Canada's tourism sector
POTENTIAL WORTH EXPLORING
By Randy Williams,
President and CEO,
Tourism Industry Association of Canada
Without question, tourism has become a powerhouse industry worldwide. With close to $3 trillion being spent annually on worldwide personal travel and another $743 billion spent on business travel, tourism continues to grow and evolve into a vibrant economic sector.
Across the globe, countries are recognizing the remarkable prospects that tourism has to become an engine of their economy. By some estimates, travel and tourism will account for 10.7 per cent of global GDP and more than 231 million jobs. The economic and social opportunities that are presented by tourism for many countries are undeniable, and they are becoming increasingly competitive in order to carve off their piece of that pie.
The theme of Tourism Week in Canada this year is “Potential Worth Exploring,” and this speaks to the remarkable opportunities that we have as a nation to step forward and become a major player in this essential economic sector. Tourism is a $70-billion industry in Canada, and the jobs of more than 1.6 million Canadians are reliant on the continued growth of the tourism sector.
The remarkable impact that tourism has on our economy speaks to the need for Canada to recognize the potential for our domestic tourism sector. We need to take action now to ensure that Canada remains competitive in a global market where aggressive and innovative marketing strategies to attract visitors are becoming the norm.
If Canada is to succeed in the global tourism market, we cannot simply rest on our laurels and on our positive image in the world. Certainly, we can capitalize on our strengths as a destination, such as our vast natural beauty and our vibrant cosmopolitan centres. But we also need to identify and address the challenges that
impede our ability to compete with other destinations.
This is why the Tourism Industry Association of Canada embarked on a far-reaching, consultative process over the past year to evaluate and address the issues affecting our competitiveness. The outcome of this is the Report on Canada’s Tourism Competitiveness, which will be released as part of Tourism Week.
The report identifies a number of issues that put Canada at a competitive disadvantage, including:
• the need for more robust and rational marketing strategies;
• the need to make it easier and more economical to reach Canada by air;
• the need to effectively manage our borders so that travellers from the United States are able to visit Canada without unnecessary delays;
• the need for an improved intermodal transportation system that makes it easier to travel throughout our country;
• a commitment to sustainable and environmentally responsible tourism products; and
• the need for human resources strategies to ensure that we are able to attract and retain the workers necessary to keep our industry running smoothly.
The good news about many of the competitive issues that were identified by the tourism industry within the report is that they are well within our ability to take them on. What we require is for our industry partners and stakeholders within the various levels of government to take up the challenge and help make our industry thrive.
There is truly a world of potential for the tourism industry in Canada. Now we need the resolve and the resourcefulness to explore this potential to its fullest.
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TO READ THE FULL REPORT AS IT APPEARED IN THE GLOBE AND MAIL, PLEASE CLICK THE ATTACHED PDF ABOVE>