Tourism has always been a driving force in the building of Canada. Bustling frontier towns and aspiring cities, spectacular geography, exotic wildlife and other natural wonders attracted international visitors well before Confederation. Provincial and territorial governments, along with business and community leaders, saw tourism as a way to draw newcomers, investors, and economic activity to their communities.
Tourism boomed after the Second World War, as economic expansion put more disposable income in the pockets of Canadians and international visitors. Travel for leisure became popular for the expanding middle class. Airline travel entered the mainstream and roads and highways, such as the TransCanada, were constructed. New businesses and tourism destinations sprang up in small towns and cities along the transportation networks and other newly constructed infrastructure.
Today, tourism is a pillar of the Canadian economy, generating $102 billion in annual economic activity, 1.8 million jobs and accounting for over 2% of GDP.
Since international visitors use foreign currency to buy Canadian services, tourism is Canada’s largest service export, valued at over $22 billion in 2018 and close to 20% of all service export revenues. The sector’s footprint is virtually everywhere, underpinning businesses and not-for-profits in every province, territory, and city, as well as many small communities.
In fact, 56% of tourism jobs are in rural Canada.
Tourism now offers good middle class jobs with career choices in well-paid, highly skilled fields.
At the same time, it provides first jobs for young people and new Canadians, and is increasingly an avenue for seniors interested in stimulating, people-oriented part-time work.
Canada has built a powerful national brand, consistently ranking among the best countries on earth, with the highest quality of life, and topping the charts for happiness and inclusiveness. We are a frequent travel recommendation among influential publications such as the New York Times, Condé Nast, Lonely Planet and Le Monde, among others. Our dynamic, multicultural cities, like Calgary, Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto, are among the most liveable on the planet. They are safe, have reliable infrastructure, and a wide range of exceptional cultural and recreational activities. Beyond the metropolitan centres, Canada’s smaller towns and communities offer their own singular experiences and attractions, including authentic Indigenous tourism experiences. They are also the gateways to globally famous national parks, heritage sites and the country’s vast iconic wilderness.
The world is paying attention and coming to Canada in larger numbers than ever before, and from a widening range of countries. Canada has a long-standing reputation as a welcoming country, a reputation boosted when international travellers flocked to Canada to take part in the world’s biggest events: Expo 1967 and the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, the Calgary Olympic Winter Games in 1988, the Vancouver Expo in 1986 and the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. That wave in tourism keeps rising with international visitation reaching a new height with the 150th anniversary of Confederation in 2017, only to be surpassed again in 2018 with over 21 million arrivals.
The government is committed to making sure this growth continues in a sustainable way, the industry remains robust and communities can act on their opportunities and gain their share of tourism revenue. Indigenous tourism, for example, is developing rapidly with a GDP growth rate of 23% from 2014 to 2017, compared with 14.5% GDP growth rate during the same period for the tourism sector overall. From small businesses like galleries and wilderness tours, to community-based festivals, museums, cultural history centres and natural heritage sites, Indigenous communities offer a collection of authentic and unique experiences.
Yet, despite recent successes, Canada has been falling behind as other countries ramp up their efforts to compete in what is an increasingly crowded field. We need to stand out from the crowd and fight harder for our fair share of the international market. That is why Creating Middle Class Jobs: A Federal Tourism Growth Strategy outlines a whole-of-government approach to unleashing Canada’s extraordinary potential by addressing structural barriers and helping unlock investment. To make this happen we will:
Tourism has always been a driving force in the building of Canada. Bustling frontier towns and aspiring cities, spectacular geography, exotic wildlife and other natural wonders attracted international visitors well before Confederation. Provincial and territorial governments, along with business and community leaders, saw tourism as a way to draw newcomers, investors, and economic activity to their communities.
Tourism boomed after the Second World War, as economic expansion put more disposable income in the pockets of Canadians and international visitors. Travel for leisure became popular for the expanding middle class. Airline travel entered the mainstream and roads and highways, such as the TransCanada, were constructed. New businesses and tourism destinations sprang up in small towns and cities along the transportation networks and other newly constructed infrastructure.
Today, tourism is a pillar of the Canadian economy, generating $102 billion in annual economic activity, 1.8 million jobs and accounting for over 2% of GDP.
Since international visitors use foreign currency to buy Canadian services, tourism is Canada’s largest service export, valued at over $22 billion in 2018 and close to 20% of all service export revenues. The sector’s footprint is virtually everywhere, underpinning businesses and not-for-profits in every province, territory, and city, as well as many small communities.
In fact, 56% of tourism jobs are in rural Canada.
Tourism now offers good middle class jobs with career choices in well-paid, highly skilled fields.
At the same time, it provides first jobs for young people and new Canadians, and is increasingly an avenue for seniors interested in stimulating, people-oriented part-time work.
Canada has built a powerful national brand, consistently ranking among the best countries on earth, with the highest quality of life, and topping the charts for happiness and inclusiveness. We are a frequent travel recommendation among influential publications such as the New York Times, Condé Nast, Lonely Planet and Le Monde, among others. Our dynamic, multicultural cities, like Calgary, Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto, are among the most liveable on the planet. They are safe, have reliable infrastructure, and a wide range of exceptional cultural and recreational activities. Beyond the metropolitan centres, Canada’s smaller towns and communities offer their own singular experiences and attractions, including authentic Indigenous tourism experiences. They are also the gateways to globally famous national parks, heritage sites and the country’s vast iconic wilderness.
The world is paying attention and coming to Canada in larger numbers than ever before, and from a widening range of countries. Canada has a long-standing reputation as a welcoming country, a reputation boosted when international travellers flocked to Canada to take part in the world’s biggest events: Expo 1967 and the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, the Calgary Olympic Winter Games in 1988, the Vancouver Expo in 1986 and the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. That wave in tourism keeps rising with international visitation reaching a new height with the 150th anniversary of Confederation in 2017, only to be surpassed again in 2018 with over 21 million arrivals.
The government is committed to making sure this growth continues in a sustainable way, the industry remains robust and communities can act on their opportunities and gain their share of tourism revenue. Indigenous tourism, for example, is developing rapidly with a GDP growth rate of 23% from 2014 to 2017, compared with 14.5% GDP growth rate during the same period for the tourism sector overall. From small businesses like galleries and wilderness tours, to community-based festivals, museums, cultural history centres and natural heritage sites, Indigenous communities offer a collection of authentic and unique experiences.
Yet, despite recent successes, Canada has been falling behind as other countries ramp up their efforts to compete in what is an increasingly crowded field. We need to stand out from the crowd and fight harder for our fair share of the international market. That is why Creating Middle Class Jobs: A Federal Tourism Growth Strategy outlines a whole-of-government approach to unleashing Canada’s extraordinary potential by addressing structural barriers and helping unlock investment. To make this happen we will:
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