Thank you very much.
Ms. McKenzie, you've provided a very insightful snapshot of the Canadian tourism industry. You had indicated that the Canadian Tourism Commission does extensive study and analysis of the Canadian tourism sector both domestically and abroad, our international product. One of the things that you highlighted was that there is a growing concern within Canada, within the Canadian tourism industry, that our international competitiveness may be put in jeopardy because of emerging markets. The Canadian competitiveness, our Advantage Canada, as it were, is rapidly being eroded. In fact, I understand the figures are that while domestic travel within the country itself is up significantly, about 10%, internationally we're down almost 2.5% over last year, and the prospects are not looking very good.
In fact, what you really indicated was that for every dollar we spend on marketing and promotion, and I'll use that envelope of “promotion” very broadly, we get a huge payback. In fact, your presentation was almost an infomercial about the negative impact of cancelling the GST visitor rebate program. That program seemed to me and to the tourism industry a very substantial incentive, a competitiveness factor for the Canadian industry to be able to attract tourists.
Now we understand that there was a flip-flop on that particular initiative. In the budget of 2006 the federal government did announce the complete reduction or elimination of that particular program. However, they did indicate in Budget 2007 that they would go back to the table, and they announced a program specifically for organized tour operators and conventions. The ones left out of this were the independent operators who were attracting international visitors. Specifically, Madam McKenzie, in my riding of Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, Newfoundland and Labrador, we have a large number of commercial big-game outfitters and eco-tourism operators who can no longer avail themselves of this particular program and are really feeling the sting of this.
Has the Canadian Tourism Commission commissioned any studies or impact assessments that you can speak of today of the impact of that particular decision and the elimination of the GST rebate specifically for non-institutional tour operators and convention operators?