The world needs more Canada.
There’s a reason this catch-phrase became popular over the last year. The world really does need more Canada.
I see it every single day.
I see it in the young man from Pakistan who follows me on Twitter. His entire Twitter profile, and feed, is a shrine to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Canada.
I see it in the young woman from Kenya, who also follows me on Twitter. She’s trying to make a better life for herself in her own country but, a quick glance at her Twitter feed tells me she is dreaming of life here in Canada.
These people are reaching out to something Canadian – anything. Even if it’s just this lifestyle blog with a very Canadian name.
I’m often found on social media by people around the world who are looking to be a part of something Canadian.
Every time this happens it reminds how very lucky I am to live in Canada.
Oh. So. Lucky.
We live in the greatest country on earth. A country that is celebrating its 150th birthday this year.
Canada will be welcoming more of the world this year, as thousands of tourists join us in celebrating this momentous occasion.
The world believes it needs more Canada. In 2017, let’s show them they are right!
As we enjoy all the great Canada 150 festivities happening this summer, let’s remember that each and every one of us is an ambassador for Canada.
Let’s welcome the world and show them what Canadiana hospitality is all aboot about!
In honour of Canada’s 150th birthday, and to celebrate Canada’s Tourism Vision and Tourism Week, I’m thrilled to have been asked to share this message from the Hon. Bardish Chagger, Canadian Minister of Small Business & Tourism…
At a time when the world is looking inward, Canada is reaching out and using tourism to welcome our fellow global citizens.
As we celebrate Tourism Week, let’s remember that when we welcome tourists, we are ambassadors for Canada. Through our famous hospitality, we share our values, unique culture, and build people to people connections.
Diversity is a strong Canadian value. Canada is the world in one country. We are bilingual, multicultural, and welcoming of all peoples, no matter their identity.
The diversity of our landscape, lakes, tundra, forests, even a rainforest and a desert, show off the beauty of Canada’s four seasons.
We have tastes of the world here in Canada too, with world-class farm to table chefs that take advantage of our fresh produce to create beautiful dishes with all the flavors of the world.
There’s growing interest in learning more about the plurality of perspectives, cultures, languages and communities of Canada’s indigenous peoples. Tsawwassen, Red River, Arctic Bay and more have authentic experiences to offer to all.
Our two official languages are at the heart of who we are as Canadians, and when we share our francophone heritage, we give visitors a window into an important part of our identity.
Our diversity stretches to attractions outside of the big cities, for example the Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest in my hometown is the biggest outside of Germany and celebrates a part of the heritage of our region.
Every single Canadian community, urban and rural, has celebrations, stories, journeys and places to share with tourists, bringing new customers to local businesses and creating more jobs for middle class Canadians from coast to coast to coast.
Across Canada’s communities, tourism supports more than 1.7 million jobs, nearly 200,000 businesses, and is our number one employer of youth.
These are encouraging numbers, but our Prime Minister and our government are about achieving more. More women in politics, more new Canadians, more opportunities for middle class Canadians. More is the thread of Canada’s diversity and our tourism industry is a vibrant part of that fabric.
That’s why I’m proud to have launched our government’s New Tourism Vision, a plan to better promote Canada as an international destination so more visitors can get here, experience more of Canada, and do it more than once.
The Vision builds on the success of 2016, the best year for Canadian tourism in more than a decade. Over the next five years we are going to work hard to bring 6 million more visitors to Canada.
That means more guests in local hotels, customers for small businesses, visitors to local attractions, and more jobs in the tourism industry.
But it also means 6 million new friends, and even more opportunities to get to know the world, and for the world to get to know Canada.
And as we do that, my hope is that we are bringing the world a little closer together.
Hon. Bardish Chagger
Canadian Minister of Small Business and Tourism
