Canadians are among the kindest, most
courtesy travelers in the world. On this
Canada Day, our proudest day of the year, it’s time to take a moment and
remember that the world loves Canadians.
We are among the luckiest travellers in
the world. We get to travel on a Canadian passport. One of the most coveted passports
in the world. It is accepted by one
hundred and eighty one countries around the world. (By the way there are 195 official countries,
you do the math. Those are great odds).
We can walk up to any passport
control booth in any country and have no fear. We will not be detained because
of our nationality. We can ask for help in a foreign country and identify
ourselves with confidence. We can hand a
stranger a Canadian flag pin and know that it will be received with gratitude. We can wear a Canadian flag on our luggage
with pride. Our country's reputation is
historically sound and currently growing beyond the world’s expectations.
I’m proud to be a Canadian. I love to travel the world but more than
that, I love to come home. Here I am
free. I can be who I want to be. I can do what I want to do. I don’t need my father’s permission to drive
a car. I’m allowed to go to school as
much as I want. I can marry who I love.
If I get sick, I’ll be cared for.
Yet with all this love and security,
Canadians are afraid to travel right now.
There were a number of international events last winter that one after
another seemed to put up an invisible barrier that we are not ready to tear down
and start planning to travel.
First was the rise in fuel cost, which
in turn increased the cost of our vacations.
This is a very big deal to us.
Everyone felt ripped off, and you should never rip off a Canadian. Good news is, the fuel increase on airfare is starting to decrease, so hopefully that obstacle will go away soon.
Next, was the collapse of Cuba. Canadians love our Cuban all-inclusive
vacations. It’s almost a rite of
passage. Winter arrives and we pack our
bags and go to Cuba. It’s cheap enough
that even the poorest among us can scrape together $800 - $900 for a week in
the sun. We love the beaches, the people
and the safety of the island. We love it
so much so that we can forgive the bad food, the faulty air conditioning, and
the brown outs.
Without Cuba, where are we to
go? There isn’t another destination as
beautiful and as inexpensive.
Unfortunately, many of us will have to stay home this winter and those with
more lucrative incomes will go to richer destinations.
Finally, there is war. A war we don’t understand. A war started over greed, run by megalomaniacs
for power and money. A war that is so
anti-Canadian we will not leave our country until it is over. (Did
you hear that? It was the entire country putting its foot down). We will not leave. If we leave the country we apologize for it as
if we owe our friends and neighbours an excuse for betraying their allegiance.
“We have to go; it’s our grandson’s graduation”
“The company’s making me go to the
conference.”
“The trip was planned before all
this began”
So starts the trek across Canada. Canadians travelling in our home and native land
to see the parts of our great country they have never seen. Around every kitchen table Canadians are
making lists of places they have been and places they want to go. It’s a kitchen table game with points and you
get more points if you can brag that you’ve been to Newfoundland, Banff or
Vancouver.
Newfoundland is full to the brim with tourists. The Stampede will have
record numbers of visitors. Our beaches
will be full, and the road trip will take on a new meaning. God bless you if you own a Cottage or have a
best friend who does. Your weekends will
be full of water sports and campfires. You
can’t get more Canadian than s’mores.
I just
have one favor to ask. Don’t give up on world travel. It’s not all bad out there. The Cliffs of
Dover are still magnificent. The Azores
Islands in Portugal will blow your mind.
Now is the time to plan your winter and spring vacation. Put down deposits. Set aside dates. Book the
dog sitter. If you’re afraid you may
have to cancel, there are ways to book with refunds, and cancelation insurance.
Protect yourself. Be cautious. It’s the Canadian way. Call your Travel Agent, they know what to do.
Happy Canada Day!
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