Canadians have re-elected a Liberal minority government, with the overall seat count in the House of Commons staying relatively the same. TIAC congratulates all candidates of all parties on their campaigns to represent Canadians at this important time in the country’s history.

Throughout the election period, TIAC advocated for all parties to work with industry on; 

• targeted support for the hardest hit;  
• delivery of a seamless proof of vaccination certification program; and,  
• implementation of progressive strategies to address critical issues such as the labour shortage and traveller confidence.

TIAC was very happy to see support for tourism from all parties. With the Liberal party re-elected, TIAC is encouraged that tourism businesses will be able to expect tailored and sector-specific support as they head into the winter months. 

As the first announcement on the campaign trail, the Liberal Party released commitments in line with the work of the Coalition of Hardest Hit Businesses. The Liberal campaign pledge was a direct response to the Hardest Hit Coalition advocating for business survival.

The Liberal Party announced that it would:

• Provide Canada’s hard hit tourism industry with temporary wage and rent support of up to 75% of their expenses;
  • For sectors like hotels, tour operators, convention centers and festivals experiencing a minimum of 40% revenue loss.
  • Qualifying businesses in these sectors would be able to access a maximum subsidy rate of up to 75%, commensurate to their revenue loss, in order to help cover fixed costs like wages and rent.
  • The subsidy would be available between September 2021 until May 31, 2022.
• Extend the Canada Recovery Hiring Program to March 31, 2022;
• Launch the Arts and Culture Recovery Program that will match ticket sales for performing arts, live theatres and other cultural venues to compensate for reduced capacity;
• Extend COVID-related insurance coverage for media production stoppages to support 150,000 Canadian jobs; and
• Implement a transitional support program to help bridge workers from the creative industry who continue to be impacted by the pandemic.

There will be a waiting period for Cabinet to be announced and Parliamentary work to be resumed, but rest assured, TIAC looks forward to working on an urgent basis to see this commitment come to life, and to working with all Parliamentarians to ensure the survival of the tourism industry.

Thank you to all who were engaged during the election.Tourismvotes.ca was created as a one stop shop for industry to find all things related to tourism during the writ period.

Next Steps

The backgrounder documents on our key issues are still available for download on the site, and changes will be made in the upcoming weeks to ensure the site has the most up to date information on advocacy activities.

The industry has come together like never before over the past 18 months. Work like the Coalition of Hardest Hit businesses would not be possible without solidarity between the interdependent entertainment, hospitality, and tourism sectors. We are stronger together.

It has been our biggest strength through COVID-19. We have come together in a way that truly showcases the power of the industry. Following this election, TIAC will continue to work with partners to bring the industry’s needs forward with unified messaging.

How can you get involved moving forward? Your participation in our surveys, webinars, and your sharing of stories on the ground are critical. This allows us to share the industry’s messaging with Parliamentarians – and the voice of a local constituent, business or businesses are more impactful than you may know.

Please reach out at any time with questions or concerns on advocacy efforts to Madison Simmons, Director of Government Affairs, at msimmons@tiac-aitc.ca