TORONTO — With its latest survey ACTA is inviting all travel agency owners and independent travel agents to respond with crucial information needed to continue ACTA’s advocacy efforts with the federal government.

The data shapes ACTA’s messaging and guides what ACTA asks of the federal government, says Wendy Paradis, President, ACTA.

The federal government’s lifeline for many independent agents, CRB, ended Oct. 23.

Now the federal government is making decisions on the Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program and the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit, says Paradis.

Both programs were announced last month by Deputy Minister Chrystia Freeland.

“By providing this data now, we can help shape the policy outcomes of these financial aid programs in a way that supports our sector best,” says Paradis.

This latest survey follows up on a similar poll from ACTA in June 2021, and aims to update that data along with new questions for independent travel agents.

Paradis says it is critical that ACTA has as many accurate responses as possible “and we are asking the industry to take the time to complete the survey as soon as possible. We urge all travel agency owners and independent travel agents to complete it.”

She adds: “Along with our intense advocacy efforts around the easing of excessive travel restrictions including the pre-departure molecular COVID-19 test and the blanket ‘avoid all cruise travel outside Canada’ advisory, we remain highly focused on securing maximum financial support for travel agencies and Independent travel agents to help them survive and recover from the pandemic,” says Paradis.

“ACTA continues to work at the highest level within the Ministry of Finance and they require new and up-to-date data to support our advocacy work,” says Paradis. “Higher quality data means we get more attention from decision makers.”

Click here for the survey, which is open to responses until Tuesday, November 16.