posted on November 4, 2020
October 29 - November 4, 2020
Dear Tourism Stakeholders,
The TIAC Team is pleased to provide you with this update on the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, including the steps government is taking to address the situation. We are working hard to make sure the industry’s voice is heard by government, and that you have the information you need to keep your business going in these uncertain times.
Please find the latest updates on official announcements and a recap of TIAC’s advocacy work on behalf of Canada’s Visitor Economy:
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TIAC’s Advocacy Update
- Today the Vice-President Stakeholder Relations & Business Development observed the Tourism Recovery Caucus Advisory Meeting with Conservative MPs and Opposition Tourism Recovery Advisor, Tony Baldinelli
- The Vice-President Stakeholder Relations & Business Development also participated in a meeting with the Associate Deputy Minister of Innovation Science and Economic Development (ISED) to discuss the ongoing state of the industry
- Last week, TIAC’s Vice-President Stakeholder Relations & Business Development held a meeting with policy staff in the Minister of Small Business & Export Development’s office to promote TIAC’s suggested recovery measures for small businesses
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Government Announcements
- This week, the Prime Minister and Minister of Small Business and Export Development announced changes to the CanExport program for SMEs
- These changes will help SMEs:
- Develop and expand their e-commerce presence by covering partial costs associated with online sales platforms and digital strategy consulting, as well as advertising and search engine optimization
- Attend virtual trade shows and other business-to-business events
- Navigate new COVID-19-related trade barriers by helping pay for new international market certifications and requirements
- This week, the Government announced As of Nov. 21, all air travellers entering Canada will have to provide specific COVID-related information including travel information, self-assessment, and quarantine plans through the government’s ArriveCAN platform
- The measures are mandatory and can be completed online or through an app prior to boarding and also require post-arrival follow-up.
- TIAC is hopeful that innovations such as this app will help with ease of travel when international borders begin to open
- Late last week, The Honourable Marco Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, tabled the 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plan
- This ambitious plan will see a significant increase of immigration at all levels – a crucial move that will help tourism businesses meet future demand in a recovery period
- More details can be read here
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In Case You Missed It …
- The Government has announced changes to Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) to make it easier for small businesses operating out of personal accounts to access emergency funding.
- Last week, Canada was ranked as the third-best “nation brand”, according to the 2020 Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands Index (NBI)
- These rankings help to increase Canada’s brand recognition globally, helping with international marketing efforts
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