Registry of Lobbyists

Registration - In-house Organization

Tourism Industry Association of Canada / L’Association de l’industrie touristique du Canada / Beth Potter, President and CEO

Registration Information

In-house Organization name: Tourism Industry Association of Canada / L’Association de l’industrie touristique du Canada
Responsible Officer Name: Beth Potter, President and CEO 
Responsible Officer Change History
Initial registration start date: 2006-09-22
Registration status: Active
Registration Number: 948593-13771

Associated Communications

Total Number of Communication Reports: 1078

Monthly communication reports in the last 6 months: 15

Version 3 of 45 (2007-09-11 to 2008-04-30)

Version 3 of 45 (2007-09-11 to 2008-04-30) was submitted prior to the Lobbying Act coming into force on July 2, 2008. Due to different information requirements at that time, the registration is presented in the following format.

A. Organization Information

Organization: Tourism Industry Association of Canada / L’Association de l’industrie touristique du Canada
116 Lisgar Street
Suite 600
Ottawa, ON  K2P 0C2
Canada
Telephone number: 613-238-8765
Fax number: 613-238-3878  
Responsible officer name and position during the period of this registration: Randall Williams, President and CEO  
 
Description of the organization's activities: The Tourism Industry Association of Canada is the voice of Canadian tourism. Founded in 1930 to encourage the development of tourism in Canada, TIAC serves today as the national private-sector advocate for this $62.7 billion industry, representing the interests of the tourism business community nation-wide. It endeavors to influence government thinking and action on behalf of Canadian tourism businesses, promoting positive measures that help the industry grow and prosper. TIAC's membership reflects partnerships among all sectors of the industry, and provincial, territorial and regional tourism associations, enabling the association to address the full range of issues facing Canadian tourism. Its activities focus on legislative and regulatory barriers to the growth of Canadian tourism.
Organization's membership or classes of membership: TIAC has over four hundred member organizations organized into the following six categories:Tourism businesses which sell goods and/or services directly to visitors/travellers (accommodation, attraction, event/festival, transportation, travel trade, restaurant/food service, convention centre, concert hall, sports arena/stadium, duty-free shop or airport),;Destination (destination marketing organization, provincial marketing organization, convention and visitor bureaux, provincial/territorial tourism industry association or tourism destination region);Sectoral organization/association - typically a supplier that sells goods and/or services to tourism businesses;Media (Companies involved in the travel press); Educational category (institution with a tourism related program offered); andFederal, Provincial or Municipal government department or agency or an interprovincial economic development agency
 
Was the organization funded in whole or in part by any domestic or foreign government institution in the last completed financial year? No
 

B. Lobbyists Employed by the Organization

Name: Kevin Desjardins
Position title: Director Communications and Public Relations
Public offices held: Yes
 
Name: Christopher Jones
Position title: Vice-President Public Affairs
Public offices held: Yes
 
Name: Andrea Labelle
Position title: Director Business Development
Public offices held: No
 
Name: Lydia McCourt
Position title: Manager Special Projects
Public offices held: Yes
 
Name: Randall Williams
Position title: President and CEO
Public offices held: No
 

C. Lobbying Activity Information

Federal departments or organizations which have been or will be communicated with during the course of the undertaking: Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Canadian Heritage (PCH), Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC), Environment Canada, Finance Canada (FIN), Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAITC), Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC), Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB), Industry Canada, Members of the House of Commons, Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Privy Council Office (PCO), Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada (PSEPC), Transport Canada (TC), Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD)
Communication techniques that have been used or are expected to be used in the course of the undertaking:
Grass-roots communication, Informal communications, Meetings, Other types: On line Petitions, Presentations, Telephone calls, Written communications, whether in hard copy or electronic format
 
Subject Matter: Areas of Concern: Aboriginal Affairs, Arts and Culture, Education, Employment and Training, Environment, Industry, Infrastructure, International Relations, International Trade, Small Business, Sports, Taxation and Finance, Tourism, Transportation
 
Subject Matter: Retrospective: Met with politicians and public servants from various departments and agencies on a range of files pertaining to the Visitor Rebate Program, Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, Funding for the Canadian Tourism Commission, Airport Rents, .Air Transport Industry Security Fees and Costs, and the National Tourism Strategy.
Subject Matter: Prospective: TIAC will be active on files pertaining to funding for the CTC; the WHTI; sustainable tourism; tourism infrastructure and product development; aviation costs; border policies; human resources; multi-modal transportation; and the development of a National Tourism Strategy. This will involve meetings with Parliamentary Committees, the Tourism Industry Caucus (Chaired by Bruce Stanton MP), public servants in relevant line departments, key Ministers and MPs.. We are likely to hold another Lobby Day in late November 2007 in conjunction with the Hotel Association of Canada.
 

Details Regarding the Identified Subject Matter

Categories Description
Grant, Contribution or Other Financial Benefit Increasing the funding available to the Canadian Tourism Commission for marketing Canada as a travel destination. TIAC will make representations to Industry Canada and Finance Canada in the furtherance of this objective.
Policy or Program, Regulation TIAC will work with Canada Border Services Agency to develop policies that maximize the efficient and secure flow of visitors across the Canada-U.S. Border.
Policy or Program Working to ensure that tourism product development in an eligibile funding category under Infrastructure Canada's new Building Canada Fund.
Regulation Working with DFAIT to mitigate the impact of the U.S Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative which is slated to be implemented in two stages ((Air Arrivals-January 23, 2007; Land and Sea Arrivals between Summer 2008 and June 1/09). This will involve dealing with FAIT, Canada Border Services Agency, and the Canadian Embassy in Washington to discuss policies to promote and facilitate border crossings for tourists and visitors to Canada. TIAC will seek to enlist the support of the Government of Canada to make representations to the United States Government about the list of compliant documents acceptable at land, sea and air ports of entry to the U.S.
Grant, Contribution or Other Financial Benefit, Policy or Program Working with Human Resources and Skills Development to enhance the quantity and quality of human resources being provided to firms and operators in the tourism, travel and hospitality sectors. This may involve lobbying on matters pertaining to the Foreign Workers Program or in relation to funding provided to our sector council - the Canadian Tourism Human Resources Council.
Policy or Program Working with Industry Canada and the Secretary of State for Small Business and Tourism to develop a National Tourism Strategy. This will involve making representations on behalf of the private sector membership of TIAC on what the broad contours of a National Tourism Strategy should look like.
Grant, Contribution or Other Financial Benefit Work to secure Federal funding and support for the promotion of sustainable tourism best practices by stakeholders in our sector. TIAC will enlist the support of the Canadian Tourism Commission and Parks Canada and potentially other federal departments (i.e. Environment Canada) towards developing a Toolkit of Sustainability Best Practices that may be employed by operators and businesses in our sector in order to "green" their operations. The document will provide practical advice to small businesses and others on how to reduce energy consumption and the emission of pollutants and GHGs.
Policy or Program, Grant, Contribution or Other Financial Benefit Work towards the goal of adopting a truly multi-modal transportation policy in Canada. This may involve engaging with Transport Canada in support of the establisment of High Speed Rail in Canada or more 'intermodal" linkages between air, rail, marine and highway carriers of people.
Legislative Proposal, Policy or Program Work with Transport Canada and Finance Canada to help lower the cost burden facing operators and travellers in the aviation sector thereby enhancing the range of price competitive travel options for Canadians and visitors alike. This may invole engaging in advocacy on the issue of airport rent, the air travellers security charge or other such fees and levies that impact actors in the air transport industry.




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