HAC Applauds Fed’s Investment in Tourism

On May 22, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced a federal government plan to invest $30 million over three years in Canada’s tourism sector in order to attract more American visitors to destinations across Canada, a move the Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) is applauding.

The Connecting America tourism campaign, led by the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC), will market Canadian destinations to US travellers with the goal of attracting an additional 680,000 Americans over the three-year period.

“The National Round Table on Travel & Tourism, which includes the Hotel Association of Canada, the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, the Canadian Airports Council, the National Airlines Council of Canada and the International Air Transportation Association, has worked diligently with the government to facilitate this program”, said HAC president Tony Pollard. “This announcement demonstrates the government’s commitment to the tourism industry in Canada.”

Canada’s tourism industry is one of the country’s most crucial economic drivers with overall revenue reaching $17.3 billion in 2014. The United States is Canada’s largest inbound tourism market, welcoming 11.5 million American visitors yearly however this number is down 24% from a decade ago. The Connecting America campaign will raise awareness of Canada’s one-of-a-kind tourism experiences while promoting economic growth.