OTTAWA June 11, 2021 — Today, the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) is formally announcing its National Cruise Committee – a group of TIAC Members - Canadian organizations which operate in the global cruise industry and are advocating for the cruise industry to be treated no different from other travel sectors in Canada.
“We are happy to announce this new committee as a part of TIAC’s advocacy initiatives. The tourism economy is comprised of a suite of sectors, and the cruise sector is an important piece, responsible for 30,000 direct jobs in Canada,” said Beth Potter, President and CEO of TIAC.
This committee will act in an advisory capacity to identify cruise industry issues and provide regular updates and recommendations to TIAC’s Recovery Committee. Members represent all regions of Canada impacted by cruise – Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia and Northern Canada.
“We are a part of the tourism industry that is effectively in “lockdown” until Spring of 2022 due to the federal ban on cruise until February 28, 2022. As other parts of the country and industry may start to see some recovery in summer 2021, we won’t have the ability to make any movement. This committee will allow for coordinated advocacy for this sector,” said Danielle Timmons, TIAC National Cruise Committee Chair. “This is a pivotal time to be launching – the committee is in full support of TIAC’s recent campaign launch on opening the U.S. Canada border – we hope to bring awareness, education and support for the cruise supply chain businesses that are still in ‘lockdown’.”
With a stakeholder list already comprised of over 300 names, the committee has many supporters. The Canadian Cruise Supply Chain of companies contributes $4.3 billion to Canada’s economy annually. With the Alaska Tourism Restoration Act (ATRA) recently signed into law, and cruising resuming safely in other regions of the world, it is imperative that Canada gives clarity and assurance to both American cruise partners, and the millions of Canadians whose livelihoods depend on cruise.
“Awareness, education and advocacy for support and funding is needed for the Cruise Supply Chain businesses to ensure that we have continued operations, to ensure a successful cruise industry return, and readiness of the Cruise Supply Chain for 2022,” continued Timmons.
“The Canadian Cruise Supply Chain has been put in a unique situation and while we hope to see recovery for most of the industry underway this summer, we must also prioritize movement on Cruise specific tourism recovery support,” finished Potter.
The committee hopes to send a clear message that the sector is ready to safely welcome ships back, and that we have confidence in our cruise line partners that their restart will follow the necessary protocols to keep their guests, crew, and the communities they visit safe.
