Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to all the witnesses for being here.
Mr. Mondor, Tourism HR Canada commissioned a survey on the perception of tourism as a place of employment in Canada. It found that people currently working in the tourism sector are more likely to be under 30 or to be students. We also know that youth unemployment in Canada continues to rise. Young Canadians struggle to find their first job, which could be seasonal and/or part-time in many regions. Tourism has historically represented many young Canadians' first jobs.
Has the impact of inflation, debt servicing costs and ongoing tax increases hurt tourism businesses to the point where they're finding it more difficult to hire seasonal and/or part-time workers?