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Poll shows Canadians upset with international travellers

Last Updated Jan 14, 2021 at 7:30 pm MDT

CALGARY (660 NEWS) – A new poll shows Canadians who are sacrificing their own travel plans due to COVID-19 are fed up with their neighbours and politicians jetting off to international destinations.

The poll reflects the growing anger of Canadians, of which 70 per cent say have cancelled or put off international travel.

Joe Pavelka, a professor of ecotourism and outdoor leadership with Mount Royal University(MRU), says of course people are upset.

“There’s the who travel shaming element of why are you travelling when the rest of us are either not allowed to, or we’re not supposed to travel or it’s deemed unsafe to travel?”

He adds, even if you do get out of Canada, new rules requiring a negative test before boarding the return flight may leave you stuck.

“Whether you can get a test even if you’re willing to pay for it is going depend on what is going on in the country at that particular time and that is anyone’s guess.”

While nine in ten Canadians say travelling aboard may not be illegal, politicians, in particular, need to stay within the country.

That’s not surprising, says MRU political scientist Lori Williams.

“This smacks of elitism and that’s why it’s particularly hitting politicians, is because it looks like politicians are advantaged, they have more money, they have more stability, they have more job security, they don’t have to worry about their finances and they’re not even following the rules they themselves have set.”

“Regardless of what the data at the polls say today, preventing the problem for getting worse, managing both the health care and economic challenges of the pandemic more effectively, that’s going to lead to greater support down the road.”

Almost two-thirds of Canadians would favour a complete ban on all international travel of any kind in and out of Canada.