Latest National Tourism Indicators Another Encouraging Sign for Canada's Tourism Industry

OTTAWA - The Honourable Diane Ablonczy, Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism), issued a statement in response to a positive Statistics Canada report on Canada's tourism industry.

On March 27, 2008, Statistics Canada reported that, in 2007, tourism spending by Canadians in Canada was up 6.7 percent. Total tourism spending in Canada was up 4.3 percent reaching $70.6 billion, and tourism employment was up 3.2 percent accounting for 654 100 jobs.

"The Government of Canada is pleased to hear that Canadians are travelling and spending more on tourism within Canada, which is leading to widespread job gains in tourism-sensitive industries," said Secretary of State Ablonczy.

The tourism industry is an important employer in this country, employing people from all regions. In Budget 2008, the government announced support for tourism with measures such as $24 million to assist with the development of tourism-related infrastructure along the St. Lawrence and Saguenay rivers, $9 million for national museums and $25 million for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic torch relays.

The Government of Canada has approved a further $26 million over five years for the Canadian Tourism Commission to leverage the opportunities afforded by the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The government is a major and committed funding partner in delivering on a successful Vancouver 2010 Winter Games and will strive to maximize Canadians' investment in the Games. These are Canada's Games, and the Government of Canada will help bring all parts of the country together as we prepare to host this event.

The government has also helped the tourism industry address long-term human resource issues. In February 2008, the government announced $3 million in funding for the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council to help ensure that Canada continues to have a competitive and successful tourism industry, now and in the future.

These projects, combined with the government's tax relief that puts more money into the pockets of individual Canadians and small and medium-sized businesses over this and the next five years, help ensure that the outlook for Canada's tourism industry will remain positive.