President’s Message – February: A Month of Contrast, Momentum and Advocacy

February has been a month of contrast for our industry — marked by strong momentum and meaningful progress, alongside significant geopolitical and operational challenges. Together, these developments highlight both the resilience of Canada’s travel agencies and travel advisors and the importance of focused, consistent advocacy on your behalf.

Advocacy in Action: Cuba and Mexico

ACTA has been actively engaged with suppliers and government stakeholders regarding commission protection, commercial stability, and fair treatment of travel agencies and travel advisors following two significant developments: the full withdrawal of airlines and tour operators from Cuba, and the operational disruptions resulting from the February 22 violence in Mexico that led to flight cancellations.

For Cuba, the full withdrawal of airlines and tour operators created immediate and significant financial pressure for travel agencies and travel advisors, in addition to widespread disruption for travellers. The scale of cancellations and re-accommodations required substantial time, resources, and client management, placing meaningful financial and operational strain across the travel agency and travel advisor community.

For Mexico, travel agencies and travel advisors were required to manage urgent cancellations and complex rebookings following the February 22 violence that resulted in flight cancellations in Puerto Vallarta (PVR). These sudden disruptions — occurring while airlines and suppliers themselves were working with limited information in a fluid and rapidly evolving situation — meant that, as an industry, we were often navigating the same uncertainty, creating a considerable administrative impact as you worked swiftly to support affected travellers and secure suitable alternatives. Commission protection continues to be one of ACTA’s seven Advocacy Asks however, the outcome did not fully reflect what ACTA had requested.

While recognizing the operational and commercial realities across the industry, through our ongoing advocacy efforts, ACTA continues to press for other forms of recognition and support. We have requested recognition for the substantial administrative work undertaken by travel agency and travel advisors during these large-scale disruptions.

Please know that our commitment to advocating on behalf of travel agencies and travel advisors remains unwavering.

Federal and Provincial Advocacy

In early February, I met with the President and Chair of the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) to highlight the essential role travel agencies and travel advisors play in supporting consumers, and to reinforce the need for fair, transparent consumer protection frameworks and the removal of interprovincial barriers that limit the seamless sale of travel insurance across Canada.

Reducing these barriers would allow travel agencies and travel advisors to better serve travellers by ensuring they have access to appropriate travel insurance coverage when things do not go as planned. With approximately 89,000 complaints currently before the Canadian Transportation Agency under the federal Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR), improving access to travel insurance at the point of sale represents a meaningful opportunity to help mitigate disputes before they escalate.

ACTA also participated in Ontario’s consultation on its Proposed Approach to Implementing Mutual Recognition and submitted a formal position on February 12, 2026, supporting the removal of interprovincial barriers and mutual recognition of credentials to enable the seamless sale of travel insurance across Canada.

This is a meaningful opportunity to reduce red tape and allow travel agencies and travel advisors to focus less on duplicative licensing requirements and more on serving and protecting travellers.

As one ACTA member shared, “The amount of work and red tape we go through on a daily basis in the travel business is suffocating and time consuming. Streamlining these processes would allow us to focus more on our customers’ needs.”

Mutual recognition offers a practical path forward — reducing duplication while maintaining appropriate oversight — and will help ensure travel agencies and travel advisors can better serve travellers wherever they live in Canada.

Other Industry Updates

Recent weeks have also brought a series of external developments impacting travel operations. Canadian airports including Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto issued advisories regarding the temporary suspension of NEXUS and Global Entry pre-clearance services due to a partial U.S. government shutdown. These trusted traveller programs normally provide expedited U.S. Customs and Border Protection processing. Their suspension has resulted in longer processing times and the need for travellers to allow additional time when clearing security and U.S. pre-clearance.

Members were also advised of changes to the United Kingdom’s ETA program, with requirements & enforcement for British dual citizens - effective 25 February 2026. Under the expanded scheme, eligible visa-exempt travellers will require a pre-approved ETA prior to travel to the UK, while British and Irish dual citizens must instead travel with a valid British or Irish passport, or a passport containing a certificate of entitlement to confirm their citizenship.

While outside the control of travel agencies and travel advisors, these developments are another reminder of how quickly external factors can impact the travel experience — and why your role in guiding and supporting clients remains indispensable.

ACTA also alerted members to a growing industry concern and issued a fraud alert regarding the unauthorized use of agency IATA credentials and NDC access. ACTA acted immediately upon becoming aware of incidents involving attempted misuse and notified the World Travel Agents Associations Alliance (WTAAA) so this warning could be extended globally. We encourage all travel agencies and travel advisors to review internal security protocols, monitor access carefully, and report any suspicious activity to relevant partners.

Professional Development and Member Opportunities

Amid these challenges, we are also seeing strong momentum across the ACTA community. Our Referral Program continues to gain traction, highlighted by the opportunity to win an extraordinary expedition cruise with Aurora Expeditions. Running until August 31, 2026, the program encourages industry professionals to join, renew, refer, and certify — earning ballots toward the exclusive Grand Prize Draw with every qualifying action. Your participation helps strengthen ACTA — your national travel trade association and the collective voice for Canada’s travel agencies and travel advisors.

We are also pleased to confirm that the special host agency membership rate of $61 has been extended through the end of March, providing additional time for eligible advisors to access ACTA membership at preferred pricing.

We were proud to announce ACTA’s International Destination Conference in Japan — an immersive global experience that reflects the professionalism, strength, and evolution of Canada’s travel advisors. Additional international opportunities will be unveiled in March, reinforcing our commitment to delivering meaningful global engagement and professional growth for our members. In response to your feedback, ACTA introduced its Certified Travel Counsellor (CTC) and Certified Travel Manager (CTM) conversion pathway to recognize foreign credentials and professional experience. This optional pathway reduces duplication, removes barriers, and maintains the integrity and value of ACTA’s designations while supporting the continued growth of Canada’s professional CTC/CTM community. We look forward to connecting with many of you at our upcoming Educational Roundtables in Ottawa, Montreal, and Halifax which are taking place in March and April. These sessions provide valuable opportunities for dialogue, collaboration, and shared solutions, and we encourage you to register.

Everything we do is grounded in a clear priority: to represent you, support you, and advocate for you — Canada’s travel agencies and travel advisors.

Thank you for your continued professionalism, resilience, and engagement.

Warm regards,

Suzanne Acton-Gervais
President, ACTA

2026-02-26 14:19:50

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