It’s been a busy 2018 for TIAC. While we’re gearing up for the fall, we are pleased to celebrate the following successes.

Canada-China Year of Tourism 2018 Launch
On March 21, political stakeholders joined senior officials from the China National Tourism Administration in Toronto and several hundred guests from the tourism industry, including TIAC Executives and Board members to celebrate the formal launch of the Canada-China Year of Tourism.

Parliamentary Tourism Caucus
On April 25, 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. All participants called for support for federally funded capacity and skills development programs which prioritize the Tourism sector.

Rendez-vous Canada (RVC)
The TIAC & Destination Canada produced event, held May 13 to 16 in Halifax, was the largest in the show’s 42-year history with a record number of buyers and sellers taking part in more than 30,000 face-to-face business appointments. Many delegates called this year’s event the best ever. Stay tuned for news on RVC 2019 to be held in Toronto!

Tourism Week
TIAC headed up Tourism Week ‘Hill Day’ efforts with PTTIA and industry stakeholders, which yielded over 40 meetings with government representatives over 2 days with over 100 attendees at our Tourism Week reception. The hashtag #TourismWeek generated major buzz on social media and became a national trending topic.

Tourism Town Halls
On May 30th, TIAC launched its Tourism Town Halls series in Ottawa with a packed house. A panel of industry leaders, including TIAC’s President and CEO Charlotte Bell, were on hand to discuss the state of tourism and to encourage local tourism operators to bring their concerns forward. Check the full schedule of Town Hall stops for 2018.

China Trade Mission
In June, TIAC President and CEO Charlotte Bell and TIAC Board Vice-Chair Dave McKenna attended a week-long trade mission led by the Minister of Small Business and Tourism. It was a tremendous opportunity to promote the Canada-China Year of Tourism in China itself, our second-largest inbound destination.

We know there’s plenty more work to be done for 2018, and we’ll continue providing updates on our successes over the coming months!