TIAC gives thumbs up to border clearance initiative

The expansion of the Automated Border Clearance (ABC) Program has been given the “thumbs up”by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) and will accelerate the process of re-entering Canada, leading to shorter wait times and a better experience for international travellers. The program provides self-serve kiosks for passengers to scan their passports and E311 declaration forms before they move on to a border services officer. A pilot program at Vancouver International Airport revealed that the kiosks speed up customs processing and reduce wait times for passengers. “The Automated Border Clearance Program is an important innovation that reflects the Harper government’s commitment to the Federal Tourism Strategy,”says TIAC president David Goldstein. “The ABC program will facilitate the movement of travellers while ensuring the safety and integrity of Canada’s borders, and we are enthusiastic to learn that it will be expanded to other international airports across the country.”James Moore, minister of Canadian Heritage, announced the expansion of the program on April 20 to other airports across the country, beginning with Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in June. “An initiative like the ABC Program is an important modernization, not only for Canada’s largest airports, but also for mid-sized international hubs catering to a business clientele, such as Ottawa’s MacDonald-Cartier Airport and the Calgary International Airport,”added Goldstein. “We look forward to the gradual expansion of the program to hopefully one day include all of Canada’s aeronautical ports of entry.”(http://www.tiac.travel)