hard hit
businesses

need support
to survive

first hit, hardest hit.
last to recover.

Staying Alive 
– Just Barely

We supported the measures needed to stop the spread of the virus and we were proud to pitch in: we opened our hotels to front-line workers and our convention halls for vaccination clinics. But limitations on gatherings, travel restrictions and border closures hit us the hardest and we continue to suffer today, more so than any other industry. 

Without government support to date, most of the businesses in our sectors would have closed their doors permanently. Wage and rent subsidies that ended in the fall of 2021 -- and the Tourism, Hospitality Recovery Program (THRP) that began in late October -- have helped to keep us alive. 

Tourism, hotel and events continue to be devastated by impact of 2-years of COVID-19 health measures and border restrictions. 

New Variants and Border Restrictions SLOWED our Recovery

While the THRP has been helpful, it did not take the Omicron variant into account.  Reimposing restrictions and barriers at the border have delayed the recovery of a sector already on its knees.  From the start, we identified flaws in the program that excluded many businesses from the THRP altogether – these need to be addressed now.

On the Brink

Our sectors would rather have customers than government subsidies.  

For this to happen, promote a positive travel narrative and help address a shortage in staffing. 

Right now, we are all making decisions about re-opening but we are in a highly uncertain environment: 

​

• Massive cancellations of bookings after Omicron 

• We are losing our summer booking window to competitors who have more open travel rules  

• Government support is winding down at a moment when we have no resources to ramp up operations for an expected recovery

• We need to bring over 400,000 workers back who have left us for other sectors.  

Omicron wiped out bookings, and is threatening summer 2022, setting back rehiring and recovery.

 coalition partners 

CO-CHAIR

CO-CHAIR