OTTAWA — Canada’s tourism industry is trying to put on its best this week, showcasing itself to more than 500 international travel agents and tour operators at the largest annual tourism convention in Canada. But since Rendez-vous Canada is taking place at the Edmonton Convention Centre, which is one of the biggest challenges Canada’s tourism industries is facing is playing out in technicolor just a few hundred kilometers away.
Climate change is a crucial threat to Canadian tourism and their reputation says federal Tourism Minister Soraya Martinez Ferrada. In Western Canada hot, dry weather, exacerbated by climate change, last week there was a massive fire in southwest of Fort McMurray. This week it is forcing more than 6,000 people from their homes. Some of them are the same residents whose houses were destroyed by a major wildfire in the same city just eight years ago.
In 2023, Canada recorded its worst wildfire season ever, with more than 6,400 fires burning and more than 150,000 square kilometers in almost every province and territory. This season started a little slower but turned quickly over the weekend with major out-of-control fires forcing evacuations and threatening cities and towns in both British Columbia and Alberta.
President of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada Beth Potter said that the direct impact of wildfires is quite tough. But making matters worse is the fact that many people around the world see headlines about Canada being on fire, and assumes that nowhere in the country is safe to visit. Presently there are fires in northern parts of British Columbia and Alberta, but that doesn’t mean that all of Canada stops welcoming tourists from around the world.
Last year, the biggest challenge we faced was how big the fires were compared to how big our country is. People don’t understand how big Canada is and that the whole country is not on fire. Last summer, tourism operators in southwestern Ontario told her about cancellations due to fires largely, which is more than 3,500 kilometers away in B.C.
As fires destroyed parts of eight provinces in June 2023, Destination Canada commissioned a survey of Americans. It found among those who were likely to take a trip to Canada in the next six months and more than half were reconsidering. Two-thirds of Americans who were planning a trip to Canada said the fires would have at least some impact on their plans, and almost 40 percent said the fires would have a large impact. Americans account for about two-thirds of international visitors to Canada.
Martinez Ferrada said that to come up with a solution, we should be aware of what is being said about Canada in places where they send many tourists to Canada. Last summer, due to the wildfires, Germany issued a travel advisory warning to its citizens against travel to Canada and B.C. Potter said the changing weather patterns have made some travelers more careful about booking, and many of them delay their bookings until they are sure that the weather condition is stable, but this makes it hard for the operators to plan staffing.
Vice president of climate change and federal issues for the Insurance Bureau of Canada, Craigh Stewart said that major international reinsurers, who backstop most of the Canadian insurance policies, have recalculated the risk profile for Canada following many major weather catastrophes. For some, it raised insurance costs, while others couldn’t get insurance at all.
Stewart also mentioned that the insurance bureau formed an internal task force to help companies that can’t find insurance track down a solution, and since 2020 more than 3,100 businesses have reached out for help. Many of them are related to tourism such as tourist resorts, restaurants, hotels, and heritage properties. Martinez Ferrada said the issue is the main topic of conversation among tourism ministers and it’s an issue that has no miracle cure.
