Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize Tourism Day on Parliament Hill today, an event that will surely raise the awareness of important tourism issues across Canada.
We know tourism is important to all regions of the country, and our government is committed to this sector, investing over $400 million annually in tourism related initiatives. “What initiatives?”, one might ask.
We have just approved an additional $26 million for the Canadian Tourism Commission to maximize opportunities for the 2010 winter games.
We are providing $110 million for the 400th anniversary of Quebec City in 2008.
We have created the foreign convention and tour incentive program to better promote Canada for group travel.
We announced further reductions in the GST that will make travel in Canada more affordable for residents and visitors alike.
We look forward to working with tourism stakeholders because it is a great industry and, working together, it is only going to get better.