5. The Way Forward — Canada's National Tourism Strategy

The development and implementation of a National Tourism Strategy needs to be in cremental. The F/P/T governments recognize that building a comprehensive National Tourism Strategy will take time, commitment and collaboration.

Role of F/P/T Governments
The public sector has a dual role: policy maker and custodian/manager of some of Canada’s flagship tourism products. As policy makers, governments help to establish a business environment that is conducive to the growth of the tourism industry. Providing policy leadership in those areas that affect the tourism industry—transportation, infrastructure, gateway and border issues, regulations and immigration—will be a key role for governments in the development and implementation of a National Tourism Strategy. Enabling governments to present common positions on policy issues affecting tourism will make them far more influential among decision makers. As custodian/manager, the public sector also has the responsibility for managing museums, visitor centres, parks and heritage sites, as well as preserving culture and natural resources and promoting sustainable tourism.

Within the federal government, the Minister of Industry has the lead responsibility for tourism policy, and through the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC), for tourism marketing and research. Several other federal government departments and agencies, such as Canadian Heritage, Parks Canada and regional development agencies also provide significant support for tourism. In most provinces and territories the responsibility for tourism resides in economic development departments or in recreation, culture or heritage departments. The federal government, as well as several provincial, territorial and municipal governments, have established agencies with a focus on marketing and partnerships.

In 2003, F/P/T tourism ministers agreed to create the CCTM to champion coordination and cooperation between governments on tourism. It gives a national focus to tourism policy issues, and helps strengthen the competitive position of Canada’s tourism industry.

F/P/T governments make significant investments in the tourism sector. Coordinating tourism expenditures and activities to maximize effectiveness and efficiency is a major challenge for governments, given the different tourism governance structures and priorities across Canada. The need to ensure that international codes of practice, standards and other national, provincial and territorial planning frameworks and strategies are reflected in their respective tourism planning provides yet another challenge.

Collaboration must become the fundamental operating principle among F/P/T governments and in their interactions with the tourism industry. To enhance this partnership process, F/P/T tourism officials will have to integrate efforts with other existing F/P/T committees in related areas that could potentially affect tourism, such as culture, infrastructure and transportation.

Industry Is a Key Partner with F/P/T Governments
Tourism organizations and businesses have a key role to play in the development and implementation of a National Tourism Strategy. High quality experiences will require businesses, among others, to adopt sustainable practices and standards, provide necessary training to staff, respond to changing requirements such as the Internet, and finally, work with tourism stakeholders and non-traditional partners to ensure that travellers have access to products that are highquality, innovative and internationally competitive.

Increased cooperation between F/P/T governments and industry will better position Canada’s tourism industry to respond to the demands from a rapidly changing and competitive marketplace. Capitalizing on major opportunities, such as ADS from China or mega events such as the 2010 Olympics, will solidify partnerships and accelerate many new marketing initiatives to brand Canada as a tourist and business destination of choice. With a conscious and concerted effort to optimize existing and future resources, improve communication and work collaboratively toward shared objectives, the tourism sector will be stronger, more resilient and in a better position to compete internationally.