by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:23 AM ET, Tue August 10, 2021
As fully vaccinated American travelers were once again permitted to enter Canada, reports from the land borders said the rush of tourists caused bottlenecks and long delays.
According to Reuters.com, government data from the Fort Frances, Ontario, and International Falls, Minnesota, crossing showed travelers experiencing wait times of up to seven hours, while other locations in Ontario and New Brunswick had wait times of three hours.
The Canadian government initially closed its borders to international visitors in March 2020 to combat the coronavirus outbreak, but the country finally reopened to fully vaccinated Americans on August 9.
All fully vaccinated international travelers will be allowed to enter Canada in early September.
U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President Tori Emerson Barnes issued a statement when the reopening announcement was made last month.
"Travel is a core component of the economy and job creation, and today's announcement will spur a rebound of both in Canada," Barnes said. "While we have stated that vaccines should not be a requirement for travel, we strongly encourage all Americans to get a vaccine, and we commend Canada for starting this process to restore border travel."
To meet the demand from Canada reopening to American travelers, Delta Air Lines is adding more than 1,000 seats from multiple U.S. hubs to Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal, as well as service to Winnipeg.
For a full look at what every American traveler needs to know before heading North of the Border, check out TravelPulse's Rich Thomaselli breaking down all the facts and information needed.
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