Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defends the recent extension of COVID-19 health restrictions on travelers, saying the decision is "necessary and important to avoid what is worse," as representatives from the travel and tourism sector gather in Ottawa to demand relief.

Trudeau said, "Canada is still in the midst of a pandemic, and lifting restrictions – such as requiring foreign tourists to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination upon entry – could result in worse outcomes for the travel sector."

He told reporters on Wednesday, "The truth, as much as people want to pretend we are not, is that we are still in a pandemic. Canadians are dying every day because of COVID."

"I know people are eager to return to the things we love, but what will hurt our tourism industry more is if we get another wave."

Industry groups held a press conference later on Wednesday, calling on the federal government to ease the burdens and travel issues, such as long lines and delays, in time for the summer travel season.

Suzy Greenhalgh, President and CEO of the Hotel Association of Canada, said, "We have done our part in keeping Canadians safe, and now it is our turn to recover." "Travel has come back strong and we couldn't be happier, but the passenger experience in our Canadian airports is challenging."

Monette Pasher, interim head of the Canadian Airports Council, said, "While the organization welcomes government steps to increase staffing levels at the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), more must be done."

We urge the federal government to take three concrete short-term actions to immediately relieve pressure on the system. These include: removing mandatory on-site testing at Canadian airports, removing repeated health screening questions by the Public Health Agency of Canada at government customs checkpoints and international borders, and removing vaccination mandates for CATSA and CBSA workers."

The Public Health Agency of Canada announced on Tuesday that border rules will be extended until at least June 30.

Foreign tourists will still be required to provide proof of full vaccination, and unvaccinated Canadian citizens or permanent residents must still show proof of a molecular COVID-19 test taken before entering Canada and quarantine for 14 days.

All travelers coming to Canada, regardless of nationality, must continue to provide their health information through the ArriveCAN app before entry.

Random testing of fully vaccinated individuals also remains in place.

The extension of border rules came a day after Parliament voted against a Conservative Party proposal to return to pre-pandemic travel guidelines.

In response, Melissa Lantsman, the Conservative transportation critic who introduced the proposal, tweeted, "The government has yet to share any justification for its outdated and overreaching restrictions."

Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith echoed the same on Tuesday, expressing concern about the two-dose vaccination mandate for travel inside and outside Canada for those not granted exemptions.

He said, "Nothing has been transparent about the reassessment of travel measures. It is unclear what Dr. Tam’s recommendations are, and there has not been sufficient rationale to continue health restrictions on travelers."

"The justification for any mandate is increased rates and reduced risk of transmission. But the current mandate has exhausted its benefit in reaching new people, and the effect of two doses on transmission risk is very low, especially considering alternative testing options."

He also described airport delays as "unacceptable" and a sufficient reason to cancel restrictions if they no longer provide any public benefit.

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said one of the main reasons for delays is that some airlines have still not restored all flight schedules, but there are more customers. "So we have peak periods that we seek and need to deal with."

Pasher noted that in May, major airports in Canada experienced 70 percent of pre-pandemic passenger levels, currently handling an average of 56,000 international travelers daily, and expected to grow to 80,000 travelers daily this summer.

She added: "It is difficult to manage this level of travel with the remaining old public health protocols still in place at our international borders."

Edited by: Dima Abu Khair