SOMEBODY IS LISTENING

It appears that somebody has been listening. Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) boss, David Goldstein reports that the industry association has been approved for funding under the Government of Canada\’s Global Opportunities for Associations (GOA) program to create new opportunities for Canadian companies in the emerging global markets.
Under the GOA matching funds program TIAC will be leading trade missions to Canada\’s fastest-growing inbound tourism markets to help improve its members\’ export readiness. TIAC\’s \”Gateway to China\” trade mission in October will include meetings, workshops and events with Chinese officials, receptive and outbound operators and participation in Canadian Tourism Commission\’s (CTC) Showcase Asia — the annual marketplace covers China, India, Japan and South Korea.
Intelligence gathered on the trip will be made available to the broader membership through reports and presentations.
Goldstein, president and CEO of TIAC, commented: \”The GOA program will provide SMEs in our sector the opportunity to access markets in ways that were previously out of their reach. Global tourism is fiercely-competitive and advantage is gained on the ground in emerging markets making contacts, developing relationships and acquiring a better understanding of client base.\”
Travel and tourism is among the highest performing sectors of the global economy, experiencing average growth of 4% and generating over $1 trillion of annual revenue. TIAC is focused on increasing the global competitiveness of Canada\’s travel and tourism industry and the increased economic benefits available to Canadians by matching the 4% annual growth rate enjoyed. Canada\’s fastest growing inbound tourism markets are China, Brazil and India.
Said Goldstein: \”If Canada were to just keep pace with the global average growth of 4% it would increase annual international inbound visitation by over 650,000 and drive real economic development through investment in a broad range of travel product such as hotels and attractions while creating and sustaining jobs in every region of the country.\”