NIAGARA FALLS, ON – Today the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie, kicked off a nationwide tour to consult with the Canadian tourism industry on a new Canadian Tourism Strategy. The Minister’s strong desire to consult with stakeholders signals a commitment to creating an environment for the travel economy to thrive.

“Tourism added $97.4 billion to Canada’s economy in 2017, and we welcomed over 20 million international visitors, yet Canada still stands 17th in world rankings”, stated Charlotte Bell, TIAC President & CEO.

“The New Tourism Vision outlined some ambitious goals for tourism growth which TIAC and other national industry associations have supported.  As an industry, we have long advocated for progressive change to help grow the tourism industry in Canada and address a number of barriers to growth.  It is our strong desire to see the government move forward in addressing these issues to ensure a strong and sustainable tourism industry for Canada”, added Bell.

“TIAC looks forward to continuing its work with Minister Joly and sincerely hopes that these consultations will help the government and industry come together to develop a robust strategy to ensure our vision becomes a reality”, she continued.

As part of the cross-country consultations, the Minister also announced the members of the newly-formed Advisory Council on Jobs and the Visitor Economy. The announcement reaffirmed that TIAC and other industry groups will be an integral part of the development of the government’s Strategy.

The Minister’s visit kicked off in Niagara Falls, an iconic and popular tourism destination Canada is recognized for across the globe. Consultations will continue throughout the week in Winnipeg and Churchill, Manitoba; Rankin Inlet, Nunavut; and Vancouver, Victoria and Kelowna, British Columbia.

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For more information please contact:
Marcela Diaz
Director, Public Affairs and Communications
Tourism Industry Association of Canada
mdiaz@tiac-aitc.ca
t: 613-238-6378


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 $97.4 billion tourism industry. TIAC's members include air and passenger rail services, airport authorities, local and provincial destination authorities, hotels, attractions and tour operators.