Why an Interview,,,

Over the years we have been able to meet and talk with some very interesting people. They have shared with us their knowledge and have provided us with a great deal of insight as to how and why festivals and events work and why they are so important to our communities and to the Province of Ontario. With this in mind, we decided that we wanted you to meet and hear from some of the wonderful people who work so hard to provide us all with such wonderful Ontario Festivals and Events! We are pleased and proud to present "THE INSIDE SCOOP"!

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Importance of Canadian Tourism ~ Canadian Minister Maxime Bernier Interview … “Canada Brand” ~ “Youth” ~ “Volunteers”

The Importance of Canadian Tourism ~ as Canadian Minister Maxime Bernier shares … Canada Brand” ~ “Youth” ~ “Volunteers”
Judi "Scoop" McWilliams ~ Ontario Visited 
with Canadian Minster Maxime Bernier
Ottawa
Recently, we had the privilege to sit down with the Canadian Minister of Tourism ~ The Honourable Maxime Bernier, Office of the Minister of State (Small Business & Tourism; Agriculture) and conduct an interview, with the focus on Canadian Tourism.
Explore CanadaOur Journey Begins …
Every good interview needs a good topic. If you are passionate about your topic and the recipient is passionate as well, it makes for a great interview. Minister Bernier was very generous with his time and insights, and passionate about Canada and its Tourism.
In our travels we have heard new “coined phrases” such as “Edutainment” (Education through entertainment) and “Agritourism” (Education in Agricultural through Tourism activities) and “Ecotourism” (Education through the environment). The depth of Tourism, we believe, is comprised, in a large part, from the contribution of Festivals and Events held in many communities all over the Country. The mainstay and the key to success for these viable contributors are … volunteers
As we are interested in Tourism in Canada and the current trends, we thought we would share some relevant material obtained from Minister Bernier and his office. We appreciate this insight, and “Scoop” as it were …
Where we stand ~ The Canada Brand:
Branding” is important, especially in Tourism. Canada has ranked in the top two for the most powerful country brand in the world since 2010. (source: Futurebrand Country Brand Index). As we talked with Minister Bernier’s and his staff, every fact or figure we could come up with about the “statistics” become “outdated” right away. As they say, “If you are reading this, it is history” … “if you are living it, it is current”. It is important to realize though how important Tourism in Canada is! 
For an example, Canada’s Tourism Industry provides more than 618,000 direct jobs. That figure could move upwards are you are reading this too. We do know however, that in 2013, tourism revenues in Canada grew by 3 per cent to over $84 billion. That is a very significant number. Tourism is a growing and resilient industry that is driven by Canadian entrepreneurs, SMEs and workers from coast to coast to coast. 
We must not lose site that “Youth” plays an important role in Tourism in Canada, as young travellers, both domestic and international are part of the large and lucrative market. Not only do these young travellers contribute to Tourism, they also play an intricate role in “Volunteering” across the country as well, generating even more of an economic impact on our society today. 

Stay tuned to “THE INSIDE SCOOP” Series of Interview Blog articles with the Canadian Minister of Tourism ~ The Honourable Maxime Bernier, Office of the Minister of State (Small Business & Tourism; Agriculture) …Canadian Tourism Commission”.

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