TIAC Membership Renewal Packages Are On Their Way

With this week’s mailout of informational packages, TIAC’s annual membership renewal process is now underway. TIAC members should expect to receive a statement of their account, along with a summary of the organization’s activities over the past year, a contact information update form and a TIAC event calendar.

“As we reach out to you at this time to invite you to renew your membership, I hope that you continue to see the value that TIAC provides as your voice,” said TIAC President and CEO David Goldstein. “I know that for many in the industry, the past year has been a difficult one. But looking ahead, I believe that we in the tourism industry have a remarkable opportunity to showcase ourselves to decision makers as an economic force, and an extraordinary opportunity to help grow Canada’s economy.”

If you have any questions regarding your Membership Renewal Package, or would like to receive more information on TIAC Membership please contact:

Andrea Labelle, Director, Business Development at 613-688-1454 or alabelle@tiac.travel.

May 2010 Travel Numbers Show Reasons for Optimism and Concern

While several key tourism markets showed continued declines in May 2010, there were many markets that showed significant growth according to numbers released last week by Statistics Canada.

Canada saw significant gains year-over-year versus May 2009 from a number of Asian and South American markets, including several emerging markets, as well as some rebounds in some recently struggling markets.

These include:

• Japan: 44.6%
• South Korea: 32.2%
• Brazil: 30.5%
• India: 21.7%
• China: 15.1%

Visitation to Canada also increased year-over-year versus May 2009 from several traditional inbound markets, including France (8.6%), Germany (8.2%), Australia (20.4%) and the U.K. (1.2%).

Overall numbers, however, continue to be dragged down by ongoing declines from the United States, which dropped by a further 13.6% for the month, and 9.5% for the year to date. Combined with the ongoing freefall in visitation from Mexico - down 30.5% for May and 43.3% for the year to date as a result last year’s introduction of new visa requirements – the North American market continues to pull total international visitation into the negative: 10.2% for the month, and 7.5% for the year.

For more information, please see Statistics Canada’s International Travel: Advance Information service bulletin for May 2010.

For more information, please contact Catherine Sadler, TIAC Manager, Research at csadler@tiac.travel or 613-238-6378.

Save the Date for Canada-e-Connect 2011 - February 2-4 in Toronto

The dates and location are set for the 2011 edition of Canada-e-Connect, the Tourism Industry Association of Canada’s compelling look into the online and web-based trends, tools and technology that can help catalyze growth in the tourism sector.  Canada-e-Connect is the only conference of its kind developed by the Canadian tourism industry, for the Canadian tourism industry.

Presented in association with PhoCusWright, a global leader in travel industry research and strategic intelligence, the 2011 edition of Canada-e-Connect will take place at the Hyatt Regency Toronto from February 2-4.

The program for the 2011 edition of CeC is currently being developed in consultation with an advisory committee of experts from across the country and from different aspects of the sector specifically to address the needs of Canada’s tourism industry.

Registration for CeC is now open. For more information on this year’s conference, please visit the new Canada-e-Connect website at www.canadaeconnect.com.

GoMedia Canada Marketplace 2010 Takes Toronto

Preparations are almost complete for the 2010 edition of GoMedia Canada Marketplace, the Canadian Tourism Commission’s premier international media event. Set to take place in Toronto for the first time in the event’s history, GoMedia will assemble more than 140 members of the travel press from Canada and around the world in our country’s largest metropolitan area from August 22nd to 26th.

Managed for the CTC by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, GoMedia Canada provides an effective and productive opportunity for these travel media influencers the opportunity to meet one-on-one with provincial/territorial and regional destinations, major hotel properties, attractions and transportation companies.

The event’s innovative online appointment booking system helps both media and tourism participants organize and customize their schedule to maximize their time, and to provide them with an unparalleled opportunity to develop relationships and network.

For more information on the forthcoming GoMedia Canada Marketplace event, please contact Lisa Griffin, TIAC Events Coordinator at 613-688-1468 or lgriffin@tiac.travel.

National Awards for Tourism Excellence – Nomination Deadline: August 6th

TIAC needs your help to identify the most exceptional businesses, organizations, events, and people in Canada’s tourism industry.

By nominating them today for the National Awards for Tourism Excellence, presented by the Globe and Mail, you can help us celebrate outstanding achievement and excellence in your tourism community on a national scale. Finalists will enjoy round trip airfare to the National Awards dinner and ceremony in Ottawa/Gatineau on November 2nd, 2010, compliments of Air Canada!

By nominating a business, an organization or a person in your community, you can help drive this process, by challenging yourself – and others – to reach new heights. Nominations close on August 6th, so act now to help highlight your local achievements on a national scale.

To nominate today, or for more information, please visit www.tiac.travel.

To find out more about the 14 nomination categories, please click here.

TIAC Welcomes New Member: Merit Travel Group

TIAC is pleased to welcome Timberwolf Tours as a new member of the association.

Based out of Edmonton, Timberwolf Tours is a private company, which is a well-regarded,  reliable outfitter for adventure travel and group travel. Featuring tours of the Rockies, Vancouver Island, the Yukon and other highlights of Canada’s west, Timberwolf Tours provides outdoor and active travel experience for small groups of both domestic and international travelers. For more information, please visit their website at www.timberwolftours.com.   

TIAC is excited to have Timberwolf Tours join our membership ranks, and looks forward to working with them over the coming year. For more information on the benefits of TIAC Membership, or to have your business or organization join TIAC, please click here or contact Andrea Labelle, Director, Business Development at 613-688-1454 or alabelle@tiac.travel.