Finance committee  I'd like to add to what my colleague said, if I may. We want the rates to be maintained at least for 2022. Even once the border reopens, it will take some time before international tourists return to Canada and Quebec. Something else we are worried about is an outflow of Canadians going abroad.

Finance committee  At the risk of repeating what's already been said, I would stress that businesses really need to get through the end of the crisis if they are going to bounce back. The Destination Canada funding and other investments in the budget are certainly important, but the focus is on helping businesses prepare for the recovery.

Finance committee  I can start. It's really about having predictability and being able to anticipate what's coming. Will the border reopen in three months or six months? What impact will the forecasts have in terms of returning tourism clientele and potential revenues? The answers to those questions will tell us whether we can keep our staff, as I mentioned earlier.

Finance committee  I mentioned Croisières AML, the largest private company in Canada offering cruises on the St. Lawrence River. With respect to the international cruise industry, as you pointed out, Canada has not finished vaccinating its population and unpredictability remains regarding when the border will reopen.

Finance committee  What's important to understand is that this is about more than just helping businesses survive; it's also about making sure they have the ability to bounce back going forward. Canada and Quebec are going to face tremendous competition from international markets when it comes to tourism advertising and appeal, not to mention reinvestment in tourism infrastructure, in other words, the product we are selling.

Finance committee  Yes. If I may, I would like to add to what Mr. Paquet said. We are now in the second year of the pandemic, the second year of lockdowns and the second year of border closures. The wage subsidy and rent subsidy supports provided by the government have helped a lot, but the sector still needs predictability in the coming year.

Finance committee  Let me continue.

Finance committee  Mr. Johns, well-established companies are already having difficulty surviving the pandemic. We can well imagine that young companies will have even more difficulty, since they do not have a credit history and a record of financial performance. I would like to remind you that we are entering the third wave.

Finance committee  Thank you.

Finance committee  Companies that are highly leveraged will try, as much as possible, not to take on more debt. Many businesses are considering staying closed longer rather than risk taking on debt. Today, in this committee, there was a lot of talk about predictability and uncertainty. Small businesses, in particular, that are not as strong, will be more vulnerable in this situation.

Finance committee  I mentioned two things earlier. In the tourism sector, many employees are in contact with the public, for example in customer service. This is also the case for lift attendants at ski resorts. Many people who work with the public are concerned about contracting COVID-19. At Mount Sutton, we lost a lot of employees over the winter as a result of the second wave and the second lockdown in Quebec.

Finance committee  Indeed, we saw each other two weeks ago. The season is not over yet. It normally ends at Easter or the following week at most ski resorts in Quebec. We are facing the same issues, the ones we talked about, which echo Ms. Demarcke's comments in response to Mr. McLeod's questions.

Finance committee  Please let me finish. The issue is also to be able to—

Finance committee  —ensure recovery. So we need funds dedicated to the marketing of the Canadian and Quebec tourism sector to ensure its recovery, because we will face major international players. We also need levers to be able to quickly reinvest in the national and Quebec tourism product, and be able to compete with international offerings.

Finance committee  Thank you, Mr. Paquet. As entrepreneurs, we need predictability. It allows us to plan for the next three to six months when we are doing our operating budget and we have to decide what our steps are and how many people we are going to keep employed, which is the key personnel that are critical to the future of our business.