Toronto's tourism industry could lose another 'critical' summer to COVID-19 pandemic, industry leaders say

The iconic Toronto sign is seen in this undated file photo. (AP / Rebecca Blackwell)

TORONTO -

Leaders from Toronto’s tourism sector are warning that their businesses are now at risk of losing another summer to the COVID-19 pandemic due to the federal government’s refusal to clearly articulate a plan for the resumption of international travel into Canada.

Representatives from Ripley’s Aquarium, Mirvish Productions, Hilton Hotels and the Toronto Region Board of Trade held a press conference on Tuesday morning to express renewed concerns about the impact that the ongoing restrictions are having on businesses that rely on tourists.

John Karastamatis, who is the director of sales and marketing at Mirvish Productions, told reporters that in the summertime at least 50 per cent of audiences at Mirvish’s four downtown theatres are visitors from the U.S.

He said that given the amount of revenue derived from tourists, it is likely that Mirvish will not be able to resume operations until international travel into Canada resumes. The problem, he said, is that businesses like his need significant lead time to bring shows to the stage and so far the federal government hasn’t provided any formal indication of when tourists might be able to pack theatres once again.

“We all agree that the public health is the first thing that we have to worry about. But at the same time, we need to know where we stand,” he said.

“We're not in a position to be able to open at a moment's notice. We have to rehearse everybody, we have to get everything ready. So we need a reopening plan that will include international travel because without the international travelers our audiences will not be big enough. Our local audiences cannot support what we do and what others do alone.”

The Canada-U.S. land border has been closed to non-essential travel since March 2020, though there has been escalating pressure in recent months to loosen restrictions amid a decline in case counts.

The federal government has said that fully vaccinated Canadians will be able to forgo a mandatory 14-day quarantine after returning from abroad as of July 5 but it has not yet rolled out similar measures for international travellers.

It has also refused to say whether it will extend the closure of the Canada-U.S. land border after the current order expires on July 21.

During Tuesday’s news conference Vito Curalli, who is the executive director of Canada, Latin America and international sales for Hilton Worldwide, accused the federal government of leaving businesses like his “completely in the dark” as they embark up what could be a pivotal summer season.

He said that Canadians and Canadian companies deserve a “comprehensive national plan to reopen our economy” and that should include allowances for the resumption of international travel.

“Canada cannot afford to be left behind as other countries around the world begin to reopen. Without immediate corrective measures, Toronto's vibrant tourism industry is at risk of witnessing another critical summer travel season lost to the pandemic. This puts people's livelihoods in jeopardy,” he said.

“Fully vaccinated travelers should be afforded the same opportunities as fully vaccinated Canadians, regardless of their nationalities, and that includes being able to travel here to Canada. By allowing Canadians to travel internationally while prohibiting fully vaccinated foreign travelers from entering into our country the government has significantly disadvantaged Canadian businesses that need a successful summer travel season to survive.”

Most indoor tourist attractions, including museums, aquariums and art galleries, will not be permitted to reopen until Ontario enters Step Three of its reopening plan.

But it remains unclear what impact the ongoing restrictions on travel could have on those businesses, some of which have now been closed for the better part of 16 months.

“Right now fully vaccinated Americans are making decisions on when they will spend their vacations this summer, and most importantly, where they will be spending their dollars. We need them to know that the U.S.-Canada border will be open in time for them to spend their vacations here,” Tourism Industry Association of Ontario President Christopher Bloore told reporters.

“You simply can't restart our provincial and national economy without a thriving tourism industry and for that to happen we need a plan to reopen the border and we need that plan today.”