OTTAWA, June 13, 2013 – Canada’s tourism industry is pleased with the progress made under the Federal Tourism Strategy thus far, and sees this as important momentum as it continues to address some of its key competitiveness issues, said the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC).

“The Federal Tourism Strategy was an important first step, providing a much-needed framework for Canada’s $84.8 billion tourism sector at a critical time,” said David Goldstein, TIAC President and CEO.  “We’re particularly pleased that this all-of-government approach has led to improvements to Canada’s visitor visa system and air access agreements, which have facilitated increased international travel to this country.”

However, while Canada’s tourism industry posted modest gains in international arrivals and tourism spending in recent years, it is nevertheless being outpaced by its global tourism competitors.  Canada’s tourism competitiveness continues to be eroded by key public policy barriers, sacrificing an opportunity to drive further job creation and investment in the Canadian economy.

“To maintain our forward progress, we will continue to work with the federal government to address several major, outstanding public policy barriers, including Canada’s costly aviation tax structure and its diminishing investment in national tourism marketing,” said Goldstein.