Government Must Act Now to save Canada's Hardest Hit Tourism and Hospitality Businesses from yet Another Lost Summer Season

Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 9, 2022) - The Coalition of the Hardest Hit Businesses is calling on the Government of Canada to take immediate action to save the tourism industry in Canada which was the first hit by the pandemic and will be the last to recover. Businesses are urgently calling on the government to remove barriers at the border, maintain and extend the Tourism and Recovery Hospitality Program (THRP) support program and help the sector attract the workforce it needs to recover.

The impact of the pandemic on these businesses has been relentless. The industry's small business owners have depleted their savings, cut costs to the bone, and have reached their debt limits, yet the support program designed to preserve the sector will be cut in half in 4 days. Ongoing border and travel restrictions have left the industry with no plan to build back its key international visitor while other countries are open for business. With no predictability in sight, and a support program being pulled prior to recovery, operators are struggling to survive, compete and attract workers back to the sector.

"The COVID-19 crisis has created an unpredictable environment for travelers and hospitality businesses," said Beth Potter, President and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada and Co-Chair of the Coalition of Hardest Hit Businesses. "International arrivals are still down 87%. The Coalition is calling on the Government of Canada to maintain and extend the THRP support program, announce a clear plan to remove barriers at the border, and dedicate resources to a national labour strategy to build the sector back."

"Omicron has set our businesses back with significant cancellations over the winter and spring, and we are quickly losing our booking window for the summer," said Susie Grynol, President and CEO of the Hotel Association of Canada and Co-Chair of the Coalition of Hardest Hit Businesses. "The government has helped the sector survive this far, it just needs a little more help to get back on its feet."

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Established in September 2020, the Coalition of the Hardest Hit Businesses is an industry-driven coalition that represents the hundreds of businesses in tourism, travel, arts and culture, events and festivals, motor coach, accommodations and hospitality, and Indigenous tourism experiences. To learn more about the Coalition of Hardest Hit Businesses, visit www.HardestHit.ca.

For Media Inquires please contact Ben Howe:

ben@impactcanada.com or 613-697-2105

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/116136