TIAC MAKES ITS PITCH

In a presentation to the annual meeting of federal, provincial and territorial tourism ministers in Whitehorse, TIAC president and CEO, David Goldstein talked about how governments and the travel and tourism sector can work in partnership to improve Canada\’s competitiveness and achieve TIAC\’s goal of matching the 4% annual growth experienced by tourism globally.
Goldstein told the ministers: \”Canada is consistently regarded as one of most-desired travel destinations with world class tourism product. Yet, over the last decade, international visitation to Canada has contracted by over 3 million people annually while our competitors have experienced double digit, year-over-year growth. This under-performance is attributable, in part, to a number of fixable public policy challenges.\”
TIAC\’s boss explained that: \”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, driving investment in real estate and attractions and generating significant economic benefits and jobs across in every region of the country.\”
The industry association is proposing a number of practical public policy solutions, that include: a competitively-resourced, strategically-aligned national marketing initiative that balances new and traditional markets including the US; a review of Canada\’s aviation cost and access barriers; and a modernized traveller documentation process.
For more, go to http://tiac.travel/publications.htm .