Mr. Chair, members of the committee, good afternoon. My name is David Heurtel, and I am the Vice-President of Corporate and Public Affairs for the Just for Laughs Group, which puts on the Just for Laughs festivals in both Montreal and Toronto.
On behalf of the Canadian Festivals Coalition, I would like to thank the committee for including our voice in its discussions regarding budget priorities. In addition to the report you have already received, we have provided the members with a copy of our impact study on the 2009 funding for the marquee tourism events program.
The Canadian Festivals Coalition is an organization that brings together 12 world-class festivals and events from across Canada. The CFC's goal is to promote the growing major festivals and events sector, which contributes significantly to the Canadian economy, most notably through tourism development. World-class festivals and events helped to drive Canada's economy during the recent crisis, according to an independent study based on the reports submitted by these organizations to the federal government in 2009. The study showed that 15 of the largest festivals and events in Canada attracted 12.6 million attendees annually, contributed $650 million to local economies and supported the equivalent of 15,600 full-time jobs nationwide. This substantial economic impact was derived primarily from operational spending by these organizations and tourism spending, for a total of $1.1 billion per year. Tourism and operational spending related to these 15 events generated approximately $260 million in tax revenue for all three levels of government. These figures clearly show that major festivals and events, especially major cultural events, form a sector of the economy that generates significant economic returns. This study recognizes the tremendous economic impact that major cultural festivals and events have across the country.
The federal government's investment in major festivals, through the marquee tourism events program, helped our events expand and diversify their programming and extend their marketing reach at the international level, which was especially important during a period of global economic instability. The study demonstrates the immediate positive effects of that investment and highlights the incredible ability of this sector to grow and develop. Not only does the industry believe that the study results prove its ability to grow, but it is also certain that it can continue to develop the tourism base and deliver excellent economic results in the future.
At a time when Canada's tourism industry is in trouble, it is essential to invest in leading-edge products that have been proven and that have the potential to further benefit the tourism sector and the economy.
I will now hand the floor over to my colleague, Janice Price.