SORBARA LEADS STUDY TO BOOST ONTARIO TOURISM

Increasing Competitiveness Will Drive Economic Growth

TORONTO — Minister of Tourism Peter Fonseca today named Greg Sorbara, MPP for Vaughan and former Minister of Finance, to look at ways to increase Ontario’s share of the multi-billion dollar global tourism market.

Working with tourism and business leaders, Sorbara will:

• Study what Ontario’s tourism industry does well and where there is room for improvement
• Identify Ontario's best prospects for growth and best practices around the globe and 
• Develop an action plan, to be released in 2009, to ensure tourism continues to be a key contributor to Ontario’s economic prosperity.

The three objectives of the competitiveness study are getting all Ontarians talking about the future of Ontario tourism; raising the tourism industry’s profile; and designing a strategy that identifies clear actions for industry and clear roles for all levels of government. 

QUOTES

“The tourism landscape is changing dramatically. The findings of this study will help ensure the province’s tourism industry is prepared to take advantage of new opportunities emerging globally.  We are prepared to think big, bold and out of the box to make Ontario the world’s destination of choice,” said Tourism Minister Peter Fonseca. 

“This is a tremendous opportunity to grow a key economic sector for Ontario — a sector that is experiencing phenomenal growth world-wide. We want to ensure we are providing the right environment for the industry to succeed and prosper,” said Greg Sorbara. 

QUICK FACTS

• Tourism contributes more than $20 billion to Ontario’s Gross Domestic Product
• Ontario welcomes more than 118 million tourists annually
• According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, the number of international travellers is expected to double to nearly 1.6 billion by 2020. 
• Tourism employs more than 200,000 people in Ontario

 

LEARN MORE

Check out Ontario’s current tourism performance.
Read about recent provincial investments to increase tourism.

Sorbara Chairs Ontario Tourism Competitiveness Study

Tourism In Ontario

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Contacts:

Alicia Farrow, Minister’s Office, (416) 325-4543
Gary Wheeler, Communications Branch, (416) 325-8391