OTTAWA, ON, December 21, 2015 – The Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) and Banff & Lake Louise Hospitality Association (BLLHA) welcome Parks Canada’s release of lands for affordable green housing in the town of Banff. Supporting affordable housing was a recommendation in TIAC and BLLH’s recent study on labour shortage in the area. With a 0% vacancy rate and a 25% premium on rent, the high cost of housing contributes to the difficulty operators face in attracting Canadians to work in Banff.

“Releasing lands to the Town of Banff for the creation of affordable housing addresses one of the key challenges facing resort communities which will help in the struggle to meet labour supply needs of tourism operators,” said Charlotte Bell, President & CEO of TIAC. “This initiative is an important and welcome sign that the Government of Canada has listened to industry concerns. We look forward to continue working with the government in supporting this important sector.”

In addition to being Canada’s biggest service export, travel and tourism generate $88 billion for the Canadian economy each year. Having enough well-trained employees to make the traveller’s experience memorable is a key component of Canada’s competitive advantage. A number of factors are contributing to labour shortages in Canadian tourism. It is forecasted that by 2030 there will be a labour shortage of 250,000 which will cost the Canadian economy $31.4 billion dollars. For more information on the labour shortage and solutions please see our website for the Banff & Lake Louise Labour Shortage Study (2015) and Gateway to Growth | 2014 Travel & Tourism Labour Force Report.

-30-

For more information, please contact:

Rob Taylor

VP, Public & Industry Affairs
Tourism Industry Association of Canada
rtaylor@tiac.travel 
t: 613-238-6251
c: 613-716-5442 

About the Tourism Industry Association of Canada

The Tourism Industry Association of Canada is the only national organization representing the full cross-section of Canada's $88.5 billion tourism industry. TIAC's members include air and passenger rail services, airport authorities, local and provincial destination authorities, hotels, attractions and tour operators.