This message was sent to ##Email## To advertise in this publication please click here July 2, 2021 .ASSOCIATION NEWS President's Message OMCA Daily I have been amazed by the resilience and engagement of the OMCA members and want to assure you that the team is working hard to find policy solutions that benefit our members. Last week, alongside DeNure Tours, we met with Jamie Schmale the MP Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock and this week with representatives from Double Deck Tours and Ambassatours we met with Tony Baldinelli, the MP of Niagara Falls. Both MP’s will work with the association to push the government for liquidity supports our members need to recover as well as for a plan to reopen Canada’s border. With business owners and operators still in the unbearable position of being unable to plan for the future of their businesses, it is critical that governments provide clear guidelines and milestones for the reopening of our economy. This week the association joined tourism, business, and cruise industry leaders to come together to call on the Government of Canada to take immediate action to signal the safe restart of Canada’s multi-billion-dollar cruise ship industry. From our Great Lakes to ports across the country cruise is vital to motor coach and group travel. It’s important that the government clearly indicate that they will rescind the ban on cruise ships in Canadian waters before the end of 2021 and signal that Canada is open for business and ready for the 2022 sailing season. Should you have any questions or suggestions for OMCA, please feel free to reach out to me directly at vince@omca.com. .INDUSTRY NEWS 4 signs that point to a July 21 easing of U.S.-Canada border restrictions Politico On the 21st of every month for 15 months, Canada and the U.S. have renewed COVID-related travel restrictions at their shared border. There are signs July 21 might be different. READ MORE 'Resiliency' has been key for Northeastern Ontario tourism spots who are ready to reopen the doors CTV News It's been a long few months for tourism outfits, a year and a half dealing with the new norm facing all of us, COVID-19. Even still, many in Northeastern Ontario say they're excited for this coming season. Nestled deep in between the trees of the French River region lies the Bear's Den Lodge which is only accessible by boat or float plane. READ MORE  SPONSORED CONTENT Promoted by Owen Sound Transportation Company (OSTC) Discover Manitoulin Island - Preserved Aboriginal traditions as well as the beauty of its wilderness. Chi-Cheemaun’s Annual Spring Cruise Tobermory to Owen Sound – Call 1-800-265-3163 App-based community itineraries aim to improve tourism in northern Ontario BayToday Francophone tourism has been identified as a key priority and growth opportunity for the north. In concert with its Francophone Tourism product team, Destination Northern Ontario has developed the Francophone Tourism Plan for Northern Ontario. READ MORE Quebec tempting Ontarians to visit now that COVID-19 numbers are going down CTV News Quebec's tourism industry has launched a campaign to try and entice Ontarians to visit the province, now that the borders have reopened. The campaign, "Wherever bonjour takes you," will run until September 27. READ MORE Proposed amendments to adopt mandatory electronic logging devices for Ontario carriers Miller Thomson LLP Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has announced that it proposes to amend Ontario’s Hours of Service Regulation 555/06 under the Highway Traffic Act (ON) to implement a mandatory requirement for motor carriers who only operate in Ontario to start using electronic logging devices (ELD). The implementation of this new mandate would be no sooner than June 12, 2022. The MTO previously conducted a survey on the issue in December 2020, which found that the majority of carriers believed that there are benefits to using ELDs. READ MORE WE'RE NEARLY THERE: Brand USA encouraged by Canadians' eagerness to head south Travel Industry Today Ahead of the training day for Canadian Agents, Brand USA president and CEO, Christopher Thomson, told Travel Industry Today that Canada is going to play a key role in the United States’ ability to recover. A recent survey showed large numbers of Canadians indicating that their first choice of destination once the borders are open will be to the US. “Canada is the largest source market for inbound travel to the US with nearly 21 million Canadians visitors in 2019,” said Thompson, “so it is very encouraging to see these responses. These results reinforce the fact that our countries share so much more than a border.” READ MORE Tourism task force calls on Ontario to incentivize local travel with points card, ads CTV News Ontario can jumpstart its flagging tourism sector by incentivizing travel with discount cards and ad campaigns, a government task force recommended Wednesday. The Tourism Economic Recovery Ministerial Task Force, set up after the release of this year's budget as the government turned its attention to post-pandemic recovery, has delivered a report with 10 key recommendations aimed at rebuilding the sector. READ MORE   OMCA Report Connect with OMCA Jason Zimmerman, Director of Publishing, Multiview, 469-420-2686 | Download media kit Oliver Kirby, Senior Content Editor, Multiview, 289-695-5401 | Contribute News Ontario Motor Coach Association 320 North Queen Street, Suite 210   |  Toronto, ON M9C 5K4   416-229-6622   |  Contact Us  |  www.omca.com Click here to unsubscribe.  Learn how to add us to your safe sender list so our emails get to your inbox. ADVERTISE SUBSCRIBE PAST ISSUES   7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063