|
Hospitality and Tourism State of the Industry |
In 2005, tourism spending in Canada totaled $62.7 billon, a 7.2% increase compared to 2004.
Over the past 17 years, tourism employment has been increasing at an average rate of approximately 2.5%, a very impressive long-run growth rate of new jobs.
To meet traveler needs, tourism businesses employ 634,700 Canadians directly generated by tourism demand (2006 data); a million more rely on the industry indirectly for their livelihood. The tourism sector employs a total of 1.6 million Canadians, from coast to coast to coast. Those jobs provide vital incomes for individuals and families, and are the economic lifeblood of entire communities.
Tourism industry clients include visitors from around the world—over 36 million non-resident travelers entered Canada in 2005—as well as Canadians traveling within the country.
Foreign travelers account for about a quarter of total Canadian tourism expenditures, making tourism an important export industry. Globally, Canadian tourism ranks 12th in terms of receipts and 11th for visitation, according to 2004 UN World Tourism Organization data.
The industry also generates significant tax revenues, estimated at $15.3 billion annually, that support social and other programs at the federal, provincial/territorial and municipal levels; of this amount, $7.7 billion goes to the federal government, $7 billion to the provinces and territories, and $900 million to municipalities.
|