Hon. Éric Forest: After our colleague’s highly enthusiastic comments and her invitation that we visit Cornwall, I’d like to thank Senator Sorensen for drawing the Senate’s attention to the importance of the tourism industry in Canada’s and Quebec’s development.

I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to speak, having spent the 1980s in this industry as head of the Office du tourisme et des congrès de Rimouski. In fact, in the late 1970s, I helped create regional tourism associations in the Gaspé and Lower St. Lawrence regions that were charged with promotion and marketing, tourist reception and information, and tourism development.

Senator Sorensen invited a Parks Canada official to the Senate today. In 1982, when I was the mayor of Pointe-au-Père, we signed the first partnership agreement with Parks Canada to operate and develop the Pointe-au-Père lighthouse. Local management of the marine historic site gave the green light to a number of community and tourism industry initiatives, such as the opening of the Empress of Ireland museum and public access to the Onondaga military submarine.

As mayor of Rimouski, I also had the opportunity to support this industry by helping to strengthen our visitor facilities and tourist attractions, ensuring that Rimouski and the Lower St. Lawrence region become more enticing, and helping to develop our brand image, which focuses on promoting maritime Quebec.

Canada is renowned worldwide for the vastness of its landscapes, the richness of its biodiversity, the vitality of its cities and the depth of its cultures, particularly those of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. Tourism helps showcase these assets while generating tangible and measurable economic benefits for our communities.

Economically speaking, the tourism industry acts as a powerful regional driver. Unlike other sectors concentrated in major urban centres, tourism is highly decentralized. It benefits small municipalities, villages, northern regions and less densely populated areas. Every visitor who stays in a region contributes to the local economy. They stay in local accommodations, eat in local restaurants, buy local products, visit local attractions and use local transportation services.

This spending creates local jobs — often ones that cannot be outsourced — in the hospitality, restaurant, recreation, cultural, agri-tourism and local retail sectors. They also support an entire chain of suppliers: agricultural producers, artisans, service companies, tour guides and seasonal workers. Thus, every dollar invested or spent on tourism generates a multiplier effect that benefits the entire community.

For example, in the Lower St. Lawrence tourism region, which stretches from La Pocatière to La Mitis, the tourism industry comprises 500 businesses and nearly 6,000 jobs, and draws 1.2 million visitors and economic benefits of $438 million annually, which is quite significant for this region.

Tourism is one of Canada’s fastest-growing sectors, contributing $50.8 billion to Canada’s gross domestic product, or 1.8% of total GDP. The tourism sector supports more than 265,000 businesses in 5,000 communities across the country. One in ten workers in Canada is supported by the tourism industry.

Tourism also plays a crucial role in regional economic diversification. In many communities, particularly those historically dependent on natural resources, tourism offers a sustainable and resilient alternative. It helps stabilize the local economy, reduce dependence on a single sector and attract new investment.

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For many municipalities, tourism is a strategic lever for maintaining local services, funding infrastructure and retaining young talent.

However, the importance of tourism can’t be measured solely in economic terms. Its cultural and social impacts are just as essential. Tourism is a powerful tool for showcasing our heritage, whether historical, natural or intangible. It encourages the conservation of heritage sites, iconic landscapes, local traditions and traditional knowledge.

In many regions, festivals, cultural events and artistic initiatives largely owe their existence to tourism. These activities strengthen a sense of belonging, foster intergenerational transmission and contribute to the cultural vitality of communities. When this happens, tourism becomes a catalyst for creativity and for identity expression.

It is also a potent tool for intercultural dialogue. By welcoming visitors, we open a window into our way of life, our values and our history. It also offers an opportunity to learn from others, broaden our outlook and cultivate mutual understanding.

In a world marked by division, tourism can play a subtle but vital role in building bridges between peoples.

For Indigenous communities, tourism represents a unique opportunity to share their cultures, their stories and their understanding of the land through an approach rooted in respect, self-determination and reconciliation. When properly managed and led by the communities themselves, Indigenous tourism contributes to economic self-sufficiency while promoting greater recognition of their fundamental contribution to Canadian identity.

However, we must remember that tourism development must be carried out in a responsible and sustainable manner. Protecting the environment, managing visitor flow, respecting local communities and addressing job insecurity are key issues. Well‑planned tourism can support the green transition by promoting local and nature-based tourism, public transport and eco-friendly practices.

I wanted to highlight a fine example of collaboration in the Lower St. Lawrence, where various organizations and government departments have joined forces with the Wolastoqiyik Wahsipekuk Nation, formerly the Maliseet of Viger First Nation, to build a land-based marine mammal observation site in Gros-Cacouna.

[English]

This is the perfect example of what we are looking for when we talk about sustainable tourism: a flagship tourist attraction that showcases our identity and our diverse cultures, while promoting conservation, science and public education.

[Translation]

Investing in tourism is not simply about promoting a destination. It is about investing in our regions, our culture, our local economies and our collective ability to build vibrant, inclusive and resilient communities. It is about recognizing that every village, every region and every territory has a story to tell and value to offer.

Canada has everything it needs to be a world-class destination, including exceptional landscapes, a unique cultural richness, two official languages, exceptional cuisine and a diverse population, which is our greatest strength.

However, international competition is fierce, and the challenges are very real. Labour shortages, rising costs, the vulnerability of seasonal businesses, regional accessibility and climate change all pose significant challenges.

Senator Sorensen’s inquiry is a great opportunity to call on the federal government to take action to strengthen the tourism industry.

Allow me to highlight a few issues that I believe are important. First and foremost, we must ensure that the regions are accessible. Regional tourism cannot exist without suitable and accessible transport. We must support the maintenance and restoration of regional air links, support our local airports and reduce the costs that are hindering access to our regions.

As for the workforce, no tourism strategy can succeed without dedicated staff. Qualified, trained and competent staff ensure a warm welcome, efficient management of operations and the ability to adapt to unforeseen circumstances.

In times of heightened international competition, service quality is becoming a decisive and inescapable strategic advantage. Visitors now compare their experiences in Canada to experiences elsewhere in the world, and demand a high standard of hospitality, safety and professionalism.

Investing in training, promoting tourism careers and retaining talent are therefore top priorities. With a focus on skills, we can ensure the sustainability, competitiveness and lasting growth of our tourism industry.

Most of our tourism businesses are SMEs. They are resilient and creative, but vulnerable. The stricter entry conditions for foreign workers has taken a toll on these businesses. We understand the need to more effectively calibrate admission and integration capacity, but we must avoid absolute measures and consider the realities in each of our regions.

We also need to support training and skills recognition, and help the regions find concrete solutions, especially to the seasonal housing issue. Working in tourism has to become a viable, valued and lasting choice once again.

We need to keep in mind that when a tourism business closes because of a worker shortage, it’s not just a door that closes; it’s a village that gradually grows poorer.

Canada has to get better at telling the world its story. We have to keep supporting Destination Canada, investing in targeted campaigns and promoting the things that make us stand out: our culture, our regions, our Indigenous communities and our diversity.

After seeing what is happening in the United States, many Canadians and international tourists are looking for destinations that are more stable, more predictable and safer. We must seize this important opportunity. Canada must capitalize on this strength.

In closing, the tourism industry is much more than just another economic sector. It reflects who we are and what we want to share with the world. By supporting tourism, we are supporting local jobs, regional vitality, cultural diversity and community pride. We are investing in an open and welcoming Canada that is deeply rooted in its regions.

While it is not a miracle sector, tourism has the great advantage of bringing consumers to us, unlike other sectors that rely on the export of our raw materials, such as many of our natural resource sectors. Visitors spend money here on accommodations, food, entertainment and transportation. They eat at our restaurants, stay at our hotels, visit our cultural attractions and shop at our local businesses, thereby injecting large amounts of fresh capital into our local economy.

[English]

I, therefore, urge you to continue to recognize, support and promote the tourism industry as an essential pillar of our economic, social and cultural future. Thank you. Meegwetch.