While economic recovery is underway, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a severe and enduring impact on Ontario’s tourism industry. Border closures, capacity restrictions, and lockdowns exacerbated structural issues that have left the industry far from recovery. Tourism businesses are still recovering from the lasting impact of revenue losses, mounting debt, an acute labour crisis, and new challenges including supply chain disruptions, inflation, and reduced commercial insurance coverage. Moreover, not all visitor markets and regions are rebuilding at the same pace, and business confidence has dropped to a new low: according to the Ontario Economic Report, only 16% of organizations expressed confidence in the outlook of Ontario’s economy in 2023.
Meanwhile, our global competitors are already moving forward, along with the rest of Ontario and Canada. At this precarious moment in our recovery, we need a national tourism growth strategy that best positions our industry to rebuild, prosper, and unleash its full potential. We can’t be left behind. That’s why, in collaboration with the Tourism Industry Association of Canada and the Coalition of Hardest Hit Businesses, we're sending a letter to Prime Minister Trudeau—to bring federal focus back onto the Tourism Growth Strategy and how it should support tourism recovery.
To amplify our efforts, we need your help. We’re asking members to send a letter to their local MP in support of our joint campaign, calling on the federal government to ensure that our tourism industry remains one of the most competitive and successful in the world.
Jessica Ng
Director, Policy & Government Affairs
We need your support! Join us in advocating for the future success of the tourism industry by sending a letter to your MP. TIAO has made it easy to send your pre-written letter to your Member of Parliament. Read below to see how!
How do I send a letter to my MP? 3 Easy Steps
Step One: Find out the contact information of your MP – go to the Current Members of the Parliament List. To find your MP, enter your postal code. You can also call 1-800-677-8683, TTY: 1-888-292-2312. You can also see the list of Ontario MPs' contact information on TIAO's website.
Step Two:
- Click here to download TIAO's pre-written member letter to your MP. Read through, and make sure to fill out the highlighted sections;
- Name of your MP
- Date of the letter
- Your name
- Your company logo (if applicable)
- You're ready to email your letter to your MP! Click here to use our pre-written email to make it easier to send your letter. Make sure to double check your MP's email address before emailing!
Step Three: You did it! Pat yourself on the back because you just helped support the future of the tourism industry in Ontario.
| DOWNLOAD YOUR LETTER TO MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT |
| READ TIAO'S LETTER TO MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT |
| READ TIAO'S LETTER TO PRIME MINISTER |