OTTAWA, February 19, 2014 - The announced expansion of the Canada-Mexico Air Transport Agreement is welcome news to Canada’s travel industry. “Mexico is an important source market with high demand for Canadian product. The expanded air agreement, combined with a new North American trusted traveller program, will go a long way to deliver more Mexican leisure and business travellers to more Canadian destinations,” said TIAC President and CEO David Goldstein.

“Canada is a trading nation, strengthened through the improved access to new markets opened through this government’s aggressive trade agenda. With a few policy tweaks, the travel industry can play an effective role in advancing and amplifying Canadian export revenues,” Goldstein added.

A recent report from Deloitte focused on the productivity of trade and concluded that international travel is not just an important export sector in and of itself ($17B in currency exchange last year) but is a further driver of other trade and investment, in fact a 1% increase in arrivals to Canada generates $817M in Canadian export revenue. 

“As Canada’s largest service export sector and largest employer of Canadian youth, the travel sector is a key component to Canadian prosperity. We look forward to our continued work with the Ministers of Immigration and International Trade to an a barriers reduction plan to augment Canadian competitiveness and prosperity,” concluded Goldstein.

-30-