Indo Canadian News News That Matters
Coinciding with the National Tourism Week, the Federal Tourism Marketing Agency, Destination Canada made a significant announcement on May 31, 2020 for the tourism industry. Shifting the focus to domestic tourism, Destination Canada decided for new partnership with the provinces and territories to enable locally-led tourism marketing programs encouraging Canadians to discover their “Own Backyard.”
It will be investing $30 million with Provincial and Territorial Tourism Marketing Organizations across Canada over the next 18 months to promote holiday travel inside Canada as it seeks to help the tourism industry weather the COVID-19 pandemic.
The funds announced by Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages Melanie Joly on Sunday were originally intended to attract foreign visitors through the federal tourism marketing agency, Destination Canada.
The government is also allocating around $40 million for tourism agencies in western Canada as well as Ontario to try and safeguard their businesses during what would normally be the busy summer season ahead. Similar support for tourism industries in Quebec and Atlantic Canada are being discussed and may be announced soon.
“A lot of people who have lost their jobs are in the tourism sector right now and the entire idea right now is to save the summer, but to save the summer differently,” said Minister Joly. “There’s an entire movement across the country to shop locally. We see that people want to discover or support even more their local businesses. … Well I would add to that a new movement: visit local. And rediscover your beautiful city and your region,” she added.
“Destination Canada’s work recognizes the need to support local tourism in time for summer when most businesses make the largest portion of their annual revenue,” said Ben Cowan-Dewar, Board Chair, Destination Canada. “Now more than ever, Destination Canada’s collaboration with industry will support a timely restart and strengthen our ability to build demand for the fall, winter and beyond.”
Describing Sunday’s announcement as a “step in the right direction,” Charlotte Bell, president and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, said “The survival of this industry, which pre-COVID contributed more than $100 billion to the Canadian economy and supported 1.8 million jobs, depends on a coordinated plan for recovery and reopening that includes input from the tourism industry.”
The return to travel will look different across the provinces within Canada’s culturally vibrant Indigenous, rural and urban communities. For each province, timing and details may differ but all intend adopting theme, which supports Destination Canada’s national brand – Canada. For Glowing Hearts.
Destination Canada said that for a while it will be supporting local tourism and will gradually evolve to regional, national and eventually international marketing programs. International marketing efforts are currently paused as a result of COVID-19.
