Finance committee  In terms of Prince Edward Island, to put that into context, in 2019 we would have welcomed approximately 1.6 million visitors, so on an island with a population of just under 160,000 people, you can appreciate the impact that tourism has for us. While we say that 60% of our overall visitation comes from Atlantic Canada, the reality is that those are day trips or weekend trips, and they're not bringing in the economic impact that our visitors from Ontario, Quebec and even the New England states would bring.

Finance committee  I think Matthew has articulated, certainly, the hardest-hit sectors as being attractions. We see it with our experience providers and accommodation providers. I'm not an expert on what those formulas might look like, but when you start to look at the percentages of the hardest hit, I think that's a true indicator of where we see those deficiencies in the support.

Finance committee  Certainly. Thank you for the opportunity. I think it's a unique challenge in each of our provinces. Obviously, Atlantic Canada has handled the COVID restrictions differently than other jurisdictions with our Atlantic bubble last summer. We're looking again at an Atlantic bubble.

Finance committee  Good afternoon to my fellow Islanders, and good morning to those from across the country. Thank you for the opportunity to present to your committee again, a mere month after my last presentation. As the CEO for the Tourism Industry Association of Prince Edward Island, I have spent this past year reaching out to operators and identifying the ongoing challenges that our industry has faced since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Finance committee  I think we were happy to see the Destination Canada funding. I think it's important to have that component, but you're right. What will we have, and what's the supply chain left that really gets through and survives this pandemic? The $500 million, again, sounds great, but when you're spreading it across the country, how will that be allocated?

Finance committee  We've talked about that at an Atlantic Canada level and even at the Tourism Industry Association of Canada. I think we all struggle to a certain extent with varying degrees to get around that fear. I think Ms. Hodson mentioned earlier the transmission rates in gyms, and I think there's that perception out there.

Finance committee  I think the easy answer is that it's the movement of people. Our industry is based on human interaction. Our air traffic here in Prince Edward Island has been devastated from a capacity standpoint. Cruise and motorcoach, meetings and conventions—it's really to be able to bring those people back.

Finance committee  That's exactly what we've been talking about. Certainly here, from even a provincial standpoint, it's about understanding what those benchmarks are. We understand that those might be moving targets by times, but we really need to understand what the benchmarks are to reopen. Again, I think we have a number of issues.

Finance committee  Thank you, Mr. Julian, for the question. As I indicated earlier, the wage subsidy has really been a critical lifeline for a lot of our operators. Certainly in Prince Edward Island and other areas across Canada, the tourism industry is very much seasonal. A large portion of our industry is based on a six-month season.

Finance committee  Thank you. Good afternoon and hello to all of the finance committee members. I represent the Tourism Industry Association of Prince Edward Island, the hardest-hit industry on the island since the onset of this pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, tourism was one of the top three industries on Prince Edward Island, generating an estimated $504.8 million in direct revenues and approximately $145 million in total tax revenues.