By MARK OKRANT, NH Travel Guru
When government officials became aware of the severity of COVID-19 back in March of 2020, it marked a historic milestone. For the first time in nearly a century, the longest unfortified border in the world was closed to crossing traffic. As each nation’s government prepared to defend the health and welfare of its citizens, travel by land, water, and air slowed to a trickle.
As of April 1, fully vaccinated foreign travelers once again may enter the U.S. at ports of entry and ferry terminals by showing proof that they have been vaccinated. According to a security chief in the northern New England region, “When Canadians arrive at the border, we ask them for proof of vaccination. If they have proof, they may enter. If not, they’re on their way back to Canada.”
During the height of COVID, the Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce (MWVCC) stopped marketing to Canada, instead focusing on southern New England centers. Now, the impact of opening the northern border will be felt most by New Hampshire businesses in the Mount Washington Valley and Hampton Beach.
Michelle Cruz, assistant director of the MWVCC, indicated that area businesses hope Canadians will be responsible while they are here. Because the chamber—like everyone else—is toiling with workforce issues, Cruz recommends that all visitors, including Canadians, plan out their trips properly in advance. “People should know about businesses’ open times, make reservations . . . and please be kind to the help,” she added with a smile.
In order to protect its own citizens, Canada’s federal and provincial governments took steps two years ago to drastically limit contact between Canadian citizens and people from other nations. The absence of its principal (US) market was a terrible blow to the tourism industry and overall economy. Places as varied as British Columbia’s quiet Sunshine Coast, the world famous Niagara Falls, and smaller communities strung along the 5,525 mile-long international border were hard hit, as restaurants, gas stations, and other services lost tens of thousands of US customers for more than two years.
For the small number of people permitted to enter Canada, a PCR test was required 72 hours before arrival. Making things more difficult was the requirement that foreign visitors and returning residents remain in quarantine until it was determined that they tested negative for COVID-19. Finally, in February of this year, it was announced that the latest wave of COVID-19, driven by the Omicron variant, had passed its peak in Canada. In place of strict restrictions, the government announced it was time to move toward a more sustainable approach to management of the virus.
On March 1, Ontario eliminated capacity limits at all indoor public settings, and removed the proof of vaccination requirement. As a result, all accommodations, restaurants, casinos, and attractions were opened in Niagara Falls. Visitors will be happy to learn that capacity restrictions, need for vaccine IDs, and mask requirements will no longer be in effect. Beginning on April1, pre-entry tests were no longer required for fully vaccinated Canadian travelers to return to Canada.
Nationwide, there has been a collective sigh of relief emanating from Canada’s small border towns, many of which are among the most dependent upon visitors from northern New England, the states between New York and the Great Lakes region, and the Pacific Northwest. According to Dr. Frederick Dimanche, Director of Ryerson University’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, “Those small border towns have been desperate about reopening.”
While the path for returning to normalcy has taken more than two years, the governments on both sides of the border are confident they can welcome guests without concern that their citizens’ health and welfare will be compromised.
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Mark Okrant’s The Travel Guru column returns to InDepthNH.org following a three-year hiatus. Mark is professor emeritus of tourism management & policy at Plymouth State University, having spent more than four decades as a tourism educator and twenty-five years as research coordinator for the state’s division of travel and tourism development. He is a past president of the prestigious international Travel and Tourism Research Association, and the author of fifteen books. The innovative Kary Turnell Mystery Tour is centered around his nine New Hampshire-based whodunits.
