Canadians Keep Taking Vacations Abroad During The Pandemic Against Official Advice

Despite repeated advice from Canada’s federal officials, it appears many Canadians continue to take vacations abroad during COVID-19.

According to a new report from CBC News, Canadian airlines operated more than 1,500 flights between Canada and popular vacation destinations between October 1, 2020, and January 16, 2021.

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1,516  Flights from Canada to vacation destinations

This figure did not include any cancelled flights.

The most popular places Canadians were visiting during this period included Montego Bay, Jamaica, and Cancun, Mexico.

According to CBC’s report, while there was a drop in air travel in spring last year, air traffic from Canada’s airports to Mexico and the Caribbean is now rebounding.

There is no outright travel ban in place right now, but Canada’s government has stated on multiple occasions that non-essential travel is not permitted.

There are no specific rules in place to explain what counts as essential travel, but Justin Trudeau has repeated that the country’s travel advice is “very clear.”

As Canadians, including politicians, continue to take discretionary trips overseas, the prime minister has admitted that the government is “always open” to making the current travel rules stricter.