Federal-Provincial-Territorial Meeting of the Canadian Council of Tourism Ministers

September 9, 2014 – Charlottetown, Prince Edward  Island – Industry Canada

Federal, provincial and territorial  ministers responsible for tourism met this week to discuss the competitiveness  of the tourism sector in Canada and other topics related to the industry.

This meeting of the Canadian Council of  Tourism Ministers was co-chaired by the Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of  State (Small Business and Tourism) (Agriculture), and the Honourable Robert  Henderson, Prince Edward Island Minister of Tourism and Culture.

The ministers were given a presentation by the  Tourism Industry Association of Canada on the importance of the American market  for our country. The exchanges that followed the presentation helped to foster  collaboration among the various levels of government to encourage U.S.  travellers to come to Canada.

In addition, the ministers heard from the Aboriginal  Tourism Marketing Circle, a national association dedicated to promoting  Aboriginal tourism, on preliminary results of the National Aboriginal Tourism  Research Project on this expanding segment of the market and unveiled a brand new  national Aboriginal Tourism Web Portal.

The ministers also discussed the importance of advancing  a strong and competitive air sector that meets the travel needs of Canadian and  international travellers, for Canada’s economic prosperity.

The ministers reiterated their commitment to growing  the tourism sector because of its importance to the Canadian economy.

The meeting of the Canadian  Council of Tourism Ministers is to be followed by the first ever joint  meeting with ministers responsible for culture and heritage, co-chaired by the Honourable Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian  Heritage and Official Languages, and Minister Henderson  from Prince Edward Island. The joint tourism, culture and heritage meeting will give ministers a unique  opportunity to discuss making Canada’s 150th anniversary celebrations a success.

Quick  facts / Meeting outcomes

   
• Tourism is a vital sector of  the economy and creates jobs in all regions of Canada. In 2013, tourism  revenues in Canada grew by  over 3 percent to $84.5 billion and the number of tourism  jobs reached 618,900.
   
• The ministers discussed the importance of  collaboration across jurisdictions to develop effective ways to contribute to the success and strength of the  tourism sector.
   
• The ministers responsible for tourism agree that  the U.S. remains an important market and have committed their support for a  Federal-Provincial-Territorial Working Group to look at developing a  collaborative approach to encourage U.S. travellers to come to Canada.
   
• At the next Canadian  Council of Tourism Ministers’ meeting, provinces and territories will  have the opportunity to report on Aboriginal tourism initiatives under way across  the country.

Quotes

“The tourism industry is a vital part of Canada’s  economy. Together, we are continuing our work to position Canada’s tourism  industry to seize opportunities at home and abroad while reaffirming our  commitment to supporting growth and job creation in Canada.”
– The  Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of State (Small  Business and Tourism) (Agriculture)

“It is a pleasure to  host my tourism colleagues from across the country in Charlottetown. We had  productive discussions that will have an impact on Canada’s economy from coast  to coast to coast. Tourism is an important industry in Prince Edward Island,  and I am happy to showcase what our province has to offer leading up to  Canada’s 150th birthday.”
– The Honourable  Robert Henderson, Prince Edward Island Minister of Tourism and Culture

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Contacts

Laurence  Gagnon d’Entremont
Press  Secretary
Office of  the Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism) (Agriculture)
613-943-6183

Media Relations
Industry Canada
613-943-2502
media-relations@ic.gc.ca

Andrew Sprague
Senior Communications Officer
Prince Edward Island Department of Tourism and  Culture
902-368-5535
902-314-0945 (cell)
asgsprague@gov.pe.ca