According to economists, Canada’s travel industry is down 177,000 workers.
The long airport queues making headlines across the country aren’t the only proof that travellers are returning to Canadian destinations with extra enthusiasm this summer.
In a recent economic outlook report authored by RBC economist Claire Fan, the economist noted that passenger traffic at Canadian airports was, as of May, still running 30 per cent below 2019 levels. “But our own tracking of debit and credit card transactions points to a surge in trip bookings, with purchases of flights and hotels (which often predate actual travel activity) booming back above pre-pandemic levels by mid-March,” she wrote.
The issue? Like airlines and airport security, the tourism industry is struggling to keep staffing levels high enough to meet that pent-up demand.
As demand for travel continues to power through the “inflationary pressures” currently impacting the economy, according to Fan, “the…