A Message from Our President & CEO  

As the national voice of tourism, we bring our readers the latest news, data and trends impacting Canadian businesses. Advocating for tourism, in Ottawa and throughout Canada, the TIAC team keeps a busy outreach agenda, from which each edition of TIAC Talk brings you the latest updates.

Thank you for your ongoing support, and as always, feel free to reach out to me at any time at beth@tiac-aitc.ca.

Keep well,

Beth Potter 
President & CEO
Tourism Industry Association of Canada
ADVOCACY
Advocacy Update
Open the Border
TIAC has advocated tirelessly for a clear, evidence-based border reopening plan, and was heartened to hear the federal announcement last week on relaxed border measures.

Beginning August 9 at 12:01 am EDT, Canada’s border will reopen to fully vaccinated travellers from the United States – citizens and permanent residents who are currently residing in the United States. Pre-arrival testing requirements are still in place.
 
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EVENTS
Registration is Open for the 2021 TIAC Tourism Congress
Save the date! TIAC’s Tourism Congress will take place November 30 – December 1, 2021.

Under the theme “Forging Canada’s Tourism Future,” this year’s Tourism Congress will focus on how to recover, rebuild and reimagine the Canadian tourism sector after the COVID-19 pandemic.

As you reconnect with your peers, you’ll get:
  • Timely insights into national and global tourism trends
  • Relevant updates from your region and industry
  • Practical information and tools to rebuild your business post-pandemic

Are you looking to build brand awareness?
The 2021 TIAC Tourism Congress (TTC) brings together business owners, senior management, and key corporate decision-makers for 2 days of focused engagement on the future of travel and tourism. This year the TTC is being planned as an in-person and online event from November 30th to December 1st.

Canadian Tourism Awards Nominations Now Open
The CTAs are presented annually by TIAC to recognize success, leadership, and innovation in Canada's tourism industry, and to reward those people, places, organizations, and events that have gone above and beyond to offer travellers superior tourism experiences in Canada.

Don’t miss our key deadlines
→ Nominations close August 31st
→ Finalists announced October 1st
→ Awards Ceremony December 1st

Member TALK - Priorities During the Potential Election
Mark your calendar for our next Member TALK taking place Tuesday, August 10th from 3:00 - 4:00 pm EDT. (Note: time change) to discuss border updates and priorities as we head into a highly speculated Fall Federal election.

The August Member TALK will take place the day after the Canada border opens to fully vaccinated United States residents and Beth Potter, your President and CEO will provide an update. Beth will also speak on the potential federal election.

Beth will be joined by Huw Williams, President of Impact Public Affairs who will provide insights on the importance of advocacy and grassroots efforts during an election.

Following Huw, Beth will open the floor to members to better understand priorities and what you think should be TIAC's number one priority during the potential election.

As a TIAC member, this is your opportunity to share your priorities and concerns.

Member TALKs take place on the second Tuesday of every month.

MEMBER CORNER
Looking for login information to access your
membership account? Please click here, submit your
email and check your inbox for details. 
Tourism Relief Fund – TIAC Member Community Forum
As your national industry association, TIAC is delighted to see the launch of the Tourism Relief Fund (TRF) and encourage members to check with their Regional Development Agency to find out how they can take advantage of this funding.

The TRF will provide $500 million in support for the tourism sector over two years. The majority of the funding, $485 million, will be delivered by Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) directly to tourism businesses and organizations to help aid in the creation of new tourism experiences or enhance existing ones. Of this $485 million, a minimum of 10% will be invested in Indigenous tourism projects.  

Member Testimonial
“TIAC went above and beyond expectations during Covid. The entire industry owes you a great debt of gratitude.”
Destination Cape Breton
Hello to New and Renewed Members
TIAC would like to extend a warm welcome to our new members, as well as those who renewed their membership since our June 2021 TIAC Talk edition:

New

Renewed
Thank you to the members who reaffirmed their support of TIAC by renewing their membership in June. We know these have been challenging times and we thank you for your continued investment, confidence in TIAC, and engagement.

For more information on our renewed members and a complete list, click here.
AVIS: Looking forward to welcoming you
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To learn more about what we are doing to raise the bar for cleanliness and safety, please visit avis.ca/en/safety-pledge.

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BUDGET: Canada Awaits
We go the extra mile to offer a complete experience to meet your need. From a compact to a full-size car, one-way or round trip, we make your move easy and worthy.

Save up to 35% off base rates with pay now on your car rental*

We promise to get you on the road safely!

*Terms Apply
SUSTAINABILITY
Breaking Down the Business Case for Sustainable Tourism 
Contributed by Angela Nagy, GreenStep Solutions

Businesses with a well-planned sustainability strategy can increase their profits by 51% to 81%. Yet, when the terms “sustainable tourism”, “going green”, or “responsible tourism” come up in the boardroom, there is often an assumption that taking action in these areas will just lead to another line item on the expense side of the budget. As a result, many organizations are missing out on significant opportunities to cut costs, increase revenue, and ultimately improve profitability.

Based on years of research and hands-on work with a wide range of businesses, Canadian author and speaker Bob Willard has identified that if a typical company were to use best-practice sustainability approaches, it could improve its profits by at least 51% within three to five years, while avoiding a potential 16% to 36% erosion of profits from doing nothing. Improving profits by over 50% sounds great on paper, but where do these numbers come from?

INDUSTRY NEWS
Canadian Travel News Highlights
July has been a busy month for the Canadian tourism industry with major border and vaccine-related announcements. Here are some of this month’s biggest news highlights:
 

  • EU approves entry for Canadians to travel – News Link



  • Indigenous businesses in Atlantic Canada to receive $13 million from the federal government – News link

  • Federal government working with the international community on vaccine passport – Release link
ECE HUB July Highlight: Culinary Tourism Exceeding Expectations webinar
The goal of this webinar is to arm you with the information and tactics needed to exceed visitor expectations of your culinary tourism offerings. This includes developing the ability to:
  • Differentiate between culinary tourism and other forms of tourism, while identifying examples of culinary experiences relevant to your region;
  • Describe the breadth and diversity of businesses involved in culinary tourism through deconstructing the culinary tourism value chain; and
  • Explain to tourism operators and stakeholders why culinary tourism is a vital component in servicing the needs of travellers.

PUBLICATIONS
Finder's Travel Index: Canadian Travel Appetite
Interest in travel among Canadians is falling compared to last month. Finder’s July Travel Index reveals that 17.65% of Canadians say they plan to travel in the next three months, down from 22.15% in the June survey.

Tourism HR Expanded Tourism Employment Tracker with Interactive Maps
Tourism HR has the latest on how increasing vaccination rates and easing restrictions have impacted the tourism workforce. Check out their interactive Tourism Employment Tracker below.

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