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February 7 | Issue

News

Message from the President & CEO


As we look forward to a spring and summer season without public health and travel restrictions, the sector’s work building forward is just beginning. 


Last summer, the Government of Canada launched the Tourism Growth Strategy Consultation to help our industry, which was uniquely the hardest hit by the pandemic. The Tourism Growth Strategy is critically important to the future of our sector.


We need to ensure that this is made a priority by the Government and that the Strategy is adequately financed via the upcoming Budget. I am asking you for your help ()

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Our Voices are Louder Together 


Last summer, the Government of Canada launched its Tourism Growth Strategy Consultation to help our industry - the first hit and hardest hit by the pandemic. Throughout the summer, TIAC gathered input from members on what the government should prioritize in order to achieve its goals of increasing growth, investment and stability for the sector and submitted its recommendations in this report.


This spring, the Tourism Growth Strategy is set to be released. TIAC is asking for your support now to ensure that Members of Parliament across the country prioritize tourism in Budget 2023. 


Here’s how you can help:  


  • Send a pre-written letter to your Member of Parliament. It takes just one click to do so! 


  • Download and share the images and messaging available here on your social media. Don’t forget to tag us! 
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Have you Been to a Tourism Town Hall? 


Team TIAC is still on the road bringing Tourism Town Halls across Canada. Launched last month and running through April, TIAC is meeting with businesses and stakeholders from coast to coast to coast across Canada – and you’re invited. The sessions will be delivered in person in every province and territory (with recordings to be made available after each Town Hall); and will offer a forum for the industry to meet with TIAC representatives and partners to discuss, debate and have dialogue on the most pressing issues facing the industry. See the remaining available dates at the link below!

Register Now

READI, Set, Go

As the national voice and champion of the industry, TIAC has created the READI program to help tourism businesses thrive in challenging times. Made possible with the support of the Government of Canada, the programs and resources under the READI program (of which the Tourism Town Halls are a part of) are designed to educate and elevate SMEs operating in the space; enabling them to learn, grow, and adapt as the recovery continues.


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Cities are Back!


The World Travel and Tourism Council recently collaborated with Visa (as sponsor) to develop its latest Cities Economic Impact Research looking at 82 cities worldwide to analyze direct travel and tourism GDP contribution, employment, international and domestic visitor spending, leisure and business spending.


According to the report, 10 of the 82 cities analyzed are projected to exceed pre-pandemic levels in terms of direct travel and tourism GDP contribution to the local economy this year.


The report not only analyzes the historic performance, but also lays out 10-year forecasts.

Read Report

Tourism Set to Return to Pre-Pandemic Levels in Some Regions in 2023


According to new data from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), more than 900 million tourists travelled internationally in 2022 – double the number recorded in 2021, though still 63% of pre-pandemic levels. Every global region recorded notable increases in international tourist numbers, with the Middle East achieved the strongest relative increase as arrivals climbed to 83% of pre-pandemic numbers. Europe reached nearly 80% of pre-pandemic levels as it welcomed 585 million arrivals in 2022. Africa and the Americas both recovered about 65% of their pre-pandemic visitors, while Asia and the Pacific reached only 23%. The first UNWTO World Tourism Barometer of 2023 also analyzes performance by region and looks at top performers in 2022, including several destinations which have already recovered 2019 levels.

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Members' Corner

TIAC Members Only: You’re Invited to the Next Ask an Expert Webinar

As a TIAC Member and Associate, we are pleased to deliver unique opportunities to help your business or organization thrive. Our Ask an Expert webinars are geared to do just that, each featuring experts in their field sharing key information and insights. Join us for the next two webinar sessions:


-       Feb. 15, 2 to 3 p.m. ET: Tell Stories, Reach Travellers. Learn how to stand out in a crowd!

-       March 29, 2 to 3 p.m.: LGBTQ+ travel market.


Get inclusive to tap into the power of this market! To register, log in to your Member Area of the website below and select the webinars that interest you. You’ll also find recordings of previous webinars and other members-only resources. (Not a member, join today!).

Register Now

TIAC Partners with Ottawa Tourism

TIAC has partnered with Ottawa Tourism to offer present members of the destination management organization the streamlined benefits and services made available through TIAC’s Associate Membership program.


Members of Ottawa Tourism can now access certain TIAC benefits and services for free, for a three-month period with the code: AMOT25!


Want to learn more about how your tourism organization can partner with TIAC and create more value for our members? Contact Jennifer Taylor, VP Business Development & Member Relations at [email protected].




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Hello to New and Renewed TIAC Members


The Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) is delighted to welcome our newest members, who joined us in January:

New Full Members:

·     Carmana Hotel & Suites

·     Canadian Tours International

·     Central Coastal Tourism Partnership

·     Toronto Botanical Garden

·     Sewell’s Marina

·     O'Shack Glampign Inc

·     Comfort Inn Chilliwack

·     What Is Your Story

·     City of Guelph - Tourism Services

·     Western Valley Regional Service Commission

·     MEM - Centre des mémoires montréalaises

·     Tourism Valemount

·     Tourism Red Deer

·     County of Brant




New Associate Members:

·     Goat Roti Chronicles

·     CADSI

·     St-Albert Cheese Factory

·     Made In Canada Gifts

·     eSAX Virtual Events

Thank you to the TIAC Members who have renewed and continue to support our advocacy efforts. Our success depends on you! TIAC is the Champion of Canada’s Tourism Industry with a 90-year track record of creating positive change and new opportunities for our members. 


To learn more about what TIAC does and the benefits of membership, contact Jennifer Taylor, VP Business Development & Member Relations at [email protected] or Julie Gauvreau, Manager, Member Services at [email protected].

Not a member? Become one!

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TIAC Member Spotlight


Get to know a TIAC member in this new feature of TIAC Talk! This week, we talked to Margaret Doyle, a tourism industry Brand Storyteller and Content Strategist with her own company, What is Your Story.


1. Tell our readers about What is Your Story. 

When I founded What Is Your Story in 2011, it seemed like the one question I was asking every business started with, what is your story? And I am still asking that question! Because uncovering core stories inevitably opens up possibilities for strategy, content creation, and a brand storytelling that goes beyond the ‘surface’. We take a holistic approach to brand development, training, and content creation.


2. What's your role there?

I am the founder of What Is Your Story. My role in a nutshell is being able to see what a story wants to be and realizing its greatest potential. Full disclosure, I stole that approach from Michelangelo! The story goes, that Michelangelo let the stone ‘tell him’ what it wanted to be. In other words, there’s always a story there but sometimes we don’t listen to what its potential could be. So, it’s my job to make sure I communicate the opportunity, catch that ‘lighting in a bottle’ and translate it into real-world results for my clients.


3. What is are the most pressing issues facing your clients in the business?

Navigating the demands of content—whether its budgets, learning new technologies, or managing growth and scaling a brand story in an omnichannel environment, this is the ongoing ‘thorn’ in my clients’ sides. With the intense pressures most businesses are under in 2023, a strategic approach to content is a survival skill.


4. Why did you join TIAC?

I’ve been working in hospitality and tourism since 2000 in a variety of roles but over the past decade, I’ve done a lot of coaching and training in different communities across Canada, and I felt it was time to connect with the broader community of TIAC as a whole.



What TIAC member benefit do you find most useful?

An amazing opportunity to connect with other members and get a clearer sense of where the needs lie as they relate to the future of tourism storytelling. There’s so much talent in this country and I’m excited to meet more people pushing the creative edge of storytelling.

From the Archives


Did you know that TIAC is one of Canada’s oldest member-based organizations? Founded as the Canadian Tourist Association in 1931 with a mandate to encourage the development of tourism in Canada, the organization rebranded in 1971 as the "Travel Industry Association of Canada.”


Some two decades later, TIAC pledged to the Prime Minister of Canada that it would do everything in its power to ensure the establishment of a Canadian Tourism Commission, which came to pass in 1995 and is known today as Destination Canada. Throughout its lifetime, TIAC has played a significant role in promoting travel in Canada, centered around three main purposes:



  • To encourage travel to and within Canada and increase the economic and social benefits to all Canadians
  • To promote the growth and development of travel services and facilities within Canada
  • To enhance the awareness of the importance of tourism at all levels of the public and private sectors


Learn more about TIAC’s present-day vision and mission below!

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TIAC Events At-a-Glance


  • February-April: Tourism Town Halls

       - Mar. 7: Winnipeg

       - Mar. 15: Whitehorse

       - Mar. 17: Iqaluit

       - Mar. 30: Charlottetown

       -Apr. 4: Yellowknife

       -Apr 5: Montreal

       -Apr 17: Halifax

-Apr 19: Moncton


  • April 24 – 30: Tourism Week in Canada
  • May 30-June 2: Rendez-vous Canada 2023, Quebec City
  • Nov. 21-22: Tourism Congress, Ottawa
  • Nov. 22: Canadian Tourism Awards, Ottawa



National Members’ Events

  • March 8-10: International Indigenous Tourism Conference
  • March 30: Global Meetings Industry Day

Events

RVC2023 Registration Reminder


Canada’s premier international tourism marketplace is back and better than ever; coproduced once again by TIAC and Destination Canada. This year’s RVC2023 will be in-person only at the Quebec City Convention Centre, May 30 to June 2. The annual, by-invitation-only event is open to qualified, market-ready sellers of Canadian travel products/services and promises to be an exciting forum for forging new contacts, strengthening existing partnerships, and gaining the inside track on the industry. Seller booth registration fees start at $3,400 (taxes extra).

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TIAC Member Advantage 



It pays to be a part of TIAC! Until March 10, TIAC Members SAVE $400 on full and half-booth registrations, plus receive a FREE upgraded listing in the RVC Online directory. Not a TIAC Member? No problem now is the perfect time to join and start enjoying the benefits.


To sign up for TIAC membership, contact Julie Gauvreau at [email protected] or by phone at 613-688-1454 (French and English service offered).




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Branding Opportunities at RVC2023


Only one travel and tourism event in Canada allows you to connect your brand to the most extensive international audience: Rendez-vous Canada (RVC)! A world-class conference that connects international buyers with Canadian sellers of tourism products, this year’s Quebec City event will bring together approximately 1700 tourism business leaders for more than 30,000 one-on-one appointments, experienced-based luncheons, exclusive breakfasts, and engaging networking opportunities. Get your brand in front of an audience with influence!

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Sustainability

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5 Planning Tips for Making an Impact in 2023

Contributed by GreenStep Solutions


As you look to set new goals for your tourism business or destination in 2023, it’s important to consider integrating sustainability into your plans. With a well thought out sustainability strategy, your business or organization can increase your financial performance and make a positive impact on the world at ().

Thank you to our Industry Patrons!