As Atlantic schools head to March break — what has always been a popular week for families to get away — travel disrupted by the COVID pandemic is finally making a rebound.
One Nova Scotia family is looking forward to a long-awaited trip.
Back in March 2020, Gina Bright was getting ready to fly to Flordia with her family to go to Disney World – she was among the thousands who cancelled their trip when the COVID-19 pandemic was declared.
“We were supposed to depart March 15, 2020,” said Bright, from Lower Sackville. “We were watching the news leading up to that and sadly on March 12 the world got shut down, so we were pretty devastated.”
Two years later, her family is finally going on the trip. With a bit more planning and preparation as COVID-19 continues, they are ready to fly out of Halifax on Sunday.
“We’re so excited,” Bright said.
This is the first time in two years that March break is happening without recommendations against non-essential travel in effect.
With restrictions easing across the country, travel agents say they’re seeing a real bounce-back this year.
“This year is almost starting to feel somewhat normal,” said Amanda Carter, a travel agent with Travel Professionals International.
“Two years ago was complete mayhem, full of cancellations. Last year nothing, we had not one person travel. This year seems like we’re back on the road for recovery.”
Carter says it’s been a quick change. While 2022 was expected to be a chance for travel to return, the Omicron virus created lots of uncertainty and the start of the year brought very little travel. She says lots of people were cancelling planned vacations in January, but as restrictions have begun to ease at home and abroad since, there’s been a spike in demand for vacations.
“Everyone just wants to get out of here,” said Carter.
The increase in travellers is being noticed at the Halifax Airport, which for the first time in two years has reopened its Park’N Fly lot.
“There’s already cars parked over there, so we know the community is very excited to have that service back,” said Leah Batstone, a spokesperson for the Halifax International Airport Authority.
While demand is on the rise, travel itself is different from before the pandemic – especially international travel. Anyone flying in Canada is required to show proof of full vaccination before boarding a plane. Depending on where travellers are going they may also be required to show proof of a negative PCR test, or rapid antigen test.
To come back to Canada travellers must show proof of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours ahead of their departure time, or a rapid antigen test the day before their flight home.
Carter says it’s important for travellers to understand these requirements and she notes the rapid test cannot simply be an at-home test.
“You do need an actual accredited test to get back in, you need some paper – some proof.”
While many jurisdictions are easing restrictions, including Nova Scotia which is set to remove all COVID regulations on March 21, air travel is federally regulated so masks will still be required in airports and on planes even if there are no requirements in that province.
Loosened restrictions aside, the pandemic isn’t over and Carter warns that contracting COVID-19 while travelling is still a very real possibility.
“I’ve had several people in destination with COVID,” said Carter, which is why she says travel insurance is more important now than ever before.
Even with all the extra planning and rules around COVID travel, many people like Bright and her family have decided it’s worth it.
“Whatever happens in Disney, whatever. We’ve got COVID insurance. If someone is positive at the end of our trip, well I guess well just stay an extra week or two,” she said.
“Family is extremely important, making memories is extremely important and we haven’t been away since 2018 and haven’t been away as a family since 2016.”