Whether you’ve already booked a vacation abroad or you’re planning to travel as soon as Canada’s global travel advisory is lifted, you may be wondering where in the world you are permitted to travel, what the restrictions are, if any, what the new health and safety protocols will be while both in transit and at your destination, whether you will be covered for COVID-19 with your travel insurance, and what the requirements will be on your return.
If your vacation is imminent, you may also be wondering whether you’ll actually be able to travel at all or what will happen should you contract COVID-19 while away.
In addition to the Government of Canada’s global travel advisories, each country has its own specific travel restrictions and requirements for anyone arriving to its destination, as well as health and safety protocols that must be followed by both travellers and anyone involved in providing travel and hospitality services.
If you’re not sure where to look for travel information regarding COVID-19, below are some of the best places to look for relevant information. This list is not exhaustive and may be updated from time to time.
Please note: At the time of writing, Canada has a global travel advisory that states to avoid all non-essential travel to all international destinations. This situation could change at any time, so it is best to check regularly as your departure date approaches.
1. A list of countries Canadians can travel to
If you’re champing at the bit to travel and wondering where, as a Canadian resident, you’re permitted to travel, one of the best places to look is the Canadian Travel and Tourism Round Table website.
There you can find a list of all the places you are permitted to travel both within Canada and internationally, as well as a brief description of restrictions.
To find information for travel within Canada, all you need to do, is enter your province of departure and your province of residence.
You’ll be presented with an interactive map of Canada showing all the provinces and territories you are permitted to travel to. If you click on a province or territory on the map you’ll see what’s open and if there are any restrictions for your province of residence and departure.
Below the map, you will find a list of European countries you are permitted to travel to.
If the destination you’re travelling to is in a different region, select the region from the drop down to see if you are permitted to travel there.
At the time of writing, the list had not been updated since August 04, 2020, so I would recommend, visiting the official tourist board website for your specific destination (see below).
2. General travel information and COVID-19 advisories for travel outside of Canada
If you plan to travel outside of Canada, the best place to check for general travel information, travel advisories for specific destinations, and COVID-19-related travel information, is the Government of Canada’s official travel website.
On their homepage, you will find links to various travel resources and information, including passports, air travel, travelling abroad, returning to Canada, and assistance abroad, as well as a link to their travel advisories page.
Since March 13, 2020, and until such time that it is removed, you will also immediately see their global travel advisory for COVID-19 that states “Avoid non-essential travel outside Canada until further notice.”
When you click through to their travel advisories page, you will find more COVID-19 related travel advisories followed by a list of all countries and the type of travel information you will find.
You can search for a specific country to find detailed information and travel advisories, as well as other potential health and safety risks, such as Zika virus. You’ll also find travel advisories for other potential risks including regional or country-wide terrorist attacks and weather related phenomena, such as a hurricane, that may impact your stay, and or your travel insurance coverage.
Until the global travel advisory for travel outside of Canada has been lifted, you will see the COVID-19 travel advisory information on every destination’s page overriding all other travel advisories except for those that recommend avoiding ALL travel to that destination.
3. Summary of COVID-19 health and safety measures undertaken within Canada as well answers to other questions for specific destinations
ACTA’s Book With A Travel Agent website has a tool to determine the risk level for travel to specific countries.
ACTA’s tool provides information of the COVID-19 situation in each country, the risk level, any entry restrictions, and other information such as whether you will need to quarantine or wear a mask, whether restaurants are open and if you can travel freely within the country.
All you have to do is enter the destination you wish to travel to and then select each icon to see the corresponding information for each criterion, such as border closures, airline entry, curfews etc.
The site also provides a summary of the health and safety measures that have been undertaken throughout the regulated provinces of Canada. You’ll find information on and links to Canadian airports, Canadian airlines, hospitality & lodgings, car rentals, public transport and rail.
4. COVID-19 Government Public Health Mitigation Measures for specific countries and territories
Another great resource is a web page on the IATA (International Air Transport Association) website which gives a general overview of specific COVID-19 Government Public Health Mitigation Measures.
This resource provides COVID-19 health and safety information, such as government policies, physical distancing, facemask and coverings, travel restrictions, health screening, health declarations, quarantine, contact tracing and COVID-19 testing, for each country in the world.
You’ll also find an interactive map where you can hover or click on a specific country or territory to see its details.
Or you can select a specific country or territory from the list below to see its details. (I find the map a little glitchy on my iPad, so it’s probably best viewed on a computer.)
At the bottom of the page you will also find links to other resources including an interactive COVID-19 travel regulations map, COVID-19 state and airport restrictions, and COVID-19 contingency related-differences.
5. Health and safety protocols and requirements for airports
This one’s a bit obvious, but just in case you hadn’t thought of it, I thought I’d better include it.
If you’re planning to travel from a specific airport, you know the airport you’ll arrive at, or you can’t decide which airport you’d prefer to fly from or to, the best place to learn the exact health and safety protocols they are implementing, as well as your own requirements, is the specific airport’s website.
Toronto Pearson airport, for example, has a comprehensive list of health and safety measures being implemented right from curb side through to departure.
6. Airline health and safety protocols, plus flight cancellations and schedule changes due to COVID-19
If you have already booked a trip that includes a flight, and you’re not sure of the health and safety protocols before and during your flight, or if there are schedule changes or cancellations due to COVID-19, you should be able to find this information on the airline’s website.
For instance, on the Air Canada homepage there is a link to their CleanCare+ program, where they provide information on their latest health and safety protocols and what will be required before and during your flight.
If you’re concerned that your flight may be cancelled or have a schedule change due to COVID-19, you should be able to find this information on the airline’s website or on their app if you have downloaded it to your phone.
If you have a frequent flyer card with the airline and or a flight confirmation number, you can use either of these to pull up the relevant information. Once logged in to your account or after entering your flight confirmation number, all your flight details should be available.
You should also receive alerts regarding your specific flight, if there is a change in schedule or if the flight is cancelled, either by email or by text (depending on your preferences).
If you’re uncomfortable travelling during this time of COVID-19, and your flight or vacation package has not yet been cancelled, check with your travel agent or directly with the airline, to see what kind of compensation you might receive should you wish to cancel voluntarily.
7. Detailed health and safety protocols for specific destinations
If you have a specific destination in mind for future travel or have already booked travel to a specific destination, the best place to look for this information is the destination’s official tourism website or their government’s official travel website.
When it comes to COVID-19, many destinations, such as Saint Lucia and Hawaii, have stringent health and safety protocols and/or travel restrictions in place, including all travellers entering the country having to quarantine for 14 days or staying on resort during their entire stay. Some may also have exemptions for travellers from specific countries of origin.
Some countries require that you take a test within seven days of arriving and show proof that your test was negative before you enter the country. Others require that you take the test on arrival and again seven days later, while others may only require you wear a mask and physically distance in public spaces.
You’ll also get an idea of how safe your stay will be at the destination and how you can recognize a certified resort or tour operator, i.e. one that has implemented health and safety protocols according to the government and/or tourism board’s guides.
8. Information on travel insurance coverage for COVID-19
When it comes to travelling out of country, or even out of province within Canada, it is always highly recommended that you purchase emergency hospital and medical travel insurance to cover you for unseen medical emergencies. It is also usually a good idea to purchase trip cancellation insurance for any non-refundable components of your trip and, especially in today’s climate, to include CFAR (cancel for any reason) so your investment is protected.
However, travel insurance does not cover everything, so prior to booking a trip and purchasing travel insurance, you should check the policy to ensure you will be covered for COVID-19 (even if you already received a quote) as many travel insurance companies stopped covering this when it became a known pandemic.
Some airlines, resorts and tour operators are now offering their own complimentary COVID-19 travel insurance with bookings which you will find on their websites.
Before booking, check the policy to ensure it covers you for what you think it will and that the effective dates include the dates of your trip.
If you had already booked a trip and purchased travel insurance before the COVID-19 pandemic became a known-event (March 13, 2020), you should contact your travel insurance company now and then again closer to your departure date.
Confirm that your policy has not changed and check whether you are covered for COVID-19 as well as any other known risks and travel advisories for your specific destination, such as an imminent hurricane.
9. Health and safety protocols for specific resorts, lodgings and restaurants at your destination
Many resorts, hotels, restaurants and other hospitality service providers in popular tourist destinations, such as Saint Lucia and Saint Kitts & Nevis, as well as non-tourist areas, have implemented several protocols to ensure the health and safety of their guests and their own inhabitants.
These health and safety protocols are often mandated by the government and/or tourism board in some destinations in order for them to open to travellers again while in others, it may be voluntary.
To check whether a resort is implementing health and safety protocols, and for your own comfort and confidence, you can visit their website, where they will list all their health and safety measures and, where applicable, display a badge to indicate that they have been certified by the tourism board or relevant hospitality association.
If they don’t have a website, you can check to see if they are listed on the destination’s tourism board’s website or hospitality association’s website.
10. Health and safety protocols implemented by specific tour operators and cruise lines
If you are planning a trip with a tour operator, such as G Adventures or Trafalgar, many will have implemented their own health and safety protocols in order to resume travel again and to ensure the safety of their guests.
These health and safety protocols can range from reduced travel numbers, spaced seating on board private buses, sanitizing transportation and all equipment used by guests before, during and after use, to providing individual rooms at a reduced rate or with low or no single supplement for each guest.
Similarly, river cruise companies, such as AmaWaterways and Uniworld, have implemented their own health and safety protocols to ensure the safety of their guests.
These include (but are not limited to) the wearing of masks by all staff, sanitization of all public areas and equipment used by guests, smaller numbers on board, the addition of Perspex partitions between table seatings, the removal of self-serve buffets, and providing complimentary in room service.
If you have booked a land tour or a river cruise and you’re not sure what health and safety protocols they have in place, and your own requirements, the best place to look for information is on the supplier’s website.
It is also a good idea to check the company’s health and safety protocols, requirements and cancellation policies before booking a tour or a river cruise.
I should also mention that many ocean cruise lines are implementing health and safety measures, and that you should check before booking or embarking on an already-booked cruise, to ensure they are implementing the most stringent health and safety protocols.
11. COVID-19 information for consumers you have booked travel with an Ontario registered travel agent, website or tour operator.
If you have booked travel with an Ontario registered travel agent, website or tour operator, and one or more components of your travel arrangements have been cancelled due to COVID-19, you can find information on your rights as a consumer on the TICO website.
12. Resources and answers to your concerns and questions about booking future travel
If you have concerns and questions about booking future travel, a great resource is, of course, your travel agent. The above resources are just a few of the places you can look for COVID-19 health and safety protocols and travel information. However, there are a ton more resources out there and the information is constantly changing or being updated.
While I may not always know the answer to your specific question or concern off the top of my head, through my host agency, I have access to a huge list of COVID-19 resources, too many to list here, as well as a fantastic support staff, that I can use to find the answer.
If you are not working with another travel agent and cannot find what you’re looking for, or need help with a future booking and travel insurance, please contact me as I would be glad to help.
Direct: 519-716-6529
Email: karen@kazcustomtravel.ca
Web: KazCustomTravel.ca
Kaz Custom Travel is affiliated with Travel Professionals International.
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Credits:
Created with images by Sergey Pesterev - "Canada, Alberta. National park Banff." • Cassidy Kelley - "Black Budir church in Iceland on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula" • Justin McCloskey - "Machu Picchu" • Nick Sarvari - "Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas Entering the Milford Sound Fiord in New Zealand” and various other images from Pixabay.