On Wednesday April 25th, TIAC led an industry group who presented to the Parliamentary Tourism Caucus on Parliament Hill, with a focus on addressing crucial labour issues to political stakeholders.

Over 20 Members of Parliament and Senators attended the lunch session, including the Hon. Bardish Chagger, Minister of Small Business & Tourism.

This meeting comes at a crucial time in the industry with tourism contributing $97.4 billion to the economy, 2% of GDP and 1.8 million jobs.  Yet our sector continues to experience chronic labour shortages that jeopardise our ability to meet New Tourism Vision goals of achieving Top 10 destination status by 2025.

TIAC led presentations which included our partners from Tourism HR Canada (THRC), Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC), Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) and the Banff & Lake Louise Hospitality Association (BLLHA). All groups reinforced the need for federal policies that encourage immigration streams that meet the skills and labour market needs of our industry, and that are linked to a pathway to permanent residency. Additionally, all participants called for support for federally funded capacity and skills development programs which prioritise the Tourism sector.

Following presentations, Parliamentarians in attendance engaged in a lively discussion about tourism issues and shared successes in their ridings. Many agreed that tourism is a vital contributor to the economy and supported the need to address labour issues.

As one of TIAC’s key advocacy priorities, we will continue to follow up with key decision makers over the coming months, including our Hill days during Tourism Week. Stay tuned!

PTC attendees

ITAC CEO Keith Henry

BLLHA's Darren Reeder

Tourism HR's Calum MacDonald