This is a matter of balance.
I will begin with an important fact. According to the surveys, Canada is among the most popular destinations for foreign travellers. Festivals are one of the reasons those people decide to come to Canada. We all agree that this is made possible through the investments by the federal government, the provinces and the private sector.
When the Marquee Tourism Events Program ended, the funding was reduced. As Mr. Monahan said, we hope a similar program will be launched. It's important for a program of this type to be part of a comprehensive tourism strategy. The Marquee Tourism Events Program was one of the initiatives under the
stimulus program.
A federal tourism strategy now exists. We want to have a similar program not only for major festivals, but also for all festivals across Canada.