Meeting of the Canadian Council of Tourism Ministers

January 14, 2016 – Winnipeg, Manitoba – Innovation,  Science and Economic Development Canada

Enhancing  the competitiveness of Canadian tourism and fostering cooperation across Canada  were the key themes today at the Canadian Council of  Tourism Ministers’ meeting, which was co-chaired by the Honourable Bardish Chagger, Minister of Small Business and Tourism, and the Honourable Ron  Lemieux, Manitoba’s Minister of Tourism, Culture, Heritage, Sport and Consumer  Protection.

Provinces, territories,  municipalities, industry and Destination Canada are working together on—and  co-investing in—a comprehensive, three-year, industry-aligned marketing  campaign in the U.S. Launching in spring 2016, the Connecting Americamarketing campaign will help boost  travel and tourism.

The ministers provided updates on Indigenous tourism  projects and discussed their respective governments’ successes and challenges. They heard from Indigenous and Northern  Affairs Canada (INAC) and the Aboriginal Tourism Association of Canada  (ATAC) about findings of the National Aboriginal  Tourism Research Project 2015. INAC and ATAC outlined a strategic plan for  the future on how to best support continued growth.

New efforts to streamline visa application  processes and the growth of the sharing economy were also discussed.

Finally,  the ministers identified as a priority the  creation of a new strategy to support continued collaboration on tourism.

Quick  facts

   
• The Honourable Monica Ell-Kanayuk, Nunavut’s Minister  responsible for Tourism, is the new co-chair of the Canadian  Council of Tourism Ministers and will host the next meeting in  Iqaluit.
   
• Tourism is a vital part of the Canadian economy and is the number one  service export sector. In 2014, tourism revenues grew by nearly five percent to  $88.5 billion, and tourism supported close to 628,000 jobs in  Canada.
   
• The U.S. is an important  tourism market for Canada, representing approximately 70 percent of total overnight  visits.
   
• The National  Aboriginal Tourism Research Project 2015 found that Indigenous tourism in  Canada has grown substantially since 2001, accounting for $2.77 billion in  gross economic output and employing approximately 37,000 people, or 2 percent  of the entire Canadian travel sector workforce.

Quotes

"Tourism is part of every Canadian community. That  is why we must all come together to champion the Canada brand and continue to attract  travellers from around the world. I am enthusiastic about working  collaboratively with my federal, provincial and territorial counterparts and with  industry stakeholders to explore innovative strategies to boost tourism in Canada."
– The Honourable Bardish Chagger, Minister of Small Business  and Tourism

"It was  a pleasure to host my federal, provincial and territorial tourism colleagues in  Manitoba, where ‘Canada’s heart beats.’ Tourism is an economic driver in every  region of our country, and we had productive discussions about opportunities for  growing the sector and increasing visits, tourism spending and job creation. In  particular, I am pleased to see the work across jurisdictions and with the  private sector that is resulting in a re-entry into the U.S. market. I look  forward to building on this momentum as we collectively position our tourism sector  for growth in the future."
– The Honourable Ron  Lemieux, Manitoba’s Minister  of Tourism, Culture, Heritage, Sport and Consumer Protection

Follow Minister Chagger on Twitter: @MinofSBT

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Contacts

Media Relations
Innovation, Science and
Economic Development Canada
343-291-1777
ic.mediarelations-mediasrelations.ic@canada.ca

Shane Gibson
Press Secretary to Cabinet
Manitoba Department of Tourism, Culture,  Heritage, Sport and Consumer Protection
204-945-1494
shane.gibson@leg.gov.mb.ca