FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The 2020 Tourism Town Hall series kicks off in Dieppe, NB on February 20, 2020

OTTAWA, ON February 20, 2020 – The Tourism Industry Association of Canada’s 2020 Tourism Town Hall series launches on February 20th in Dieppe, NB continuing on to Kingston, ON and Winnipeg, MB on May 26, and on to Drumheller, AB and Digby, NS on May 28. At each stop, local small and medium businesses owners will have the opportunity to meet with TIAC, Destination Canada and tourism partners to better understand efforts being made on national tourism issues.

The Town Halls will allow tourism operators to provide first-hand input on issues affecting their business and the tourism industry such as; labour, marketing, cost competitiveness and access (including the visa process).

The Town Halls also provide a front-line forum exposure for governments, TIAC, Destination Canada and event sponsors to collaborate with small and medium-sized tourism business operators across Canada.

“The Tourism Town Halls bring local businesses a unique opportunity to interact with national tourism partners and discuss the issues impacting their communities”, stated TIAC President and CEO Charlotte Bell. “Taking the pulse of local stakeholders allows industry to incorporate all voices and continue to work together as we strive towards sector growth targets.”

“It takes a Team Canada approach to help drive forward the visitor economy,” says David Robinson, Destination Canada’s Interim President and CEO. “We look forward to hearing from operators and marketing organizations from across the country on how we can work together to build momentum and inspire more travellers to fall in love with Canada.”

The 2020 Tourism Town Halls will take place at the following times and locations:

• Thursday, February 20 - Dieppe, NB
• Tuesday, May 26 - Kingston, ON
• Tuesday, May 26 - Winnipeg, MB
• Thursday, May 28 - Drumheller, AB
• Thursday, May 28 - Digby, NS

For more details on the individual events and how to register, please visit http://bit.ly/2J51dVy

The 2020 Town Hall series is supported by local tourism industry partners and sponsored by Air Canada, WestJet, the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC), UnionPay International and Meetings Means Business Canada.