The Great Canadian Comeback
Maureen Riley, VP International at Destination Canada, believes the recovery of the travel and tourism industry in Canada will be driven by domestic travellers who have come to appreciate that there’s no place like home.
“Canada’s economic recovery when it comes to tourism is based on the recovery of travel within Canada by Canadians,” Riley told Travel Courier on location in Toronto during the recent Rendez-vous Canada conference. “When we look to the long-term, we know that international figures do support that growth, but what sustained our industry through the peak of COVID was domestic travel and Canadians reaching out and starting to explore more of Canada. It’s an integral part of how we move forward and how we continue to build on our tourism base.”
To help revive the industry, Destination Canada is also focussed on making tourism businesses, attractions and destinations across Canada more accessible for visitors to discover and experience firsthand.
“We believe that Canada’s strongest competitive advantage is our geography. And on that geography, communities have been built and those communities have the opportunity to innovate and showcase our culture, our people, our culinary and our truly authentic Canadian experiences,” she said. “We will combine that growth infrastructure with the stories that we can tell about our great communities and cultural stories across the nation.”
Check out the full story in the latest issue of TRAVEL COURIER.
