ACTA Needs Independent Travel Agents to Share their Stories

It has been far too long since the last direct financial support for Canada’s independent travel agents, a segment that remains one of the hardest-hit groups of entrepreneurs in the Canadian economy.

To help, the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies is launching an advocacy campaign that it hopes will bring light to how the pandemic has affected independent agents, in order to highlight why immediate financial support is needed.

Through the web link, agents can record videos of themselves sharing their personal stories and how the pandemic affected their businesses. The plan is for ACTA to share the videos on social media and directly with policymakers in order to sway support for the cause.

“ACTA continues to lobby and advocate for independent travel agent financial support, including with senior political and government officials,” said Wendy Paradis, ACTA President.

In the meantime, ACTA is continuing to push for a response to Independent Travel Agent Relief Program (ITARP), its program that was submitted to the federal government in late December. According to ACTA, the program is still “under consideration.”

“It is disappointing that financial support has not yet materialized, especially at a time of such dire need,” said Paradis. “Our continued engagement and lobbying of government continues and ACTA calls for immediate and equitable financial support for independent travel agents.”