Canadian government wants to invest in tourism in cottage country and here’s what it means

Canada wants more tourists. The number of international visitors is up this year, 14.8 million from January to August, 1.5 per cent more than the same period in 2017. The federal government thinks we can do even better. To help, it has assembled the Advisory Council on Jobs and the Visitor Economy, a panel of business owners, entrepreneurs, and tourism operators, chaired by Frank McKenna, the former premier of New Brunswick. The new council will come up with new strategies to get more people to come here, which will in turn create more employment in the tourism sector, already pegged at 1.8 million jobs. But how will more tourism affect cottage country?

A lot of rural communities are struggling. Sometimes the local economy was centred on one or two industries, and once those businesses are gone, everyone suffers. But for tourists, there’s a lot to appreciate in small-town Canada, or there’s a park or a wilderness attraction nearby that they want to see, and those places often could accommodate more visitors. More employment means a more vibrant and diverse local economy.

Some places have the attractions that tourists want to visit, but not the infrastructure to accommodate those tourists. The new council will be advising the government on a new tourism strategy, which will probably include recommendations on how to invest in the development of the facilities and businesses that communities need. Plus, international tourists already spend more than $20 billion while they’re here; if all goes to plan, expect that amount to grow.

Most tourists, when the come to Canada, have an itinerary. They don’t want to just see one place; they want to see as much as they can (sometimes not realizing how vast our country is and how long it takes to travel from place to place). Expect more cars and buses on the roads we all share. In fact, expect all forms of transit—ferries, trains, planes—to be busier.

Visitors come here to experience what we sometimes take for granted: our lakes, rivers, oceans, parks, wildlife and wilderness, etc. If the government’s strategy works, you’ll likely have more company when you go to these places. Canada welcomed a record 20.8 million international visitors in 2017, our 150th anniversary year; the objective is to increase that tally.

We want to know what you think about the goal of attracting more visitors. Is more tourism good for Canada? How do you think it will affect cottage country?