ST. JOHN’S, NL –

Tourism sector officials in Newfoundland and Labrador say any path to recovery in 2021 will largely depend on easing travel restrictions.

The Prime Minister’s Tourism Advisory Council presented Prime Minister Andrew Furey with an 18-page interim report dated March 15th. The Prime Minister’s office shared the document with the media on Thursday.

The COVID-19 pandemic kept almost all visitors to Newfoundland and Labrador away in 2020, and the tourism and hospitality sectors suffered as a result. Many airlines disappeared due to a lack of demand, falling from a pre-pandemic level of 51 to 21 on March 15 (Sunwing announced a new seasonal service on Thursday to connect St. John’s, Gander and Stephenville to Toronto from June). .

At the top of the advisory board’s list of recommendations is the request to allow vaccinated Canadians to enter Newfoundland and Labrador. The report suggests they would need a pre-departure test 48 to 72 hours before traveling to the province.

She also wants people from provinces with a low number of active cases to be allowed entry without having to quarantine themselves for two weeks. There is already movement on that front, and all four Atlantic provinces will announce a plan on Thursday to bring the Atlantic bubble back with effect from April 19th.

These recommendations apply from April 10th to June 30th. Starting July 1 or earlier if conditions permit, the Advisory Board would like Newfoundland and Labrador to open their border to all Canadians.

Funding programs

The report urges the provincial government to step up federal government support programs to combat the financial fallout from the pandemic, including Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidies and Canadian Emergency Rent Subsidies. It also calls for collaboration between the Provincial Tourism Department and Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador on a number of issues. This includes an advertising campaign that gives tourism a face, consistent messaging on all advertising platforms and the creation of a central resource for exchanging information about operational changes.

The Advisory Board would like Hospitality NL to monitor the accredited opening plans for tourism companies. This plan would require tourism workers to have the COVID app on their mobile devices. The report also recommends resuming the Tourism Hospitality Support Program in 2021 and increasing its value to $ 30 million.

Reaction of the minister

Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation Minister Bernard Davis said the interim report would be released at exactly the right time.

“Right now it’s on a vaccination schedule … and we’re starting to vaccinate more and more Canadians, Newfoundlands and Labradorians,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the positive aspect that comes out of it – people’s ability to feel more comfortable in motion.”

In Newfoundland and Labrador, there are currently plans for all residents 18 and older who wish to be vaccinated to have their first dose before the end of June.

Davis said compliance with public health guidelines put the province in a good position.

“Now we want to make sure we can be opened up so that we can welcome these people when it is safe to do so based on consultation and a balanced approach with public health,” said Davis.

Davis’ department and Hospitality NL communicated regularly through tourism marketing, among other things. Although unwilling to speculate on a budget item, Davis said he saw a need to keep something similar to the Tourism Hospitality Support Program going for 2021.

The parties react

Paul Dinn, who is currently seeking re-election for the progressive conservatives in topsail paradise, said he appreciated the council’s commitment to a science-based approach to reopening the province to travelers.

“The timeline or the path they plan to take may be a bit ambitious for me,” he added. “But I’m not in the health sector. … I need the right people to work out a plan for when the best time is. “

Dinn agreed that there must continue to be a commitment to fund sector support at both state and federal levels. He also supported the council’s call for a more flexible and restructured version of the Tourism Hospitality Support Program that is scalable and takes into account the size of tourism businesses.

“This has been a problem for the government with many programs over the years, and it comes down to the flexibility to meet the unique and diverse needs of different industries and employers,” he said.

Alison Coffin, Chair of the NDP, noted that an outstanding group of people made good recommendations and that there is no doubt that the tourism industry is suffering and needs help.

However, she is wary of the dates that have been set as the timetables for opening the province.

“I am very reluctant to agree to these because I think such guidelines must come from the chief medical officer (from Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald),” said Coffin.

“I can really, really understand why the tourism industry needs a tough target so they can prepare and people can make their plans because of course you’re not planning a two week vacation in 48 hours. At the same time, we must put public health and safety first. It is therefore important to consider the recommendations of this committee and the assistance they will need. “

There is a delicate balance on how much the province can afford to boost the industry given its budgetary position, Coffin said.

“Through no fault of our own, the tourism industry is suffering right now and it’s such an important part of our history and such an important part of Newfoundland and Labrador that we can’t afford not to support it,” she said.

“Where will we find the money is a completely different question.”

Graydon Pelley, chairman of the Newfoundland and Labrador Alliance, said he was tired of Furey appointing task forces and external committees as prime minister.

Pelley said the recommendations were reasonable and could have been reached by officials from the tourism department who spoke to Hospitality NL and tourism operators.

“We didn’t need a task force to get our tourism up and running again,” he said, adding that the recommendations are basically asking the department to do its job.

“This wasn’t earth-shattering news today.”

When the province should open, Pelley said it had to be done and with uniform rules.

“Let’s open it – and we have no idea when we will be hit by another variant or whatever. Our numbers are steadily decreasing, which is fantastic. … The bottom line is I believe and I am confident that we can get this right, but consistency is key. “

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