Despite tightened security and despite broader border restrictions born of Sept. 11, the United States and Canada are working to ease the burden of traveling between the two countries. There’s a new agreement between the two just announced by President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Travel boosters are ecstatic. US Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow is among them. He contends the deal “strikes an important balance between enhanced security and the economic benefits of travel and trade.”
This is a big deal, and here’s why: USTOA says upwards of 178,000 leisure and business travelers make the trip ‘twixt Canada and the United States every day. Still, in recent years both countries have seen declines in transborder traffic compared to the early 1990s.
Among other things, the agreement calls for:
- Canadian NEXUS members to be eligible for the Transportation Security Administration’s PreCheck clearance, a risk-based program aimed at getting passengers through security with less hassle.
- Boosting trusted traveler membership. Look for ads aimed at upping membership, a flat-out “enrollment blitz” according to USTOA.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection already eases southbound travel by positioning pre-clearance stations at airports in places such as Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver. Essentially, you clear Customs north of the border, instead of waiting to queue up with other inbound international passengers once you land. This can be, depending on the time of day, a huge advantage. Instead of having to wit to be processed, you simply head to your domestic connection or get your bag and head home from the airport.
What should the US and Canadian governments do to further ease the transborder flow of fliers between the two countries. We’d love to hear your ideas.
Story by Jerry Chandler
(Image: mararie)
