Tourism touches everyone—and can transform communities Tourism is big business. Around 10% of working Canadians work in tourism, whether or not they realize it. The tourism workforce is 2 million strong, working in 113,000 businesses across the country. Between accommodations, food and beverage services, recreation and entertainment, transportation, and travel services, tourism industries generate over 4% of Canada’s GDP. Tourism is all about people. It emphasizes social capital and cohesion, promotes inclusivity and diversity, contributes to cultural and heritage preservation, and offer ..read more

The Symposium on Seasonal Employment (Chantier sur la saisonnalité) was held March 28 in the beautiful Quebec City region, at Lac-Beauport. Under the theme “Working with the seasons: HR innovations and solutions”, representatives from five business sectors—tourism, forestry, agriculture, fisheries, and horticulture—shared and discussed initiatives and best practices implemented to meet the many challenges posed by seasonal employment. In collaboration with the Conseil québécois des ressources humaines en tourisme (CQRHT), Tourism HR Canada presented some best practices for recruiting and retai ..read more

Tourism Labour Force Contracts Slightly The tourism sector[1] in March saw an overall slight decline over the previous month[2], with contractions of less than 1% across labour force and employment, and an increase of less than 1% in unemployment. The sector was in a stronger position than in March 2023, but remained slightly below 2019 levels. At the industry group level, the profile overall showed more variability. Table 1 provides a snapshot of tourism’s and each of its five industry groups’ performance across labour force, employment, and unemployment, as compared with February 2024 ..read more

The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is published monthly by Statistics Canada, and the customized data set that Tourism HR Canada purchases provides a current estimate of the state of the tourism labour force throughout the year. The LFS is based on a sample of the population and scaled up to reflect the larger economy, and so it does not provide a real-life snapshot at any given moment: but it is a very useful tool for noting trends in the labour force, in employment, and in unemployment, and it forms the basis of Tourism HR Canada’s monthly labour force snapshots. As well as the monthly data, Stat ..read more

From March 19 to 21, Tourism HR Canada hosted an industry validation meeting to finalize the updated Emerit Supervisor Professional Certification program. Twelve supervisors from across Canada, representing various work environments—from hotels and restaurants to outdoor adventures, visitor services, and reservation centres—travelled to Ottawa to participate in this meeting. Over the course of three days, participants contributed their expertise and experience to review and finalize the multiple-choice exam bank questions, ensuring the questions were valid, fair to all candidates, as well as r ..read more

In the Canadian tourism sector, sustainability must serve as both a compass and a destination. The natural wonders that Canada offers can draw tourists from around the world, but only to the extent that they are protected. Additionally, our ability to deliver high-quality service to these guests depends on a skilled, diverse, and well-supported workforce. Both of these dimensions of sustainability—the environment and the social footprint in the community—are reflected in the UN’s new global standard to measure the sustainability of tourism. At Tourism HR Canada, we welcome this new standard. W ..read more

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFW Program) aims to enable Canadian employers to address labour and skills shortages on a temporary basis when Canadians and permanent residents are not available, while protecting workers in Canada, including temporary foreign workers.   In April 2022, the Government launched the TFW Program Workforce Solutions Road Map that introduced temporary measures to help employers fill job vacancies in the wake of labour shortages.    Based on recent economic data from Statistics Canada, the Government of Canada will not be renewing certa ..read more

Tourism HR Canada is on a mission to enhance mental health and wellbeing across tourism workplaces, and your voice is key. Share your experiences and insights on mental health in the tourism sector and help change the face of the future workplace. The findings from this survey will guide us in implementing effective strategies and improvements, aiming to enhance job satisfaction, mental health, and overall workplace culture. The survey will take just 15 minutes, and is completely anonymous. Why get involved? Shape a healthier workplace: Your input will directly influence strategies to improve ..read more

Tourism Workforce Accelerates After Sluggish Start to 2024 Overall, the tourism sector[1] in February saw increases over the previous month[2], with growth in employment (+2.6%) outpacing that in the labour force (+2.4%). The sector was in a stronger position than in February 2023, but remained around 1-2% below 2019 levels on both indices. At the industry group level, the profile overall was fairly consistent, with a few industries showing different trends from the sector averages. Table 1 provides a snapshot of tourism’s and its five industry groups’ performance across labour force, emp ..read more

“Try things, fail forward. What matters is that you stay open to learning and improving, and that the efforts that you’re making are done with an open heart.” Stephanie Cadieux, Canada’s first Chief Accessibility Officer, shared inspiring words, lived experiences, and real-world advice at Tourism HR Canada’s first event under the Belong initiative, Embracing Disability Inclusion in Tourism Workplaces. About 60 tourism stakeholders gathered in Ottawa to share ideas, insights, and experiences around IDEAL workplaces: inclusive, diverse, equitable, accessible, and leading. Providing the keynote a ..read more