The United Nations has been celebrating World Tourism Day every year on September 27th since 1980. The theme for World Tourism Day 2024 is ‘tourism and peace’ and the international meeting for this year is being organized in Tbilisi, Georgia.
The UN Secretary General believes that tourism not only brings people together but, at the same time, broadens horizons. In his message for World Tourism Day 2024, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said that sustainable tourism can transform communities by creating jobs and strengthening local economies. He also believes that tourism can support economic growth and create interdependence which leads to cooperation and development for all.
Where Does Canada Stand Today As A Global Tourist Destination?
The tourism industry in Canada serves as a significant engine for economic growth. It revitalizes economic prospects in a variety of industries, including retail, hotel, transportation, the arts and culture, and entertainment. In Canada, the tourism industry has historically been the country’s main service export, bringing in $300 million a day and accounting for 2.1% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2019. With a varied and inclusive workforce, it accounted for approximately one in ten jobs across the country, making it a key source of employment for Canadians.
With 18.4 million international tourist arrivals, Canada was the 18th most visited country in the world in 2023. However, the Canadian government wants to bring Canada among the top 10 global tourist destinations in the world by 2030 and also increase annual revenues from $140 billion to $160 billion.
Following its recovery, Canada’s tourism industry is predicted to expand at a higher rate than the overall economy (5.8% vs. 4.5%), but it is still predicted to lag below the 7.1% global average. Due to short-term economic obstacles like rising interest rates, tourism is expected to rise modestly until the middle of 2024 before picking up in 2025, according to the Destination Canada annual report 2023.
The report added that the number of foreign visitors has rapidly increased within the past two years. The demand for tourism is predicted to continue growing and reach 2019 levels of international visits in 2025, despite intense competition for travellers worldwide.
How Many UNESCO World Heritage Sites Are There In Canada?
Did you know with 22 UNESCO sites, Canada ranks 14th on the list of countries that have the highest number of World Heritage sites? Chances are that you may not know this fact, and there are reasons for it. Usually, when we talk about the UNESCO World Heritage sites, we talk about the pyramids in Egypt, the Great Wall of China, the Colosseum in Italy, etc. Canada does attract a significant number of foreign tourists, but we generally do not see the mentioning of its World Heritage sites in the global media, as much as some of the other sites that are mentioned above.
UNESCO maintains a long list of sites that are very important for the world as a community. For instance, Italy tops the list with 59 World Heritage sites in the world, followed by China (57), France and Germany (52), and Spain (50), etc. As you can notice, Canada is not in the top five countries on this list, but it is also not too far behind.
What Are The Canadian World Heritage Sites?
The Canadian World Heritage site includes places from millions of years old dinosaur fossils to thousands of years of human migration, from enormous national parks to urban fortification in Quebec, from thousands of years old wall writings of First Nations in Alberta to early settlements of European settlers in Newfoundland and Labrador, etc.
Canadian World Heritage sites include Anticosti (Quebec), Tr’ondëk-Klondike (Yukon), Writing-on-Stone/Áísínai’pi (Alberta), Nahanni National Park Reserve (Northwest Territories), Dinosaur Provincial Park (Alberta), Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump (Alberta), SG̱ang Gwaay (British Columbia), Wood Buffalo National Park (Northwest Territories), Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks (Alberta and British Columbia), Old Town Lunenburg (Nova Scotia), and Rideau Canal (Ontario), etc.
In short, these sites are in every part of Canada, regardless of their history or geography. Many of these sites were included in the UNESCO list in the 1970s and the 1980s, while some of them were included as recently as 2023.
Conclusion
Tourism in Canada contributes significantly to the Canadian economy, and the government is also preparing to support this industry shortly. The global tourism industry was shattered badly during the COVID-19 pandemic but is continuously showing signs of strong recovery, and Canada is no different. As mentioned above, the tourism industry in Canada is expected to grow faster than the overall economy shortly. If the government and private sector continue to work together, we can expect that Canada will not only recover faster than expected but also increase its international ranking as a top global tourist destination.
Join Edison College’s diploma in Hospitality & Tourism Management
The Canadian tourism industry is growing, and you can also benefit from it by joining Edison College’s one-year Diploma in Hospitality & Tourism Management. Edison College is also offering a two-year diploma in Hospitality & Tourism Management with Co-op, which has a one-year industry placement arrangement so that students can get relevant work experience before joining the workforce. If you have further questions, you can contact us today to learn more about any of these programs. Read more industry-related blogs here.
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