A Message from our President & CEO  

The TIAC team continues to advocate on your behalf to ensure that businesses will survive during this time of transition from lockdown to reopening.

Working with our colleagues on the Hardest Hit Coalition, we continue to remind government that tourism will require on-going support through programs like the wage subsidy and the rent subsidy longer that many other businesses.

We have also raised our collective voice to ask for a plan to reopen the US Canada border. In collaboration with the provinces and territory industry associations, the Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable, and you, our members, we have been bringing this narrative to the streets, to Parliament Hill and to the White House. Already, we have garnered more than 300 media articles on this subject, including major Canadian outlets (CBC, CTV, Globe & Mail, BNN, etc.) and US outlets such as the Washington Post, the New York Times, and Forbes.

We are beginning to hear a change in the tone of conversations with government officials, and we hope to get more clarity on when and how the border will reopen in the coming days.

I hope that you are following along with our activities – and more importantly, adding your voice to ours by writing a letter to your MP via our campaign site OpenUsCanBorder.caThe more that MPs hear from their constituents, the more likely they will be to raise your concerns with their caucus colleagues. So please take a few minutes and write.

It’s been quite the month! We continue to keep our foot on the gas, and will do so until your business is open and welcoming guests once again.

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

Keep well,

Beth Potter 
President & CEO
Tourism Industry Association of Canada
ADVOCACY
Advocacy Update
TIAC is working to keep the continued pressure up after the launch of the #OpentheBorder campaign earlier this month. We are calling on the federal government to commit to a plan for reopening the Canada-U.S. border.

With vaccinations rising and case numbers going down, we must now pivot to more forward-thinking policies, and talk about safely reopening the border, ending the extreme financial crush that has devastated the tourism economy in Canada.

As other countries start welcoming travellers to their countries, Canada has fallen behind. We must prepare to open the border quickly and safely, and in turn restart our visitor economy. Without question, now is time for the federal government to put in place an evidence-based plan to reopen the border to restart travel.
 
MEMBER CORNER
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National Voice for the Visitor Economy
The Tourism Industry Association of Canada is the National Voice for the Visitor Economy. 
 
As a not-for-profit, membership-driven advocacy organization, we represent tourism operators and stakeholders from coast to coast to coast.
 
During these difficult times, our number one priority is ensuring the tourism industry not only survives but can fully recover post-pandemic.
 
Our work involves campaigning and advocating for positive change, support and relief measures at the Federal level and with political influencers. We do this on your behalf so you can stay focused on your business.  
 
We are in Ottawa elevating your needs and asking for action like opening the border for international travel or championing for the extension of wage and rent relief.  

Member Testimonial
We get great value out of the TIAC events and connection to the membership. Being a member of TIAC has helped our business in Canada grow.
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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 May 2021 TIAC Talk edition:

New

Renewed
Thank you to the members who reaffirmed their support of TIAC by renewing their membership in February. 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.
QUASEP: TIAC’s Exclusive Group Purchasing Program Provider
Written by William Chan, Account Manager, QUASEP

As we are (hopefully) starting to return to normalcy, it is our hope to assist TIAC members become more profitable through revenue and savings opportunities. We believe this is especially important now as many operators are looking to make up for lost revenue due to the pandemic. If you are looking for additional revenue and savings opportunities for your operations, here are some highlights of the QUASEP program to consider:

SUSTAINABILITY
Have you Taken the Sustainable Tourism 2030 Pledge?
The Sustainable Tourism 2030 Pledge is a commitment to improving the sustainability performance of your tourism business or destination between now and 2030.

INDUSTRY NEWS
Canadian Travel News Highlights
Ontario Tourism Education Corporation (OTEC) Launches Phase 2 of their Tourism Hospitality Emergency Recovery (THER) Initiative
The Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) is proud to partner with the Ontario Tourism Education Corporation (OTEC) to promote the launch of Phase 2 of their Tourism Hospitality Emergency Recovery (THER) initiative, in partnership with the Future Skills Centre (FSC).

Building on the success of the pilot project launched in spring 2020 to respond to the immediate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Ontario’s tourism and hospitality sector, the Future Skills Centre is reinvesting to scale the THER project nationally in support of Canada's hardest hit sector.

As the sector shifts from immediate response to long term recovery planning, OTEC will lead this national workforce recovery initiative, focusing on:


Join the THER community! Visit LetsGetReady.ca and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
Elevating Canadian Experiences Hub – June Highlight
As the Canadian tourism industry is slowly reopening and recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, we thought it timely to highlight our research report on Canadians’ Perceptions of Domestic Travel that can be found in our Elevating Canadian Experience Resources Hub.

This report was made possible through the research conducted by our partners at Twenty31 earlier this year. Perspective is provided in terms of Canadians’ travel preferences and plans and ultimately how they view their country as a destination. The findings detailed in this overview report are based on a survey of a representative sample of 2,750 leisure travellers in Canada. The report provides a profile of key destinations, a profile and interest in key attractions along with other opportunities. It also includes focused perspectives and preferences towards winter/shoulder season travellers.

Public Services and Procurement Canada unveils design, scope and timelines for rehabilitation of Centre Block
PSPC is restoring and modernizing the Centre Block, Canada’s main Parliament Building, so that it meets the needs of a 21st-century Parliament and is accessible to Canadians and visitors for generations to come. Recently, PSPC provided an update on the progress of this historic project, including the presentation of concept designs for the Centre Block and the new Parliament Welcome Centre.

Check out the links below for more information and even a walkthrough of the final design:

Public Opinion Research about Parliament Hill
Have your say on the future of Parliament Hill and its surroundings! Public Services and Procurement Canada has launched a national online survey and is looking for your feedback on what amenities are important to you as part of the visitor experience. The survey takes about 10-12 minutes to complete and will be active for the next 3-4 weeks.

PUBLICATIONS
DC: Visitor Economy Forecast Update June 2021
Destination Canada has released a new report; Visitor Economy Forecast Update, June 2021. The report highlights the intricacies and factors in restarting the economy and travel.

Tourism HR: Post-COVID Future of The Tourism Workforce
An in-depth look at the systemic issues facing the tourism sector’s labour force and at the effect of COVID-19, and recommends how to make the tourism sector more sustainable and resilient as we recover from this crisis. While the primary focus is employment-related considerations, broader economic, social, and political factors are also considered to contextualize the findings.

DC: Provincial & Territorial Reopening Plans
Provincial authorities have outlined their reopening plans, and Destination Canada is keeping track for you. Click here to view a comprehensive list of each Province’s current reopening plan.
EVENTS
2021 TIAC Tourism Congress
This year’s TIAC Tourism Congress takes place from November 30 to December 1st, in-person and on-screen.
 
Building on the success of the 2020 Virtual Tourism Congress, this year’s 2-day event provides quality, relevant and targeted content for tourism operators, associations, educators, students, influencers, politicians, and decision makers.
 
The safety, health, and well-being of our attendees are our top priority. As we continue to work to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, we’re excited about the unique opportunities an in-person and on-screen event presents.
 
A special edition of the Canadian Tourism Awards will be held in conjunction with the Tourism Congress.
 
Stay tuned for the launch of the TIAC Tourism Congress website next week!
Interested in Sponsoring this year’s TIAC Tourism Congress?
For two days, TIAC Tourism Congress attendees from across the country come together in-person and online to learn, network, and be inspired. As a sponsor, you’ll have the opportunity to engage with a wide range of business owners, senior management, and key corporate decision-makers.

Check out our sponsorship package or contact us at jtaylor@tiac-aitc.ca if you have questions.
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.

This year, the 2021 Canadian Tourism Awards are scheduled for December 1st, and will be a salute to the perseverance, resilience, and fortitude of the sector; its operators, and employees. The awards categories are as follows:

  • Business Excellence Award
  • Indigenous Tourism Award
  • Sustainable Tourism Award
  • Tourism Employee Appreciation Award

Click here to learn more about the awards and nomination process.
Member TALK
Mark your calendar for our next Member TALK taking place Tuesday, July 13th from 2:00 - 3:00 pm EDT.
 
As a TIAC member, this is your opportunity to have your questions answered by TIAC's commander and chief and hear first hand what the organization is doing for you.
 
Member TALKs take place on the second Tuesday of every month.

Tourism Town Hall Series
Only one virtual Tourism Town Hall left to go! 

TIAC, in partnership with Destination Canada and local host partners, have been meeting with Canadian tourism operators across Canada to gain first-hand input on issues affecting their tourism businesses.

Local small and medium-sized business owners have also had the opportunity to better understand the efforts being made on national tourism issues by TIAC, and ask questions directly to TIAC’s President & CEO, Beth Potter.

Our last Tourism Town Hall takes place virtually in Nova Scotia, stay tuned for more information on the date and registration.

Did you know you can watch previous Tourism Town Halls on our website?
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