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With May fast approaching, we are counting down the weeks until TIAO’s IMPACT Sustainability Travel & Tourism regional conference, taking place May 5-7 at Centennial College in Scarborough!  

If you’re still wondering if or why you should attend, here is your reason: The future of travel and tourism is sustainable.  

Sustainable practice is where our industry is headed or expanding into—whether it be reducing our carbon footprint, implementing climate change mitigation, advocating for mass transit infrastructure improvements, or providing attainable housing solutions that enable people to live where they work.  

As for travellers and our future workforce, they’re already there. Consumers are shifting their spending toward sustainable products, with 76% of global travellers wanting to travel sustainably, and Gen Z and Millennials—who will soon have most of the purchasing power and dominate the labour market—favouring sustainable products and expecting sustainable workplace practices like work-life balance and flexibility.  

Preparing your business or organization for the future of travel and tourism necessitates engaging more closely with sustainability, and where better to build or sharpen your toolkit than TIAO’s IMPACT Sustainability Travel & Tourism – ONTARIO: A Regional Event? Reserve your spot here before tickets sell out.  

And in case you missed it:  

• Earlier this week, several members of the TIAO team attended the RTO6 Tourism Symposium, with Leni Brem (Project Manager, Tourism Workforce Sustainability Program) and Mark Capistrano (Workforce Development Coordinator) leading a panel on Rethinking Recruitment in a Competitive Labour Market.  

• TIAO and OTEC released a joint statement on the inclusion of hospitality as a priority program area for Ontario’s allocation of international study permit applications. Read our press release here.  

Thank you for your continued support. And as always, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to send me an email at jng@tiaontario.ca     

Dr. Jessica Ng, PhD   

Director, Policy & Government Affairs 

A little over two weeks ago, the federal government announced a reactionary policy to cap the number of international student permits, to be applied and weighted by international student population within individual provinces and territories. Along with this policy, the federal government announced eligibility changes to the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program and eligibility changes for open work permits available to spouses of international students.  

Given the significant representation of international students in Ontario tourism and hospitality postsecondary programs, the federal cap is expected to disproportionately impact the tourism and hospitality industry. International students and graduates are global assets to the tourism and hospitality workforce, ensuring that Ontario’s service economy can adeptly meet the needs of an increasingly global visitor market. 

Since the announcement, TIAO has been engaging in rapid data collection to understand the anticipated tourism industry impacts of the policies, particularly the international student permit cap. According to the member survey we released, almost half of respondents reported that the federal cap on international student permits will affect or might affect their business, with members anticipating recruitment and retention to be more expensive or resource-intensive, not being able to hire for necessary positions, understaffing, and having to scale back services or offerings.  

Consultations with TIAO’s post-secondary partners revealed anticipated impacts to tourism and hospitality programs, particularly for programs where international students comprise 50% or more of student enrolment – significantly higher than the University (17.6%) and College (22%) enrolment average in Canada during 2021-2022. With Ontario accounting for 70% of Canada’s international higher education enrolment, food and beverage, events, and other tourism and hospitality sectors that rely heavily on these programs to meet employment demand will be particularly hard-hit.  

Using this data, TIAO released a comprehensive response this week to the federal cap on international student permits. We called for immediate consultation and collaboration between tourism stakeholders, the provincial government, and the federal government in order to assess impacts and develop a response plan to protect the viability of post-secondary tourism programs, the experience and opportunities for international students, and the short- and mid-term economic performance of the tourism industry.  

We have called for urgent, collaborative solutions to: 

• Enable tourism employers to competitively recruit and retain talent; 

• Ensure that international students in-demand sectors like tourism and hospitality can access the jobs they have trained for;  

• Build a stronger domestic pool of talent; and 

• Ensure that the supply of attainable housing keeps up with the demand of Ontario’s population. 

To read our press release and see our full list of recommendations, click here.  

Thank you to members who participated in the survey; RTOs, DMOs, and sector associations for amplifying the survey to tourism operators; and many thanks to our postsecondary partners who shared their insights with us.  

International students are a vital contributor to the province’s tourism industry. TIAO will continue to monitor the impacts of the federal cap and will be working with industry, provincial, and federal counterparts on immediate and longer-range solutions. 

And in case you missed it, TIAO recently submitted its 2024 pre-budget submission, which you can find here. On top of a range of economic, labour, and infrastructure recommendations, we have called on the Province to work with tourism stakeholders to develop an Ontario tourism growth strategy – one that outlines clear goals to maximize the economic impact of our industry, solidifies our domestically and globally competitive position as a visitor destination, and contributes to sustainable tourism management and growth.  

Join us on February 21st at 1pm (EDT) for a fireside chat with me and President & CEO Andrew Siegwart as we do a deep dive into our recommendations. Participants are encouraged to ask questions and share their experiences. Register here for this upcoming Forward Motion session.  

Thank you for your continued support. And as always, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to send me an email at jng@tiaontario.ca.

Dr. Jessica Ng, PhD   Director, Policy & Government Affairs Tourism Industry Association of Ontario

The Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO), along with participating member organizations from across the province, convened with 15 Ministers, Parliamentary Assistants, and party leaders, including Minister Lumsden, at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference this week. The nature and timing of this event provided a robust platform for us to advocate key economic, labor, and infrastructure priorities necessary to mitigate risks and stimulate growth in the tourism industry for 2024. 

In these meetings, TIAO approached the discussions by presenting focused solutions, showcasing our members' innovative problem-solving approaches, and seeking collaboration across multiple ministries to develop a new strategy for growing Ontario's tourism economy. We extend our gratitude to Minister Lumsden and his incredible team for their support and recommendations. 

For more details on our key recommendations, please visit: https://silkstart.s3.amazonaws.com/db3cbfdc-a0ac-42f9-a44b-89f2008d8c9c.pdf 

We express our appreciation to Camping in Ontario, Culinary Tourism Alliance, Destination Northern Ontario, Indigenous Tourism Ontario, Kingston Accommodation Partners, Northern Ontario Tourist Outfitters Association, and OTEC for their support to the TIAO team and their efforts on behalf of all members. (Insert a nice photo from our meetings with Minister Lumsden). 

The federal government has recently imposed a two-year cap on international student permit applications, anticipating around 360,000 approved study permits, reflecting a 35% decrease from 2023. Individual provincial and territorial caps, weighted by population, have been established, leading to more significant decreases in provinces like Ontario, which have historically welcomed a larger share of international students. 

This decision, accompanied by several additional changes, will have substantial impacts on students, post-secondary schools, the labor market, and employers. We are actively engaging with member businesses and post-secondary schools across Ontario to assess the impact of these policy changes and to formulate meaningful and focused recommendations. 

Please inform us of how your business will be affected by the international student permit cap by: 

• Taking the following rapid survey: https://forms.office.com/r/A1ZLQkma0S 
• Emailing Alexander Miceli, Manager of Policy and Government Affairs, at amiceli@tiaontario.ca 

If you wish to learn more about the federal cap, please click here.

Lastly, thank you to the TIAO team and membership for the warm welcome as I assume this exciting new role.  I eagerly anticipate connecting with members in the weeks and months to come, and I look forward to a strong 2024! 

Sincerely, 

Andrew Siegwart 

Today, January 18th, is the deadline for tourism businesses with CEBA or RRRF loans to repay most of their loan in order to have up to $20,000 forgiven. After today, CEBA and RRRF loans will start to incur 5 per cent interest with the full principal amount due at the end of 2026. Operators who secure refinancing have until March 28 to repay their loan while maintaining access to the forgivable portion. As we have advocated in meetings, submissions, letters, media appearances, alongside our partners, and in our 2022 State of the Ontario Tourism Industry Report: this is not enough.  

Businesses who have been impacted by the slow return of key markets, high interest rates, inflation, rising commercial costs, the labour crisis, and dampened consumer sentiment need more time to generate the revenue required to pay down their debts. The absence of an extension will weigh heavily on the capacity of small tourism businesses to recover sooner and to take advantage of the opportunities to grow, thrive—and generate the tax revenues that support our economy, our social services, and help pay down the provincial and national debts.  

We are disappointed that the federal government has not heeded our calls for much-needed debt relief. But we thank our partners for advocating alongside us, including the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC), Canadian Federation of Independent Business, and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. We also thank Premier Doug Ford and Minister Neil Lumsden for their advocacy on our industry’s behalf right up until today’s deadline.   

Last week, I had the opportunity to talk about the debt and labour challenges that Ontario tourism businesses are still facing, and which have been exacerbated by the unseasonably warm weather we saw over the holidays. In case you missed my media appearances, you can find them at CityTV, CTV Barrie, and NEWSTALK 1010.  

I also had the opportunity last week to present before the provincial Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs. This was a valuable opportunity for TIAO to illustrate that while we are recovering and rebuilding, the economic contribution of our industry is still not quite where it needs to be. While we have regained the domestic visitor market, international numbers remain below pre-pandemic figures and behind some of our domestic competitors. The US market, for instance, is down 14 percent from 2019 and the Chinese market is still down 79 percent. As of last summer, convention bookings at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and Ottawa Convention Centre alone were down by over 40 percent compared to 2019. For many local festivals and events, attendance and revenues have not returned to 2019 levels, with ongoing challenges in obtaining the required public and private funding. Inflation and the cost-of-living crisis have dampened consumer spending. And while rates have gone up, hotel occupancy is still down by 25 percent. Moreover, seasonal businesses have borne the brunt of climate change impacts, with summer wildfires and warm winter weather affecting the length of key tourism seasons and the perception of Ontario as a consistently reliable visitor destination. 

In the Committee hearing, TIAO called for: provincial budgetary investments to attract major events and conventions, which will inject direct visitor dollars into local, regional, and provincial economies; the implementation of many recommendations outlined in the Auditor General’s report, including strategic regional planning to take destination marketing to the next level, recalibrating existing funding opportunities, better leveraging gateway cities and our convention centres, and developing a data strategy to guide local and regional tourism planning; and, ultimately, the need for a tourism strategy in partnership with our industry and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport—a strategy which will increase economic productivity for industry and for government.  

Finally, TIAO will be attending the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference next week. With the support of our tourism delegation and led by our incoming President & CEO, Andrew Siegwart, TIAO will be advocating for a number of economic, labour, and infrastructure asks and building support around the Cabinet table for a provincial tourism strategy.  

Three weeks into 2024 and TIAO’s advocacy is full steam ahead. 

Thank you for your continued support. And as always, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to send me an email at jng@tiaontario.ca   

Dr. Jessica Ng, PhD  

Director, Policy & Government Affairs