Canada could introduce fees for incoming travellers
Posted December 11, 2013 10:18 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – The federal government is considering introducing a fee on travellers coming into Canada.
While it won’t apply to US citizens, it could have some interesting effects on the tourism industry.
“Where the fee is aimed is most likely going to have an effect on air travel, not on other kinds of travel. Cruise passengers will certainly feel it, but this is primarily going to affect air travellers,” says Josh Labove with SFU’s Department of Geography.
He says he doesn’t expect travel at the four major Lower Mainland border crossings to be affected if the fee goes forward.
Labove says the idea isn’t that far out of left field and doesn’t expect the fee itself to be that large.
“I would expect that the fee would be pretty small. That being said, the CIC already charges a fee on pretty much every kind of visa offered in Canada. The idea of charging a fee on visitors to Canada is not that crazy.”
He says it’s likely to streamline the visa process.
He says air travellers will have already spent a lot of money on tickets so they won’t balk at an extra fee.
Labove does say the move could have a negative effect on the cruise ship industry in BC and could hurt refugee claims coming into Canada.
