OTTAWA, July 24, 2009 — The Government of Canada has made an investment of more than $160 000 to support the CONTACT Toronto Photography Festival as part of the Marquee Tourism Events Program.
“This is exciting news for all involved in the CONTACT Toronto Photography Festival,” said the Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry. “The funding from the Marquee Tourism Events Program will help raise CONTACT’s profile among audiences within and outside Canada, further highlighting Toronto and Canada as premiere tourist destinations.”
“CONTACT has recently grown to be the largest photography festival in the world and, with the support of the Marquee Tourism Events Program, we are looking forward to making it the best,” said Darcy Killeen, Executive Director of the festival. “This program will change CONTACT for years and make it a premiere cultural event in this great country.”
Each May, the CONTACT Toronto Photography Festival displays photography from over 1000 artists in over 220 venues throughout the Greater Toronto Area. Festival highlights include a primary exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, high-profile public installations, feature exhibitions, an international lecture series, a film program and workshops.
Funding from the Marquee Tourism Events Program will allow CONTACT to reinstall its Portfolio Review event for audiences in 2010 and create an International Guest Program designed to attract international artists to the festival.
The Government of Canada’s Marquee Tourism Events Program is investing $100 million over two years to assist events such as this one across the country. This program will help organizers expand the reach of their events and promote Canada as a must-see tourist destination to visitors from around the globe.
The Marquee Tourism Events Program is one of several tourism-related programs announced in Canada’s Economic Action Plan. These programs provide measures to support Canada’s economy, stimulate the growth of tourism and contribute to the development of Canada’s visitor economy over the long term. They include the following:
- $150 million over two years for national parks and historic sites; and
- $40 million over two years to the Canadian Tourism Commission for domestic and international marketing.
For more information, please visit the Marquee Tourism Events Program website or the Canada’s Economic Action Plan website.
For further information (media only), please contact:
Laryssa Waler
A/Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Tony Clement
Minister of Industry
613-995-9001
Media Relations
Industry Canada
613-943-2502
Canada’s Economic Action Plan provides $100 million in funding over two years for marquee tourism events that draw a significant number of tourists to Canada.
Marquee tourism events provide significant cultural, sporting and recreational opportunities for Canadians and attract national and international audiences to all parts of the country. Support for these events contributes to Canada’s visitor economy by sustaining or increasing the level of tourism and tourism-related spending that benefits hotels, restaurants and a variety of small and medium-sized businesses.
As a result, the Marquee Tourism Events Program (MTEP) will provide funding to support annually recurring, world-class events that generate significant levels of tourism and that aim to attract a significant amount of international media attention to Canada as a tourism destination. Events must be well-established and have a tradition of programming excellence.
The Government of Canada recognizes that tourism is an important driver of economic activity in all regions of Canada and that further expansion of Canada’s tourism industry can increase tourism export revenues and provide stimulus to the economy at a critical time.
The program requirements are strict and targeted. All interested applicants for the MTEP must demonstrate how their event will contribute to the objectives of the program to help events deliver enhanced world-class programs and experiences, thereby increasing or sustaining the number of tourists from within and outside Canada. If funding is provided, all applicants will be required to provide annual audited financial statements for the years in which funding is received and the two years following the completion of the proposed project. An independent study examining the economic impact of the funding is also required. Applicants will also be subject to monitoring and independent audits for the funds received.
The economic impact of the tourism industry is significant, representing 2 percent of Canada’s gross domestic product, over 662 900 jobs in all regions across the country and $20 billion in government revenues.
Canada’s Economic Action Plan is intended to stimulate the economy and invest in our long-term growth. The tourism initiatives in this plan lay out a framework for branding Canada as a tourism destination of choice for domestic and international visitors.
