This government is taking tourism very seriously. It is an industry that is really important in driving the economy forward.
To an earlier point, we talked about under-represented groups within the tourism sector. The majority of the jobs are going to people 35 years of age and younger. They're good jobs, and it's meaningful employment, so we are serious about a strategy moving forward. The budget showed a commitment of $50 million over two years to Destination Canada, the crown marketing agency for the nation.
In the short time that I've been in this role, I've travelled to Boston for the Boston Globe show. When we were there I was excited because I love my nation, but my tourism industry partners were also excited because for the first time—I thought it was fascinating that it was the first time—Canada was in one pavilion. What's been happening in the past is that provinces and territories have had to represent themselves, but for the first time we have Destination Canada, which I understand came to the committee and is actually working with all the provinces and territories to ensure they are represented.
The best brand we have within this nation is our nation's brand. It's Canada. That's where people come. People actually come to Canada to visit, and that's what will create those jobs and what will generate the revenues. The tourism industry is a $90-billion industry. It's not a small deal. It's a big deal.
What we're also doing through Destination Canada is working with the border communities. The gateway communities—and please don't let me misrepresent this—are very important. The gateway communities actually bring people into our nation so that they can discover the rural and remote areas and so forth, but it's the border communities that actually bring in our number one trading partner, our cousins to the south, as I always say, so that they come to visit. They come to see Canada and they're able to recognize what we have to offer.
From travelling this nation, I know that the Canadian experiences we have are amazing. Canada is the only country in the world in which you can travel the entire world in one nation. You can eat food from around the world in one nation. You can hear languages from around the world in one nation. That's our strength. So yes, we will definitely be working on a strategy to ensure that we are present internationally.