The group representing the interest of Canada’s 150,000 tourism businesses says the government’s failure to invest enough in tourism is threatening the future well-being of the entire country.
The Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) said the amounts Canada is spending on tourism are “woefully inadequate.” The group called for a much bigger budget.
The group says spending by Canadians traveling aboard is rising, while the amount spent in Canada by foreign visitors continues to fall.
Some US cities have budgets larger than all of Canada, according to the TIAC.
The Canadian Tourism Commission currently receives $83 million in funding, but TIAC wants a $25 increase in the annual marketing budget.
“The federal government has given billions of dollars in aid to other sectors in times of crisis, but tourism, which lost $1.7 billion because of SARS alone, continues to be ignored,” said Randy Williams, TIAC’s president and CEO.
Report by David Wilkening
