Why Canada wants more overseas tourists to visit

Canada has launched a new initiative to attract more overseas tourists to the country. However, staff shortages, wildfires and disputes with China won’t make the task easy.

“You learn about nature, Aboriginal culture and our history,” said tour guide Jack Rivers.

Here are three reasons why he thinks more people should take the plunge and vacation in Canada.

Mr. Rivers is an Aboriginal man who has led organized walks around the unceded territory of the Wiikwemkoong on Manitoulin Island, Ontario.

This is an unspoilt area with dense forests along the shores of Lake Huron.

The walking tour is part of Wiikwemkoong Tourism, an Aboriginal tourism organization that educates visitors about Aboriginal history and land.

Rivers said his job is “great,” but admitted it’s not for everyone. “This is not a 9-to-4 job,” he said, adding, “It relies on people working on the weekends and being away from their families.”

As a result, Wikwemikong Tourism has struggled to retain employees, a problem mirrored across the Canadian tourism industry, which is said to still be short of hundreds of thousands of workers.

These staffing shortages must be addressed if the Canadian government is to succeed in its new initiative to increase the number of visitors to the country.

The push, led by the government agency Destination Canada, comes amid a sharp decline in visitor numbers to Canada failed to restore After the COVID-19 pandemic ended, the population peaked at 22 million in 2019. Last year’s total was 18.3 million, down 17%.

The new strategy is called A world full of opportunities, The goal is to increase Canadian tourism revenue to C$160 billion ($116 billion; £89 billion) by 2030, up from C$109 billion last year.

It also wants to see Canada become one of the world’s Ranked seventh in terms of visits country, rising from its current position of 13th.

Located more than 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles) west of Manitoulin Island, lies the popular tourist town of Jasper in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta.

Back in July, a game called “The largest in the region in a century” A third of the town’s buildings were destroyed.

One such hotel is the Maligne Lodge, which has been welcoming guests since the 1960s. Owner Karyn Deco said the fire was “devastating”.

“There’s still a lot to do, but I try to focus on what I have to do today and save tomorrow,” she said.

Thankfully, Ms. Deco has insurance on Marlene Lodge and she hopes to rebuild it by next summer. But how long will it take for all the other hotels in town to reopen?

“Jasper is an international tourist destination and hotels here are 100 percent booked from June 1 to mid-October,” she explained. “We are already sold out for next summer. The challenge is that not that many people will be able to visit Jasper until all the hotels are rebuilt, and we don’t know how long that will take.”

Another big problem facing Canada’s tourism industry is the decline in Chinese tourists.

Relations between the two countries have been tense since a diplomatic spat in 2018.

That same year, the chief financial officer of Chinese telecommunications company Huawei was arrested in Canada on a U.S. warrant. In response, China detained two Canadian citizens living in China on espionage charges.

Three people have not been released Until 2021.

Some analysts say the dispute is the main reason why China has not put Canada back on its sanctions list in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. approved countries For Chinese citizens to visit.

James Griffiths, Asia correspondent for Canada’s Globe and Mail, said that “bilateral relations are frozen.” [between China and Canada] It hasn’t really recovered yet.”

He also pointed to the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which meant Western airlines could no longer fly over Russian airspace.

“A lot of North American and European airlines are really having difficulty flying to China because they can’t fly through or over Russia, and avoiding Russia adds about three hours to the flight time, which for the airlines The higher costs are also troublesome for passengers.”

Canadian Tourism Minister Soraya Martinez Ferrada is a politician tasked with bringing more tourists to the country. She told the BBC she also wanted them to “stay longer” and “spend more money”.

Asked about declining numbers of Chinese tourists, she said Canada was focused on its largest markets: Europe and the United States. Although “for Chinese tourists, we find they are still interested in Canada,” she added.

Tackling climate change is another priority for the government, with Ms. Martinez-Ferrada admitting it is an “existential threat to Canada’s tourism industry.”

However, she said, Canada is a big country and “not the whole country is on fire.” “We must ensure travelers understand that climate change may pose threats, but there are many other places that are not affected.”

As for staff shortages holding back companies like Wiikwemkoong Tourism, she admits: “I do think we need to do a better job of promoting the industry and the career opportunities we have.

“I think it’s important to have the skills and training to do that.”