A Letter From the Honourable Eleanor McMahon, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport

Posted by Ginny Henry | November 29, 2016 | Culture and Sport, Honourable Eleanor McMahon, letter, message, Minister of Tourism, Ontario, province, Strategic Framework for Tourism in Ontario, tourism industry

November 22, 2016

Dear tourism partners:

Today, I was pleased to announce the government’s new Strategic Framework for Tourism in Ontario.

The framework signifies a shift in the way government and industry work together and will encourage collaborative and innovative approaches to tourism that are focused on our shared goals.

It is the next step in the government’s commitment to ensuring the industry is best positioned for success in the global market and will build on the success of our tourism investment initiatives. The framework will also serve as an important tool to guide our work as we maximize the growth and competitiveness of Ontario’s tourism sector.

Over the next five years, the framework will:

build more alignment and efficiencies in Ontario’s marketing system
enhance tourism’s economic impact through our regional tourism approach
develop the tourism workforce with our industry partners
improve Ontario’s business climate by including tourism as the 7th sector in the government’s Red Tape Challenge.

Our government understands the important role the tourism industry plays in building a strong economy and the positive impact it has on the lives of everyday Ontarians. In 2014, tourism supported 372,000 jobs and generated $29.8 billion of economic activity in Ontario. Together with the culture and sport sectors, tourism generates good jobs for people, brings in billions of dollars in revenue and strengthens communities across the province.

All of us can be proud of the work we have done to produce this framework. Beginning in the fall of 2015 and continuing through this past spring, we engaged people from across the sector to exchange ideas, identify barriers and find opportunities for innovation. I would like to thank everyone who provided input on the Framework. Your feedback has been invaluable throughout this process.

I am excited to launch our Strategic Framework for Tourism in Ontario, (found at www.ontario.ca/tourismframework for download) and I look forward to continuing to work with you to grow tourism in the province.

All my best,

Eleanor McMahon
Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport

Eleanor McMahon
Ministre du Tourisme, de la Culture et du Sport