Message from the President & CEO

Allow me to share with you some of the latest developments in the federal budget for 2023, which includes news for the Canadian tourism industry.  

The government has confirmed that it will present a new Federal Tourism Growth Strategy to chart a course for growth, investment, and stability in Canada’s tourism sector, although we do not have a clear indication of when this will occur.

One of the most significant investments in the budget (...)

Budget 2023 

Last week’s Federal Budget announced the first building blocks of the government’s new Federal Tourism Growth Strategy. 

Budget 2023 also confirmed the federal government will present a new Federal Tourism Growth Strategy to chart a course for growth, investment and stability in Canada’s tourism sector. 

Specifically, the Budget announced the following investments: 

• $108 million over 3 years, starting in 2023-24, to the Regional Development Agencies to support communities, small businesses and non-profit organizations in developing local projects and events. 

• $50 million over 3 years, starting in 2023-24, to Destination Canada to attract major international conventions, conferences and events to Canada. 

There are several other measures included in Budget 2023 that impact our sector and our members. We will assess the implications of these announcements as soon as possible.  

For more information on announcements related to tourism, see here.  

New Immigration Pathway Announcement

On March 27, the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC) announced a new Canada Immigration pathway under the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) to help employers hire skilled refugees and other displaced individuals. 

The EMPP pairs skilled refugees and other qualified displaced individuals with Canadian employers who need to overcome labour shortages in key occupations. This allows Canada to welcome vulnerable people, while giving Canadian employers access to an untapped talent pool from which they can attract and retain employees with the skills they need to help grow our economy. 

The Government of Canada is expanding the EMPP by creating a new federal pathway. The new pathway, which will complement existing EMPP pathways, will open this summer.

Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) Announcement

On March 27, the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, announced the extension of measures that were implemented last year, in April 2022, as part of the TFWP Workforce Solutions Road Map. 

As noted in the announcement, effective April 3, 2023, the following TFWP measures will be extended until October 30, 2023: 

1. permitting employers in seven sectors (including Accommodation and Food Services) with demonstrated labour shortages to hire up to 30 percent of their workforce through the TFW Program, for low-wage positions; 
2. maintaining the validity period of Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIA) at 18 months; and, 
3. maintaining the maximum duration of employment for low-wage positions for a period up to two years. 

The Road Map measures are intended to help employers address current labour shortages across many sectors and occupations, create greater stability in the economy and build a stronger Canadian workforce for today and tomorrow.