Canada has much to offer the world once travel safely resumes: breathtaking landscapes and wide open spaces; diverse and inclusive experiences; and friendly people from coast to coast to coast who provide outstanding service. Combined with a strong focus on health and safety and high COVID-19 vaccination rates, Canada is among the most alluring and smartest destinations.

“As we recover from this pandemic, we are focused on being there for the tourism sector. With the support announced today, tourism businesses and organizations in Long Range Mountains will be able to prepare for the future. This is an important step in the recovery effort that will allow visitors to discover the world-class tourism experiences Atlantic Canada has to offer.”

-        The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for ACOA

“The Canadian tourism sector continues to be one of the most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We are fully committed to supporting businesses and organizations through these challenging times, keeping safety as the top priority while ensuring they get support to quickly recover, innovate their products and services, and thrive. The Tourism Relief Fund will help businesses adapt, make improvements, and be ready to welcome back guests. It also feeds into a broader strategy to help the sector survive the pandemic, recover and grow. The Canadian economy will not fully recover until our tourism sector recovers.”

-        The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance

“The tourism industry is important to businesses and communities right across Newfoundland and Labrador. Here in Long Range Mountains we have so much to choose from—visitors can experience a quiet, charming traditional inn or take an exhilarating trip down a zip line with a mountainside view. We have something for everyone! The Tourism Relief Fund is helping our tourism businesses accelerate recovery from challenging times.”

-        The Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Member of Parliament for Long Range Mountains.

• The tourism sector is a key contributor to the Canadian economy. In 2019, tourism generated over $104 billion in revenue and directly employed 692,000 people, including those in underrepresented groups like women, students, racialized people, and Indigenous populations.

• With a national budget of $500 million, including $485 million for regional priorities administered by Canada’s Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) and $15 million for national priorities administered by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, the Tourism Relief Fund is part of the billion dollars in tourism support announced in Budget 2021.

• A minimum of $50 million of the fund’s budget has been earmarked for Indigenous tourism projects. Indigenous communities that rely heavily on tourism have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

• $48.5 million from the Tourism Relief Fund has been allocated to ACOA to administer the fund in the Atlantic region.

Associated links

• Tourism Relief Fund
• Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program (THRP)
• Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program

Marianne Blondin

Press Secretary

Office of the Minister of Official Languages and of the

Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

Marianne.Blondin@acoa-apeca.gc.ca

Julie Afonso

Manager of Communications

Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

709-743-5835

julie.afonso@acoa-apeca.gc.ca