N.B. bus tour operator delays U.S. travel even with border opening in November
Global News
Tour operators from New Brunswick find that many of their clients are still too apprehensive to travel south to the U.S., even with the border opening Nov. 8.
People working in the travel industry in New Brunswick say many travellers are still apprehensive about making trips to the United States even though land borders are opening to Canadians next month.
Linda and Doug Burgess, of Riverview, N.B., own Burgess Tours, a bus tour company that they have been running together for the past 20 years. The couple is planning a bus trip to Myrtle Beach — but it won’t be until next spring, Linda Burgess said.
There is still some hesitancy, Burgess said. “The United States is not at the level that Canada is with vaccination rates, so that is kind of scary for us right now.”
The White House announced on Friday that Canadians will be able to travel by land across the U.S. border for leisure trips, effective Nov. 8.
But Burgess said that many of her clients, who are primarily seniors, are still too apprehensive to travel south of the border.
“We only have a certain number of those people who are willing to travel right now, so that cuts your numbers way back,” she said. That means not enough clients are interested to make trips to the U.S. profitable right now.
Some clients are even backing out of their inter Maritime trips due to a rise in cases here at home, said Doug Burgess.
“Once the cases started getting higher, people were getting scared and would cancel,” he said.