lung tissues. Foreign governments overwhelmingly recognize omicron as a reason to end restrictions but Canada's federal government used it to increase covid mandates.
The same Trudeau regime now has legislation in the works to control how Canadians use the internet, which could also employed used to discourage Canadians away from being tempted into trips outside of the country.
Statscan reports that spending by foreigners within Canada diminished from between 67 percent to 75 percent between 2020 to 2022. Statscan does not report how much Canadians spent abroad in 2022 but it's clearly only a tiny fraction of what they would have spent if free to travel as they wished.
Tourism to Canada diminished greatly after 2009 when Americans were required to show a passport upon arriving in Canada. Quebec alone lost 900,000 annual tourism visits between 2005 and 2015.
You wrote: "Foreign governments overwhelmingly recognize omicron as a reason to end restrictions but Canada's federal government used it to increase covid mandates.".
ReplyDeleteThe omicron variant (and its ongoing offshoots) continue to ravage China and other overseas countries and there is no end in sight despite our impatience. Viruses don't care.
Thanks to Canada's responsible covid mandates, we are in much better shape than most of the world, particularly countries which end mandates too soon. I have no patience with people who, although understandably being fed up wearing masks (aren't we all?), are either (still!) in denial over their vulnerability or think they have the "right" to endanger others by not following basic guidelines.
Furthermore, from what I've seen, children evidently have been more tolerant with mask-wearing than have adults. I've yet to see groups of schoolkids cutting classes en masse to demonstrate against health mandates. Apparently they are able to think and act more responsibly. Good for them, as it portents better behaviour when they themselves are adults facing the next pandemic.
As for foreign travel, Canada's long winters will always induce people to seek warmer climes, even if only for a couple of weeks, and if they have enough disposable income to do so, why shouldn't they? Remember, too, that our local travel agencies and airlines rake in money for every trip taken, not to mention the added taxes.
I very much doubt the "Trudeau regime" (as you put it) intends to block travel websites or foreign news sites which routinely contain stories about their local attractions in order to discourage Canadians from leaving the country. Might we soon have no choice but to purchase VPN services in order to circumvent such anti-democratic, online restrictions like what is occurring in China, North Korea, Iran, and many others?
Be glad that Canada will soon have local vaccine manufacturing facilities, thereby enabling quick access to treatment and reduced hospital overload.