Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to acknowledge the great work of tourism professionals, managers and front line workers who together greet most of the 107 million visitors to Canada each year.
Their good efforts help sustain a tourism industry in Canada that earns $57.5 billion in annual receipts, $17.5 billion in tax revenue, and provides direct employment to well over 615,000 Canadians.
Today the nation's capital welcomes 23 of the managers of Ontario's tourism information centres from across the province. These men and women operate the centres that are often the first point of contact for new visitors to my home province of Ontario, a province that accounts for 40% of Canada's tourism industry.
I invite all hon. members, especially those from Ontario, to join me this afternoon at 3:30 p.m. in Room 238-S for a brief reception to welcome Ontario's tourism information centre managers.