Edmonton in Alberta is hosting Rendez-vous Canada (Credit: iStock)
Speaking at Rendez-vous Canada in Edmonton, tourism minister Soraya Martinez Ferrada said the strategy would seek to increase annual earnings from $113 billion to “up to” $160 billion by 2030, she said, whereas doing nothing would see earnings only reach $140 billion.
Ferrada said the government would support SMEs “across the country” to reinvigorate its industry. “It will put us in the top seven destinations in the world.”
In 2021, the World Economic Forum ranked Canada as 13th in the list of global destinations, a drop of three places and the first time Canada has fallen out of the top 10.
Destination Canada is tasked with delivering the strategy, Tourism 2030: A World of Opportunity. President and chief executive Marsha Walden admitted Canada had ground to make up.
“Our sector and our global competitiveness has been slipping since 2009,” she said. “We have struggled to keep pace with other countries. We want to reclaim our position in the top seven global destinations.”
