Planning a Canada Visit With Border Open? Here’s What to Expect

GettyAfter 17 months of forced separation, Canada will begin welcoming back vaccinated Americans on Aug. 9th. (For the moment, the U.S. does not plan to reciprocate until at least Aug. 21) The country will reopen to fully vaccinated travelers of all other nationalities on Sept. 7th.Though the news has been met with trepidation from some who fret that Americans may increase cases of the Delta variant, many, particularly in the border towns, are elated. Marg Harding, a city councillor in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, a town of 4,400 bordering the state of Maine, told The Globe and Mail that an upswing in visitors would inject new life into the town. “We’re the gateway … people stop and shop here,” she said. “Any business in town here could benefit.” She hopes case numbers will remain low in her province, “but we certainly want to see our American friends again.”Indeed. The U.S. tourism market is huge for Canada. Tourists from the U.S. spend almost as much money in Canada as foreigners from all other countries combined. In 2018, for instance, American visitors spent $10.6 billion, while tourists from other countries, together, disbursed $11.3 billion.Read more at The Daily Beast.
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