ACTA weighs in on federal budget

In a statement following the federal budget, ACTA president Suzanne Acton-Gervais said that the association “welcomed the federal government’s decision to allocate $115 billion for national infrastructure, including $5 billion dedicated to transportation and trade, and a $55 million commitment to the Airports Capital Assistance Program” in its Nov. 4 budget.

Acton-Gervais continued: “This funding will enhance safety and operational efficiencies, which will further improve the traveller experience.

But she also pointed out that: “While Budget 2025 outlines important initial investments, there is more work to be done. ACTA will continue collaborating with the federal government to implement key recommendations from our pre-budget submission, including harmonizing consumer-protection and travel-insurance rules, establishing license recognition nationwide, and creating an expanded Canadian Verified Trusted Traveller program, alongside the current U.S. NEXUS program, to speed up security screening.”

As well, ACTA’s President said that: “ACTA also applauds the inclusion of streamlined approval processes to accelerate projects like the Toronto-Quebec City High-Speed Rail Network, and $1 billion for Arctic infrastructure that will expand tourism across the North.”

“Moving forward,” Acton-Gervais indicated that: “ACTA will continue to advocate for the federal government to invest in modernized distribution infrastructure to connect small and Indigenous tourism suppliers to global booking systems and the Global Distribution System (GDS). ACTA will also continue to advocate for a review of the Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR) fines to avoid cascading costs that would negatively impact airline economics, reduce regional connectivity, and raise prices for travellers.”
Said Acton-Gervais: “While ACTA acknowledges the significant overall investments outlined in Budget 2025, we note a shift in direct support for the tourism sector. The sunsetting of the Tourism Growth Program and the adjusted funding levels for Parks Canada and Destination Canada present a challenge to maintaining the sector’s growth momentum and securing Canada’s position in the highly competitive international destination market.

She also made it clear that: “Travel is trade, and travel is a vital economic driver. Now more than ever, it is essential to support an environment where the travel sector can grow and thrive. ACTA remains steadfast in its advocacy — championing travel agencies and travel advisors, strengthening the industry, and ensuring travellers receive the highest level of professional service. We will continue to work with the federal government to deliver results for Canada’s travel agencies and travel advisors who are working on behalf of Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast.”