Summary
From May 24th through May 31st, we celebrate Tourism Week across Ontario. This is an initiative created by the Tourism Association of Canada (TIAC), and adopted by provincial tourism associations across the country, including the Tourism Association of Ontario (TIAO). This week aims to bring awareness to the economic opportunities that tourism offers. This is especially true for Ontario, which offers the world in one province.
Tourism is a huge economic driver in Ontario contributing $36 billion to our province. The tourism industry also supports 400,000 Ontario jobs.
While Tourism Week looks different this year with events moving online, we take this time to celebrate a beautiful province that attracts visitors from around the world, and a tourism sector that is a huge part of the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries’ spectacular double bottom line. We are proud to support the recovery of Ontario’s vibrant tourism sector and ask that caucus help us celebrate Ontario’s tourism sector and show your support on social media.
Key Messages
- This year, Ontario Tourism Week, which runs from May 24 to May 31, looks very different than in previous years.
- Ontario’s tourism industry has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, with closures and cancellations reported across the province.
- This makes Tourism Week more relevant than ever as we recognize the importance of Ontario’s tourism industry, workers and attractions.
- Ontario offers visitors the world in one province. Every year, our beautiful landscapes, world-class attractions and diverse cultural experiences draw millions of visitors.
- Tourism is a key economic driver in Ontario – in 2017, the tourism industry supported more than 400,000 jobs and generated over $36 billion of economic activity for the province.
- Once the COVID-19 outbreak recedes, Ontario’s tourism industry will be an important component to the province’s economic recovery.
- That’s why our government continues to provide the industry with support through programs like Celebrate Ontario, the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Ontario Arts Council and Ontario Creates.
- We established 14 Ministerial Advisory Councils to get feedback and ideas from industry leaders to help the heritage, sport, tourism and culture industries emerge from the COVID-19 outbreak.
- Input provided by the advisory councils will support the work of the government’s Ontario Jobs and Recovery Committee and help inform the next phase of Ontario’s Action Plan: Responding to COVID-19, to responsibly restart and recover the economy.
· We will continue to work with the tourism industry in the coming weeks and months to ensure that when this outbreak is over, Ontario will be in the best position to welcome back the world to our province.