“In the middle of winter, I finally learned that there was an invincible summer within me,” Canadian Tourism Minister Randy Boissonnault said Wednesday, quoting Albert Camus. “Let’s take this feeling of an invincible summer to revive the sector for the better. It is in this state of mind that the Franco-Albertan MP announced the start of consultations for a federal post-pandemic tourism strategy.
Mr. Boissonnault began his speech before the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal with an anecdote about the Quebec metropolis. In 2006, he participated in an Outgames sports competition, then found himself in a crowd in the heart of the Village.
“For the first time in my life, I was in the double majority: francophone and gay man. It was a breath of fresh air like I had never felt before,” he said, triggering laughter from his audience.
The inclusive and diverse nature of Quebec and Canada is part of what the former special advisor to the Prime Minister on LGBTQ2 issues wants to promote to potential tourists. The security aspect of the country, the abundance of outdoor activities, gastronomy, sports and Aboriginal culture will also be highlighted. For the rest, the minister, in office for a few months, wants to hear until July 20 the ideas of the public and entrepreneurs to develop attractive projects.
The business community also expects a return of international tourists this summer. But it will be a challenge to welcome them well, since a labor shortage is raging. Solutions to this problem, including recruitment abroad, must also be included in the future strategy. Mr. Boissonnault expressed particular interest in setting up an immigration program or pilot project specific to tourism.
“I work closely with Minister Sean Fraser,” he assured in an interview with the To have to. He gave the example of the permanent immigration pilot program for beneficiary attendants, which facilitates access to permanent residence for workers in this trade. “We will see if we can do the same thing in tourism,” said the politician and entrepreneur.
Remember that six associations of hoteliers and restaurateurs recently asked the federal government to suspend for two years a requirement slowing down the arrival of temporary foreign workers in their establishments. Without this help, they feel they will be dramatically short of employees this summer. The office of the Minister of Employment has shown little openness to the idea.
For the next few months, Mr. Boissonnault admits that it will be “a bit difficult” to improve the situation. However, he judges that long-term work, over five to ten years, will be necessary to attract, train and keep a sufficient workforce in this sector devastated by two years of pandemic.
In the immediate future, another issue is also of concern to the tourism industry: congestion at airports, which would be the result of random screening tests for COVID-19 and public health checks at customs. To this end, Mr. Boissonnault assured that the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, which manages health measures at airports, was hiring and training employees to reduce queues.