VICTORIA – A coalition of British Columbia tourism groups urges the provincial government not to pursue plans to ban domestic travel to contain the spread of COVID-19.
VICTORIA – A coalition of British Columbia tourism groups urges the provincial government not to pursue plans to ban domestic travel to contain the spread of COVID-19.
The coalition of Vancouver, Richmond and Greater Victoria tourism and accommodation associations says the government must move away from an outright ban and instead work with industry and communities to better educate travelers about health and safety protocols.
Vivek Sharma, chairman of the Tourism Industry Association of BC, says a non-essential travel ban would heighten unnecessary fears and misperceptions about visitors and further cripple the already ailing sector.
Prime Minister John Horgan said earlier this week his administration was seeking legal advice on whether this could restrict travel between provinces.
Sharma said the association has a legal view that a travel ban would be difficult to enforce due to Canada’s mobility rights regulations, but the industry is not looking for a legal confrontation with the province.
Sharma says the spread of COVID-19 is not tied to where people live, but how they behave.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on January 16, 2021.
The Canadian press
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