Airport fees choking Canadian tourism: BC Chamber of Commerce

Travel

If you ain’t got no money take your broke ass home!
                                                                                           – Ludakris

It’s always cheaper to fly from Vancouver to New York than to Toronto or Montreal.  Interprovincial travel is so expensive, many Canadians fly abroad rather than exploring their own country. Meanwhile, cash-strapped tourists will look past Canada when planning that annual holiday.

The penny has finally dropped with the BC Chamber of Commerce that Canada’s sky-high airport taxes serve as a barrier to tourism.

However, federal fees are only one factor behind the cost difference with U.S. flights, she said. A less competitive airline market, the number of flights and number of seats also affect competition.

Speaking of the less-competitive market, Air Canada is about to start charging for that first checked bag… just because it can.

Will those extra fees go towards a few Magic Erasers, maybe clean the cabins on more than an annual basis? Recalibrate the IFE systems so that tapping the buttons produces an effect? Just a few suggestions.

The BC Chamber of Commerce wants the province to reassert itself as a top-tier global destination. (I was unaware that Whistler was facing staffing gaps: as long as Australia exists, I figured that that wouldn’t be an issue.)

 

About Jordan

Jordan Matthew Yerman started writing during his third year of high school, where his teacher discouraged his use of the eff-word as "crude, unnecessary and uncouth". While attending UC San Diego for his degree in Political Science, Jordan picked up acting; he would later attend the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, living in the UK for four years before relocating to New York City. To get by, he has worked as a proofreader, model, technical consultant, HR trainer, sign-placer, sales director, crate stacker, bartender, photographer, real estate broker, and as an exhibit at the Bronx Museum. As an actor, Jordan has performed in the USA, England, Scotland, Germany, Belgium, and Netherlands, from stage to indie screen to voiceover, including London's West End. Jordan has been around the world 2 3/4 times. He currently lives in Vancouver and works in New Media; capital N, capital M. You can reach him via jordan at international jet trash dot com.