Connecting America program gets $30M investment

The Canadian government has pledged to invest $30 million over three years to the Connecting America program, the Tourism Industry Association of Canada's (TIAC) marketing proposal to attract U.S. visitors to Canada.

With a marketing campaign led by the Canadian Tourism Commission, Connecting America will target U.S. leisure travellers and raise awareness of Canada's hospitality and tourism experiences. The program is estimated to generate up to $400M in new spending and 2,900 new jobs across the country. Canada currently welcomes 11.5 million American visitors yearly spending over $7 billion to the economy annually – a decrease of 24 per cent from a decade ago.

"By investing in U.S. marketing, the government has responded to the top priority of tourism businesses across the country," said Charlotte Bell, TIAC president and CEO. "During our Tourism Town Hall consultations across Canada, industry has been unanimous in their desire to get back in the U.S. market and take advantage of the recovering U.S. economy, record high passport ownership and the favourable exchange rate."

In response to the announcement, Hotel Association of Canada President Tony Pollard added that “this announcement demonstrates the government’s commitment to the tourism industry in Canada.”