Annual Report on Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures
Public Health Agency of Canada 2023 - 2024
As required by the Treasury Board Directive on Travel, Hospitality, Conference and Event Expenditures, this report provides information on travel, hospitality and conference expenditures for Public Health Agency of Canada for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024.
Travel, hospitality and conference expenditures incurred by a federal department or agency relate to activities that support the department or agency’s mandate and the government’s priorities.
Mandate:
The role of the Agency is to promote health, prevent and control chronic diseases and injuries, prevent and control infectious diseases, prepare for and respond to public health emergencies, serve as a central point for sharing Canada's expertise with the rest of the world, apply international research and development to Canada's public health programs, and strengthen intergovernmental collaboration on public health and facilitate national approaches to public health policy and planning.
Public Health Agency of Canada Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures for Year ending March 31, 2024
Expenditure category |
Expenditures for year ended March 31, 2024 ($ thousands) |
Expenditures for year ended March 31, 2023 ($ thousands) |
Variance ($ thousands) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel | |||
Operational activities |
$3,853.00 |
$8,882.00 |
-$5,029.00 |
Key stakeholders |
$1,339.00 |
$964.00 |
$375.00 |
Internal governance |
$76.00 |
$48.00 |
$28.00 |
Training |
$712.00 |
$415.00 |
$297.00 |
Other |
$265.00 |
$211.00 |
$54.00 |
| A. Total travel | $6,245.00 |
$10,520.00 |
-$4,275.00 |
| B. Hospitality | $120.00 |
$54.00 |
$66.00 |
| C. Conference fees | $513.00 |
$293.00 |
$220.00 |
| Total [A+B+C] | $6,878.00 |
$10,867.00 |
-$3,989.00 |
| International travel by minister and minister's staff (included in travel) | $0.00 |
$0.00 |
$0.00 |
Explanation of significant variances compared with previous fiscal year
Total travel:
For fiscal year 2023-24, the Agency spent $6.2 million on travel, compared to $10.5 million in 2022-23, reflecting a decrease of $4.3 million (or 41%). This reduction is mainly attributable to the lifting of all COVID-19 entry restrictions in October 2022, including testing, quarantine, and isolation requirements for anyone entering Canada. As a result, the Agency did not incur travel-related expenditures to support these measures in 2023-24. This decrease was partially offset by an increase in travel related to training, governance, and stakeholder engagements, as regular travel operations gradually resumed following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hospitality:
The Agency spent $120K on hospitality in fiscal year 2023-24 compared to $54K in 2022-23. This represents an overall increase of $67K (or 125%) mainly attributable to regular operations, in-person meetings, and external engagements gradually resuming following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Conference fees:
For fiscal year 2023-24, the Agency spent $513K on conference fees compared to $293K in fiscal year 2022-23. This represents an overall increase of $220K (or 75%) and can be attributed to the increase in Agency personnel participation in a range of health related conferences following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and the gradual resumption of regular operations.Minister and minister’s exempt staff - International travel:
N/A