Tourism Counts – February 2, 2022  
 
We continue working on our three areas of priority this week: Financial survival, labour shortages, and border access. 
 
I hope that you found the CRA sessions on the Tourism and Hospitality Program useful, and encourage you to continue to reach out with any questions or comments on the program. Hearing from you, on the ground, truly helps fuel our advocacy efforts. We will talk more about the importance of grassroots efforts and feedback on our next Member Talk as we gear up for TIAC annual Hill Days in mid-February. Make sure that you register as we will have The Honourable Minister Randy Boissonnault join us for a conversation on February 8 at 12:15pm ET. 
 
Your feedback on the Tourism Relief Fund (TRF) via our recent industry wide survey will be much appreciated. TIAC has been advocating for the faster roll out of the TRF support to the industry. We have also asked the government to consider supporting projects under this Fund that help tourism operators recover and relaunch their businesses from the pandemic in addition to projects which i) create new or enhance existing tourism experiences and products to attract more local and domestic visitors; and ii) help the sector reposition itself to welcome international visitors. Please take a few minutes to fill out our survey so that we can accurately represent the industry’s interests and experiences as we continue conversations with federal officials on this particular program.  
 
Please reach out with any comments or questions on our advocacy work at beth@tiac-aitc.ca 
 
Sincerely,  
 
Beth Potter 
President and CEO 
Tourism Industry Association of Canada 
Dear Tourism Stakeholders, 
 
The TIAC Team is pleased to provide you with this update on the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, including the steps government is taking to address the situation, as well as highlights of our recent advocacy efforts. We are working hard to make sure the industry’s voice is heard by government, and that you have the information you need to keep your business going in these uncertain times.  
TIAC Advocacy Update  
TIAC Hill Days – February 15 to 17, 2022 
  
The purpose of TIAC’s Hill Event is to raise awareness for the tourism industry and the issues it faces. The meetings we organize help educate federal officials, while strengthening relationships with Parliamentarians. These conversations allow members and stakeholders to get involved directly, while mobilizing grassroots efforts of members across the country.
 
More information on TIAC’s key messaging for these meetings, and how you can get involved, will be shared on our next Member Talk, February 8th.
Member TALK
Description: Join TIAC President and CEO Beth Potter and special guest Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, The Honourable Randy Boissonnault.
Date: Feb 8, 2022
Time:12:15PM EST–**NEW TIME**
TIAC President and CEO, Beth Potter, met with the new Associate Deputy Minister at ISED, Francis Bilodeau, to brief him on our key priorities – financial support, labour and border access. We are eager to work with Mr. Bilodeau moving forward on the industry’s recovery.

TIAC met with MP Pam Damoff to discuss our position regarding on-arrival testing and restrictions, and the importance of ensuring our border requirements are in line with global counterparts.

TIAC also met with Kelly Power, Director General with the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) to discuss how the Tourism Relief Fund is going. As noted above, we would greatly appreciate you taking a few minutes to tell us how your experience has been as we continue tour advocacy on this front. Please find our survey here.

TIAC also met with the policy team in Minister Duclos office to discuss the issue of on arrival testing and quarantine wait times for international visitors, particularly in the west regarding ski vacations at this time.
 
We continue our regular touch base with department officials at Industry, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) where we brief contacts on the major issues the industry is facing and what we need to do to move to recovery.

 
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Madison Simmons, Director of Government Affairs, at msimmons@tiac-aitc.ca .
 
TIAC in the Media 
The Tourism Industry Association of Canada is committed to providing accurate and timely information regarding COVID-19 restrictions and updates impacting both our members and travelers.