Industry committee  CEWS is one of the few support programs our sector has been able to access and is key to allowing businesses to keep their staff and avoid massive layoffs come September, not to mention bankruptcy. Second, BCAP doesn’t work for the tourism sector, just like hotels, which are part of our sector.

Finance committee  Absolutely, marketing is going to be key. Because I went a little long in my response, I think I got cut off. In essence, absolutely, marketing is going to be key, and we are going to continue to work with Destination Canada. We haven't talked about it today, but we also still have to make sure that all of our destination marketing organizations are still alive and well and there to help us market all of the amazing communities across the country.

Finance committee  I believe that we're going to need some sort of recovery package with incentives like other countries are doing, incentives to attract people to visit Canada, so that if I have a choice between a variety of countries, I'm going to come here because I'm going to get a deal. Like I said, in other places governments are subsidizing room nights or they're subsidizing activities or attractions and helping make those things more affordable so that they are competitive.

Finance committee  Thank you. I was just going to say that I completely agree with everything that Mr. Hamel told you, because I'm seeing the same thing. Festivals are facing the same issue as seasonal small businesses. If a festival was planned for July or August, or even for the fall, the organizers can't show a drop in revenue compared to March and April.

Finance committee  I think all of the measures that have already been mentioned are important, but we are in a very competitive industry. Right now the entire world is shut down, but the reality is that we are going to come back at some point and we're going to be competing with other countries that, I think, have given a lot of thought to this.

Finance committee  Thank you, Blake. Thanks for the questions and the comments and the support for tourism. As I said at the outset, I don't think Parliament was designed to deal with this type of situation. I think the government has done a tremendous job putting programs in place. In fact, as I mentioned earlier, we asked for every single one of the measures that have been put in place, but the other thing I always say is that the devil is always in the details.

Finance committee  Thanks so much. First and foremost, thank you for the extraordinary speed with which government has put measures in place to address this crisis. Our thanks extend to the many women and men within government at all levels working towards solutions. Parliament was never designed to deal with an all-encompassing crisis of this magnitude, but only Parliament can take the bold steps needed to address the situation.

Finance committee  Mr. Chair, I'm sorry, but I think you forgot me. It's Charlotte Bell with TIAC.

Finance committee  No, that's okay. I just wanted to make sure you knew I was here. Can you hear me okay?

Finance committee  That is part of what the Canadian experiences fund is doing, because it is national. All tourism is local, at the end of the day, but this fund is available through the six regional development agencies. We're currently working with our regional and provincial partners to identify areas that are ripe for the picking, as you say, where there is opportunity for growth, where we're going to go in and build capacity and help people figure out a great product and what's needed for infrastructure.

Finance committee  Certainly, the meetings and conventions sector continues to be ripe for growth. Canada is ranked sixth in the world, in terms of the meetings and conventions sector. It is already doing very well. I would say that small businesses represent most of our industry. We are looking to grow tourism and expand the tourism season.

Finance committee  Thank you very much. Simply put, tourism matters. It matters to our economy through the $102-billion contribution it made last year. It also matters to the 1.8 million people who work in this industry from coast to coast to coast. It's in every single one of your ridings, providing good jobs for Canadians, stimulating development and regional economic benefits, building national pride, and surpassing many sectors of the economy.

Finance committee  It is clear that we prefer to hire people who live in Canada, instead of going abroad and hiring temporary foreign workers. For a very long time, we were asking for permission to hire immigrants—more specifically permanent residents—to help them integrate into Canada. So far, that experience has been rather positive, but most of the Canadian government's programs in immigration are not intended for people who want to work in this industry.

Finance committee  Thank you, Mr. Richards, because, in fact, you've explained very well what the problem is, and this is something that happens in a variety of markets, and it is an issue. Part of the problem is that it's being treated as one size fits all and, of course, in those resort communities in particular, that becomes very problematic.

Finance committee  Absolutely.