Tourism Counts – February 9, 2022
TIAC continues our work on getting Canada’s tourism industry back to business. We need to dispel the myth that travel is not safe right now, and reaffirm that the safety of Canadians, and all travellers, is paramount to our industry. We look forward to our annual Hill Days next week so that we can deliver this messaging directly to Parliamentarians. More information on these meetings can be found in the next section of this email.
I will be appearing before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance this Thursday, February 10 at 3:30 pm ET, discussing our pre-budget submission recommendations, including amendments to the Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program (THRP) and debt relief for loans taken out through the RRRF and CEBA programs. The final document will be available to members later this week.
We had a very productive meeting last week strategizing on how to combat the major labour challenge. We will be circling back with each of you for your support on this important advocacy work. We need to work on the reputational damage that has happened to our industry during the pandemic.
I was thrilled to have Minister Boissonnault join our Member Talk yesterday, February 8. We discussed plans for the industry moving forward, including how we can communicate to the world that Canada is part of the seamless travel experience and is welcoming visitors. Watch the recording here.
We also continue our important work with the Coalition of Hardest Hit Businesses and the Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable. We have been working on updating our strategies and you will hear from us in the coming days on our new initiatives.
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