National tourism organizations to help the sector reposition itself for international visitors as travel rebounds
NEPEAN, ON, Oct. 3, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - Since the onset of the pandemic, Canadian tourism businesses have shown great resilience, and the Government of Canada has supported the sector through an estimated $23 billion in emergency supports. While we look to the future and see promising signs of recovery, the tourism sector is innovating and working hard to meet and surpass the record-breaking years of the pre-COVID visitor economy.
Today, at Mādahòkì Farm in Nepean, the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, along with Rachel Bendayan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, announced the recipients of National Priorities Stream (NPS) funding.
The $15 million NPS, administered by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, will leverage the reach and expertise of national tourism organizations to help address the challenges faced by the Canadian tourism sector on its path to recovery and growth. The NPS is part of $1 billion in tourism supports announced in Budget 2021.
The following four national organizations, tourism sector leaders with a wide reach and valuable expertise, have been selected as recipients of NPS funding: the Tourism Industry Association of Canada; the Hotel Association of Canada; the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada; and Tourism HR Canada.
These national organizations have the presence and partnerships—at the national, regional and local levels—to maximize the impact of the government investments aimed at addressing national gaps and priorities. Pan-Canadian or multi-regional activities will advance priorities such as destination development, seasonal and geographic dispersion, and workforce challenge mitigation. Non-refundable contributions totalling $14,617,716 are being announced today for projects submitted by these four national organizations. The NPS focuses on empowering these tourism organizations, together with their members, to develop opportunities in domestic markets and help the sector reposition itself for international visitors as travel rebounds.
The NPS complements the $485 million regional priorities stream of the Tourism Relief Fund (TRF), which aims at helping tourism businesses and organizations improve their products and services and position themselves for post-pandemic economic recovery. The majority ($485 million) of the TRF, including a minimum $50 million specifically supporting Indigenous tourism initiatives, is administered by Canada's regional development agencies (RDA) as tourism in Canada is primarily regionally focused. However, there are also challenges and priorities at a national scale, which the NPS seeks to address.
The Government of Canada is helping revitalize the visitor economy by supporting national tourism organizations in strategically planning for, and investing in, COVID-19 recovery efforts for future growth. The visitor economy plays a vital role in creating jobs and opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses, fueling Canada's economic growth.
Quotes
"Today's announcement fits in with the development of Canada's new Federal Tourism Growth Strategy. It's a step forward in relaunching the visitor economy across Canada, providing targeted support to the tourism sector to continue delivering unforgettable experiences for both domestic and international travellers. This is an important step in the recovery of the Canadian economy as its overall health relies on the recovery of Canadian tourism."
– The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance
"The Government of Canada remains deeply invested in seeing the tourism sector thrive once again. Organizations receiving Government of Canada support through the National Priorities Stream will help tourism businesses meet existing needs and challenges head on, while preparing for the visitor economy of tomorrow."
– Rachel Bendayan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance
"Tourism is a way for Canadians to show the world the best of what this country has to offer. In working with the federal government, TIAC is looking forward to helping ensure the industry achieves its key goals by 2030."
– Beth Potter, President and CEO, Tourism Industry Association of Canada
"The Hotel Association of Canada looks forward to using this funding to modernize our Green Key hotel sustainability program and develop a hotel industry–specific labour force action plan."
– Susie Grynol, President and CEO, Hotel Association of Canada
"Tourism HR Canada's work through the National Priorities Stream will lead to a strategy and tools aimed at addressing systemic and structural issues to help with workforce shortages and training needs. By leveraging the relationships established across the country with stakeholders and provincial and territorial tourism organizations, we will set a foundation for growth of the Canadian tourism sector."
– Philip Mondor, President, Tourism HR Canada
Quick facts
- Tourism is a key contributor to Canada's economy. According to Statistics Canada, tourism generated an estimated $105.1 billion in revenues in 2019, directly supported almost 700,000 jobs in communities across Canada and contributed an estimated $45.2 billion in gross domestic product.
- Prior to the pandemic, Indigenous tourism provided 40,000 jobs and accounted for $1.9 billion of Canada's GDP.
- Mādahòkì Farm is an Indigenous tourism experience that builds on the growing interest in agritourism, farm-to-table culinary experiences and authentic cultural experiences from an Indigenous perspective.
- To help manage the severe impact of COVID-19 on the sector, tourism-related businesses and not-for-profit organizations in the tourism, arts, and culture sectors have received $23 billion in support, which is being used to pay workers, provide rent and mortgage support, and provide liquidity support for small businesses.
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SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
Gabriel Felcarek, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, 343-576-4131, [email protected]; Media Relations, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, [email protected]
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