Question Period Note: CANADA-U.S. TOURISM

How is the Government of Canada supporting Canada-U.S. tourism?

• The United States is Canada’s largest source market for tourism.

• In 2022, Destination Canada—the country’s international tourism marketing organization—with the support of the Government of Canada, invested $48 million to market Canada as a destination-of-choice to U.S. visitors.

• A key part of the new Federal Tourism Growth Strategy—Canada 365: Welcoming the World. Every Day—is to enhance tourism between the two countries and to propel the sector to new heights.

• As co-host of the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament with the U.S. and Mexico, Canada will work to welcome the world and showcase our country as a premier destination.

• Tourism is an important economic driver and job creator in communities all across Canada and the U.S.

• Tourism in Canada and the U.S. has benefitted from the strong ties between both countries. The U.S. is Canada’s largest tourism source market, and Canada is one of the U.S.’s largest markets, highlighting the strong interdependence between the two sectors.

• The former Minister of Tourism engaged with U.S. tourism counterparts and stakeholders to help inform the development of the new Federal Tourism Growth Strategy and to reinforce messaging on the importance of tourism and cross-border travel for both countries.

• On June 6, 2022, the U.S. released a new National Travel and Tourism Strategy, setting out a blueprint for the federal government to facilitate travel to and within the United States, with a new focus on making travel more inclusive and sustainable.

• A strong improvement has occurred in the number of American tourists coming to Canada. In the first half of 2023, Canada has welcomed over 5 million American tourists. That is 85 percent of pre-pandemic levels. We are on our way to meeting, and possibly surpassing the number of American visitors prior to COVID.

• Budget 2023 provides $1.8 billion over five years, starting in 2023-24, to the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) to increase its level of service, improve screening wait times, and strengthen security measures at airports.

• Budget 2023 proposes to amend the Canada Transportation Act to require the sharing and reporting of data by airports and air carriers. This will help to reduce delays and improve coordination between airports, airlines, and CATSA.

• Budget 2023 also proposes to provide $5.2 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Transport Canada to collect and analyze air sector performance data.

• The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are delivering on their commitment to re-open all NEXUS enrolment centres in Canadian airports, and making it easier to apply to the program and streamlining traveller experiences, which is supporting the Canada-U.S. tourism sector to grow and thrive.