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The TIAO Team, alongside our dedicated TIAO Members, is proud to champion Ontario’s tourism industry at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) annual conference in Ottawa next week.

At AMO, our Ontario tourism delegation will engage in sixteen impactful meetings with key Provincial Ministries and teams, including Agriculture; Energy; Finance; Infrastructure; Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development; Municipal Affairs and Housing; Natural Resources; Rural Affairs; Tourism, Culture, and Gaming; Transportation, and more. Additionally, while in Ottawa, we will connect with vital Federal departments, agencies, and teams such as FedDev Ontario; Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada; Economic Development/Tourism, and others.

We are proud to present policy recommendations and innovative solutions that will fuel market growth, strengthen our workforce, and enhance infrastructure investment across the province. Highlights of our agenda include: advocating for enhancements to the Municipal Accommodation Tax to boost local marketing, product development, and tourism management; cutting through the red tape that holds back agri-tourism; forming a multi-modal transportation working group to bridge transportation gaps and restore service levels to smaller communities; expanding opportunities for international students to remain in Ontario’s vibrant tourism industry; and spearheading TIAO’s Ontario Tourism Strategy Project to build a stronger visitor economy across Ontario.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to all TIAO members who are driving this initiative forward with us: Better Way Alliance; Boating Ontario; Camping in Ontario; Destination Northern Ontario; Economic Developers Council of Ontario; Indigenous Tourism Ontario; Kingston Accommodation Partners; Nature and Outdoor Tourism Ontario; Nieuport Aviation; Ontario Restaurant, Hotel, and Motel Association; Resorts of Ontario; Smart Serve; and Visit Mississauga.

Check out TIAO’s social media feeds and Newsletter next week for full coverage.

Sincerely,

Andrew Siegwart

President & CEO

Tourism Industry Association of Ontario

Last week, TIAO was pleased to prepare a submission for the Federal Budget 2025.  Our aim was to support recommendations made by Tourism Industry Association of Canada to show national alignment as well as to include Ontario-specific recommendations from our membership.  TIAO placed a focus on market development, workforce sustainability, and infrastructure investment priorities.

TIAO also called for increased consultation and collaboration with provincial/territorial governments and tourism support organizations to increase programming impact and effectiveness.

Please review the entire pre-budget submission 

here

175(13.9%)

Andrew Siegwart

President & CEO

Tourism Industry Association of Ontario

This week’s highlights:  

• TIAO is currently finalizing its federal pre-budget submission to share Ontario’s tourism industry priorities ahead of the 2025 federal budget. TIAO members can also submit their own comments for the pre-budget consultation here. The deadline is tomorrow, Friday August 2nd before 11:59pm (EDT).  

• Round 5 of the Skills Development Fund (SDF) is now open for applications for innovative projects that address challenges to hiring, training, or retaining workers. See here for more information on eligibility and project requirements and to apply. Applications close on October 4, 2024. TIAO is pleased to offer letters of support for TIAO members submitting an SDF application – to obtain your letter, please contact me at jng@tiaontario.ca

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

I am very excited to announce that the Ontario Tourism Industry Strategic Plan project has begun!  We are working with Clinton Belcher, President and CEO of CB Powers Enterprises/Canadian Ecotourism Services, on ‘phase one’ of the project which includes formalizing the project plan, conducting preliminary research, and creating a consultation framework to engage industry across Ontario.  The project will include the following key steps and timelines:

1. Project roadmap – August 2024

2. Preliminary research – August 2024

3. Communication and industry consultation – September-October 2024 - Including activations at Ontario Tourism Summit

4. Strategic plan development – December 2024

5. Implementation plans and tools – Q1 2025

We will keep members updated on the project's progress and opportunities for participation and input through all TIAO communication channels.  In the meantime, please forward any existing strategic plans or special initiatives that you have developed within your business, sector, region, or community to be included in our preliminary research.  Please send information as well as any project inquiries directly to OTStrategy@tiaontario.ca.

Please join me in sending our best thoughts and support to our tourism colleagues and community members in Jasper, Alberta at this difficult and critical time.  Thank you to all the first responders for bravely supporting the community.  As we await further status updates, including response needs and aid efforts, please visit the Canadian Red Cross to learn how you can help now.

Andrew Siegwart

President & CEO

Tourism Industry Association of Ontario

Thank you to TIAO’s small business and tourism operator Members who completed hundreds of surveys last week. Your participation has been invaluable in educating the public, media, and government about the impacts of the LCBO strike on Ontario's tourism businesses. We also appreciate the support of sector associations, regional, and destination marketing partners who helped spread the word about this important survey.

The survey results are clear: food and beverage, northern/rural, and culinary tourism operators are facing critical impacts. Challenges include product availability, slow delivery, restocking issues, customer experience, and lost sales. Although craft producers have seen an increase in sales at their locations, this does not compensate for lost sales through the LCBO retail network.

Our collective efforts make us stronger. Thanks go out to ORHMA and Restaurants Canada for their engagement with the LCBO to address operator concerns, and for their early advocacy which we have amplified. This week’s TIAO press release, shared by numerous media outlets nationwide, resulted in TIAO giving 14 radio and television interviews in the past 24 hours - generating 104 million media impressions in news and broadcast coverage.

Negotiations have resumed yesterday.  We will continue to monitor progress, quantify impact, and advocate on behalf of our Members.

Sincerely,

Andrew Siegwart

President & CEO

Tourism Industry Association of Ontario

With the ongoing LCBO strike, TIAO is currently conducting a short survey to gauge the impacts of the strike on TIAO members. If you haven’t completed the survey yet, now is your last chance – click here to access it. The survey closes tomorrow, Friday July 12 at 11:59pm. 

Early data from our survey shows that: 

• The LCBO strike is impacting the operations of one-third of respondents. Half of respondents in food and beverage and festival and events sectors have reported impacts to their operations. 

• Common challenges reported include: product availability, restocking capacity (for larger operators and also for small operators unable to order large wholesale quantities), impacts to visitor experience, and issues using the LCBO’s wholesale portal. 

• While breweries, wineries, cideries, and distilleries are experiencing an uptick in direct retail sales, they are also losing sales through their LCBO channels. 

Supply chain disruptions resulting from the LCBO strike are already impacting operators, particularly small tourism and hospitality businesses already facing rising operational costs and labour shortages. With the summer season being a peak month of visitation for our industry, we are concerned about worsening impacts.  

TIAO urges the LCBO, the provincial government, and striking workers to continue negotiating to reach a swift resolution.  

Jessica Ng

Director, Policy & Government Affairs

Tourism Industry Association of Ontario

Hello!

TIAO’s AGM took place virtually yesterday – it was a great opportunity for the TIAO team and our board to connect with many of our members, reflect on a very busy past year in tourism advocacy, and look ahead to TIAO’s 2024 priorities. 

In other tourism news, the issue of visa approvals for Canada has once again made headlines, with Calgary missing out on hosting a major international health conference due to visa processing delays.

Meetings Mean Business Canada (MMBC) and the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) are seeking input from stakeholders to address the issue of delayed visa approvals. Please respond to Minto Schneider (Board Chair, MMBC) at minto@interoceaninc.ca and cc jng@tiaontario.ca with any feedback to the following:  

1. Are you aware of any conference/convention bids that were lost due to the length of time it takes for visas to be approved? 

1. Are you aware of any conference/conventions that were definite that were cancelled due to the time it takes for visas to be approved? 

1. Do you have any numbers related to attrition because of the visa approval process (either not approved or approved too late for the delegate to make travel arrangements)? 

Thank you in advance for taking the time to respond – any information would be appreciated and will be used to determine next steps with TIAC and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).  

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.

Jessica Ng

Director, Policy & Government Affairs
Tourism Industry Association of Ontario

TIAO's leadership team met this week with Tourism Windsor Essex Peele Island and its regional municipal administrators and community leaders to discuss strategic municipal and industry collaboration as well as opportunities that lie ahead for Ontario's tourism industry.

(Photo: Gordon Orr, CEO, Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island; Town of LaSalle Mayor Crystal Meloche, ,Chair of Board of Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island; Carol Greenwood, TIAO; Dr. Jessica Ng, TIAO, Essex County Warden and Leamington Mayor Hilda MacDonald; Andrew Siegwart, TIAO)

TIAO's Team frequently works with our Regional Tourism or Destination Marketing Members to provide presentations and consultation with local municipalities.  Please reach out to us if we can assist in your community!

We're inviting TIAO Members to register for TIAO's upcoming Annual General Meeting. Register to join us virtually on June 26th, 2024 for TIAO's Annual General Meeting here. Links and relevant documents will follow by email after registration.

Andrew Siegwart

President & CEO
Tourism Industry Association of Ontario

Late last week, the Province announced a substantial cabinet shuffle, along with the creation of some new positions. In the wake of the cabinet shuffle, TIAO welcomes the Honourable Stan Cho to the tourism portfolio as Ontario’s new Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming! We will be meeting with Minister Cho in the coming weeks and look forward to working with him and his team to advance the growth potential and sustainability of the tourism industry.  

We thank Minister Lumsden and his team for their leadership and collaboration over the past two years, and we congratulate him on his new portfolio as Minister of Sport. We also congratulate the Honourable Sam Oosterhoff, who has moved from the tourism portfolio and has been appointed Associate Minister of Energy-Intensive Industries as part of the Ministry of Energy and Electrification.  

Other notable changes to the Cabinet include:  

• Rob Flack becomes Minister of Farming, Agriculture and Agribusiness 

• Stephen Lecce becomes Minister of Energy and Electrification 

• Todd Smith becomes Minister of Education 

• Vijay Thanigasalam becomes Associate Minister of Housing as part of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing 

• Greg Rickford becomes Minister of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation and remains Minister of Northern Development 

We are in the process of reaching out to Ministers as they settle into their new portfolios and have requested to meet at their earliest convenience. Stay tuned for updates.  

Jessica Ng

Director of Policy and Government Affairs
Tourism Industry Association of Ontario

Did you know?

More than 90% of Ontario’s tourism operators are small, local, sole proprietors - and they face considerable challenges in our current economy. These issues include inflationary pressure on all business costs, slow return of inbound international and business travel, cautious domestic travelers, a labour shortage that is slowing growth & productivity, and persistent high & expensive debt levels.

Earlier this week, I was at Queen's Park on behalf of TIAO to show our support for an important new Private Members Bill that would provide financial relief for small tourism businesses across Ontario.

Private Members Bill 195, tabled by MPP Stephanie Bowman would provide meaningful tax reductions to small tourism businesses & enable them to make critical investments in their teams and operations in order to grow their businesses and Ontario’s visitor economy.

Tourism Industry Association of Ontario joins Canadian Federation of Independent Business to call on all MPPs & Parties to support their small business constituents & this Bill. Click here to read CFIB’s letter to Min Bethlenfalvy, sent earlier this week, calling for swift passage and all-party support.

Thank you for your continued support. As always, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to send us an email at info@tiaontario.ca.

Sincerely,

Andrew Siegwart

President & CEO
Tourism Industry Association of Ontario

Municipalities in Ontario are on the front lines dealing with pressing community and economic issues like attainable housing, workforce development, transportation access, community safety, destination management, raising revenues from a limited number of tools such as accommodation taxes, and more.

This is why TIAO’s advocacy team is preparing now to represent the industry’s needs at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Conference taking place on August 18-24, 2024 in Ottawa.  

TIAO will bring together a powerhouse delegation of regional and sectoral tourism industry advocates as well as economic development leaders to make sure the voice of tourism is heard. During the event, the tourism delegation will meet with more than a dozen Ontario Ministers and their teams to advocate for: investments in local market recovery and growth, enabling infrastructure, healthy labour markets, and collaborative, data-driven decision making!

Please reach out to me directly at asiegwart@tiaontario.ca with any issues you feel need to be brought forward during this year’s AMO Conference.

We still have room for two more Members to join TIAO’s AMO delegation. If interested, please reach out to Carol Greenwood at cgreenwood@tiaontario.ca.

Sincerely,

Andrew Siegwart

President & CEO
Tourism Industry Association of Ontario

Summer 2024 is fast approaching, and TIAO is excited to host the Tourism Opportunities Forum in partnership with Globe and Mail and sponsored by EpiQ AV!

This event is designed to help our members grow their businesses this season by expanding markets and building strong teams.

Morning Workforce Sessions:

• Get the latest data, insights, and predictions on the tourism labour market and learn how to attract and retain top talent with Adam Morrison, President & CEO of OTEC.
• Hear from a panel of operators sharing workplace best practices in action, providing you with valuable strategies to implement in your own business.

Afternoon Market Development Sessions:

• Discover Destination Ontario's strategic plan to boost tourism economic performance this year. Vincenza Ronaldi, President & CEO of Destination Ontario, will offer insights on market trends, data-driven strategies, and collaboration opportunities.
• Learn how destination marketing is evolving with technologies like Artificial Intelligence. Jessica Robinson, Content Manager at Globe Content Studio, will explore digital strategies to grow your market share within Canada.

Event Details:

• Date: Monday, June 3
• Time: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Location: The Globe and Mail Centre, Toronto

Space is limited, so sign up ASAP to join your TIAO community for a day filled with valuable insights and collaboration opportunities.

Sincerely,

Andrew Siegwart

President & CEO
Tourism Industry Association of Ontario

Dr. Jessica Ng, PhD  

Director, Policy & Government Affairs

Tourism Industry Association of Ontario