Tourism Minister Melanie Joly says a federal new tourism strategy can boost international visits to Canada during non-peak seasons by more than a million people.
The strategy includes $58.5 million to help communities create or improve tourism facilities and experiences. The fund is supposed to back experiences that show off Canada’s strengths and expand tourism beyond major cities in summertime.
The announcement comes two weeks after it was revealed the Ontario government will slash funding to the province’s regional tourism organizations, including a $3.4-million cut from Ottawa Tourism’s annual budget.
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Joly says the new tourism measures are tooled to help tourism revenues grow by 25 per cent – to $128 billion – by 2025.
The government also hopes to create 54,000 new jobs directly related to tourism.
Joly says the federal government knows that tourism helps every part of the country, adding it has seen many examples of communities transforming and diversifying their economies by attracting visitors.
– With files from OBJ staff
