NIAGARA — Ottawa has unveiled a new plan to boost Canada’s tourism industry to new heights.
The new Federal Tourism Growth Strategy, announced by Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance Randy Boissonnault on July 4, is designed to help set the stage for the long-term growth of Canada’s visitor economy. Called ‘Canada 365: Welcoming the world. Every day.’, the strategy is informed by months of consultations with, among others, tourism businesses, industry associations, other orders of government, Indigenous partners and destination marketing organizations.
Five key priorities have been identified as part of the plan:
- Investing in Canada’s tourism assets
- Embracing recreation and the great outdoors
- Partnering to grow Indigenous tourism
- Attracting more international events
- Improving coordination through a federal ministerial council
According to Destination Canada, tourism plays a key role in Canada’s economy, contributing nearly $38 billion to Canada’s GDP in 2022 and generating close to $94 billion in revenue for businesses. Tourism is expected to fully recover by 2024, while international visitation is expected to fully recover by 2026.
“Now is the time to come together and combine forces – across all orders of government and throughout the industry – to power the economic engine that is tourism,” said Minister Boissonnault. “With the new Federal Tourism Growth Strategy, we will build on our strengths and propel the sector to new heights. Canada has what the world wants, and we look forward to welcoming visitors 365 days a year.”
Marsha Walden, President and CEO of Destination Canada, added: “We welcome the launch of the new Federal Tourism Growth Strategy, which will help lay the foundations for our sector’s future growth, investment and competitiveness. Along with our industry partners from coast to coast to coast, we have worked together to make united recommendations on this strategy, and we look forward to working closely with the Minister as together we transform tourism to be more competitive, successful, and resilient.”
For more information about the Federal Tourism Growth Strategy, click here.
