Grosse Île, Quebec
22 May 2015
The Government of Canada is committed to supporting Canada’s culture and tourism sectors. To this end, on May 22, 2015, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced $30 million over three years for a major new tourism campaign entitled Connecting America to attract more American visitors to destinations across Canada.
This targeted tourism campaign is expected to attract a larger number of American visitors to destinations across Canada. The United States (U.S.) is Canada’s largest inbound tourism market, representing approximately 70 per cent of overnight tourists to Canada. In 2014, 11.5 million overnight tourists from the U.S. came to Canada. With growth from U.S. tourists at 0.3 per cent last year, marketing opportunities exist to raise awareness of Canada’s exciting and authentic tourism experiences.
The Connecting America campaign, which will be undertaken from 2015 to 2018, will use new technologies and innovative approaches to reach out to U.S. travellers. The initiative will enable the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) to collaborate with partners in the private sector, international travel trade (e.g., travel agents, tour operators) and the provinces and territories to promote Canada as a premier tourism destination, creating exciting new opportunities for the sector. It will also help promote economic growth by creating or maintaining approximately an estimated 2,900 jobs across Canada.
Federal funding would be matched on a 1.25-to-one basis by provincial and territorial, local and private-sector tourism partners with a view of generating an additional $400 million in incremental tourism revenue from an additional 680,000 visitors over a three-year period.
The CTC is Canada’s national tourism marketing organization. A federal Crown corporation of the Government of Canada, it leads the Canadian tourism sector in marketing Canada as a premier four-season tourism destination where travellers can enjoy extraordinary experiences. It provides a consistent voice for Canada in the international tourism marketplace.