Are You Ready for June 1st?

May 28 2009 by Bryson Forbes

Passports.jpgGet ready - another acronym is hitting the travel industry. This time it's WHTI, which stands for the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. After much debate and delay, June 1, 2009 marks the introduction of this new U.S. law requiring every Canadian above the age of sixteen who enters the U.S., via land or water, to present a valid passport.

It also works vice versa which means every American travelling north also will need a passport.

What will this mean for you? Well, it's good news and bad news.
Okay the bad news first.... if you don't have a passport or the desire to pay $87 to get one, you are officially stuck in Canada! Not a big problem now, but wait until January rolls around again and you decide you need to escape from snow shovelling and want to head south. Smart travellers will apply right now before the big push - the government says right now they can have it back to you in less than a month. The process is easy - check it out here

Next piece of bad news is that Americans also will require a passport and almost four out of five don't currently have one. This will hurt the Canadian economy, especially in the drive markets. Combine the recession, new passport requirements, a stronger Canadian dollar and recent worries about swine flu and many Canadian businesses are ready to panic.

The good news however is that Canadian hotels, resorts, restaurants and the entertainment industry are busy coming up with great promotions to help Canadians fill the American demand that they expect will shrink starting June 2nd. For instance, Best Western is offering travellers one free night at any Best Western after travellers stay just two times at any of their hotels in Canada - or the U.S. The offer is good from June 21st through August 16th, so start planning that vacation! Plus, Best Western Rewards members will still earn points for their stay and those that book at BestWestern.com. get 250 bonus points!

So keep your eyes and ears open, check some of your favourite Web sites and be ready to act. The deals are there and will continue throughout the summer!

How do you think the new passport regulations will affect travel in Canada and the U.S.?

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