Question Period Note: DESTINATION CANADA

How is Destination Canada supporting Canada’s tourism sector?

• Destination Canada promotes Canada as a premier tourism destination and provides data, tools, and resources that help the Canadian tourism sector reach domestic and international markets.

• Budget 2023 committed $50 million to Destination Canada to attract major international conventions, conferences and events to Canada.

• In 2023, Destination Canada will receive $121.2 million to market Canada as a premier tourism destination, provide data and research, and support destination development efforts.

• Past funding has allowed Destination Canada to promote our country abroad, produce industry specific research, and attract events with inspiring speakers, this new funding will build on those successes.

• Destination Canada (DC) is a federally owned Crown corporation with a mandate to market Canada as a premier tourism destination.
• As of December 31, 2022, special funding provided to DC through Budget 2021 has led to an increase of $571 million in tourism export revenue as a result of DC’s domestic and international marketing activities.
• Budget 2023 will provide $50 million to DC over three years to attract major international conventions, conferences, and events to Canada. Starting in 2023-24. DC will access this funding through its 2024-2028 Corporate Plan.
• Through its North Star 22 partnership with provincial, territorial and destination marketing organizations, DC markets Canada as a premier tourism destination, and also markets Canada as a destination for business events, meetings and conferences. In 2023, DC is actively marketing Canada as a premier tourism destination in the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, South Korea, Japan, and China.

• Destination Canada works with municipal, provincial, territorial and industry partners to align marketing efforts in markets where it can achieve the highest return on investment.
• On July 4, 2023, the Government of Canada announced a new Federal Tourism Growth Strategy to chart a course for growth, investment, and stability for the tourism sector.
• As part of the FTGS, Destination Canada, in partnership with Statistics Canada and ISED, is continuing to develop a national hub of tourism data, the Canada Tourism Data Collective (CTDC).