Thanks to cuts by the Harper government, the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) will be laying off staff and closing international offices in Australia, Germany and France – and that’s another hit to Canadian tourism, Liberal Tourism Critic Navdeep Bains said.
“Conservatives have no problem spending $1 billion on security for the G20 and a fake lake, but when it comes to the people who do the real job of selling Canada abroad, the cupboard is bare,” said Mr. Bains.
“This government has a habit of closing international offices, but you don’t build your presence in the world by withdrawing from it. While other countries are pouring money into their brand, Canada is cutting back, and that’s going to affect the thousands of Canadians that depend on tourism for their livelihoods.”
The CTC is the federal agency responsible for marketing Canada abroad, but its operating funding has declined since the Conservatives came to power despite one-time injections for stimulus and the Olympics. This has hampered the agency’s ability to continue to deliver services while also expanding into the growing tourism markets of China and India.
“The CTC is an international success story winning numerous awards for its great work but under the Conservatives they have been forced to reduce their international presence and cut staff,” said Mr. Bains. “You don’t help Canadian tourism by cutting its biggest booster.
“This decision comes at a time when the Canadian tourism industry has already been battered enough by the global recession and the Conservatives’ own disastrous decision to impose visa restrictions on Mexican tourists. Mexico had previously been our fastest growing market thanks to the hard work of the CTC.”
