Statements of Tourism Policy
Table of Contents
1. Tourism Product
1.1 Aboriginal Tourism2. Human Resources
1.2 Financing
1.3 Sustainable Tourism Development
1.4 Quality Tourism Products and Packages
2.1 Labour Supply3. Marketing
2.2 Training
2.3 Employment Insurance Program
2.4 Cultural Diversity
3.1 Canadian Tourism Commission4 Regulatory Environment
3.2 Industry-led Marketing Partnerships
4.1 Regulatory Barriers to Tourism5 Taxation
4.2 Retail hours of operation
4.3 Smoking
5.1 Taxation6. Transportation
5.2 Motive Fuel Taxes
5.3 Goods & Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax
6.1 National Highway Policy7. Research
6.2 Transportation and Access
6.3 Customs
7.1 Research
1. Tourism Product
Statements of Principle
The Central Nova Tourism Association supports government and other initiatives that lead to the creation of Aboriginal tourism businesses, that preserve and protect Aboriginal cultures, and that provide tourism education, training and employment opportunities for Aboriginal people. The Central Nova Tourism Association supports Aboriginal Tourism Team Canada, whose mission is to influence and develop tourism policies and programs to benefit Aboriginal people in Canada.
In 2006 the Glooscap Heritage Centre and Central Nova Tourist Association Formed a New Partnership.
Situated at the base of the spectacular 40-foot statue of Glooscap, Central Nova Tourist Association (CNTA) relocated to the brand new Glooscap Heritage Centre on 65 Treaty Trail at the Truro Power Centre. CNTA was formerly located on Prince Street in Truro where they shared space with the Truro and District Chamber of Commerce.
The regional tourism association for the area and its Executive Director, Joyce Mingo, had been collaborating with Millbrook First Nation since 2002 to form this innovative partnership. Both parties share common goals to increase awareness of Nova Scotia's rich aboriginal culture, and strengthen the region's tourism industry. The partnership was a well founded and thought out and benefits all involved.
Millbrook First Nations was the facilitator for securing funds for the project from sources such as ACOA and the Province of Nova Scotia. Upon approaching CNTA to manage the facility a new charitable organization called the Glooscap Heritage Society was formed to both govern and raise funds to sustain the Centre. Equal representation from CNTA & Millbrook Economic Development Corporation form the board for the GHS.
Central Nova Scotia has a rich and diverse aboriginal heritage and culture that has not been shared to its fullest potential in the past. The Glooscap Heritage Centre has changed all of that. Opening on May 1, 2006 the new centre is a state of the art facility including a multi-media theatre presentation and numerous displays and exhibits. The Centre houses several climate controlled display cases with many Mi'kmaq artifacts on loan from the Nova Scotia Museum's permanent collection.
The Centre is also home to a Visitor Information Centre and a retail gift shop that includes both Nova Scotian and native items. The Centre is open year round.
Active Policies
The Central Nova Tourism Association will help ensure ongoing political and public support of Aboriginal Tourism Team Canada. The Central Nova Tourism Association will play an active and participatory role with Aboriginal Tourism Team Canada.
The Central Nova Tourist Association supports and on-going partnership with the Glooscap Heritage Society.
The Central Nova Tourist Association supports:
- Building long-term strength & sustainability
- Setting the stage for future opportunities to promote the Mi'kmaq culture and allow for further development as the project progresses into the future.
- Foster an enhanced relationship between the Mi'kmaq People and the people of other cultures in Nova Scotia through our shared history.
- Acknowledgment and understanding of the value of Nova Scotia's aboriginal tourism potential.
- Recognizing the potential to increase tourism revenue and promote the tourism industry of the surrounding region and the province as a whole.
- Promote the Mi'Kmaq heritage and culture of Nova Scotia.
Statement of Principle
The Central Nova Tourism Association supports government and other initiatives that improve access to debt and equity financing for small, medium and large businesses and not-for-profit organizations.
Active Policies
The Central Nova Tourism Association will work with appropriate partners to identify opportunities and provide input into the development of programs and tools that will improve access to financing. The Central Nova Tourism Association will strive to educate the financial community, governments and industry on issues regarding access to capital for tourism operators.
1.3 Sustainable Tourism Development
Statements of Principle
The Central Nova Tourism Association supports:
- The rights of Canadians and tourists to visit and enjoy our natural tourism products.
- The existence, development and redevelopment of tourism products within the context of protection of the ecology, heritage, history and culture of the surrounding area and our nation.
- Accessibility and affordability of our national parks and provincial/territorial parks for Canadians and tourists.
- A consultative multi-stakeholder approach to manage visitor and human use impacts on our environment and on our tourism product, especially in national and provincial/territorial parks.
- Research and cost/benefit analyses as the basis for decisions that may affect the environment, our tourism product and our economic well-being.
Active Policies
The Central Nova Tourism Association will actively participate in discussions and processes that may affect the ability of the Canadian tourism industry to offer and market its products, to ensure that the tourism viewpoint is understood and that appropriate research and consideration have occurred. The Central Nova Tourism Association will support initiatives that promote sustainable tourism development. The Central Nova Tourism Association will support initiatives that promote consideration of the role of tourism in land use planning and resource allocation.
1.4 Quality Tourism Products and Packages
Statement of Principle
The Central Nova Tourism Association recognizes the need for quality tourism products.
Active Policies
The Central Nova Tourism Association will encourage the tourism marketing community and others to accelerate training, education and consumer research in order to increase the industry's ability to package tourism products that match customer demand. The Central Nova Tourist Association will continue to fulfill this mandate through the management and coordination of Rendez-vous Canada, as follows:
- Conducting research to determine what buyers want regarding products and packaging.
- Informing the tourism industry and provincial/territorial jurisdictions of buyer wants and needs.
- Taking an active role, where appropriate, in the Canadian Tourism Commission Product Clubs and Industry Competitiveness initiatives.
2. Human Resources
Statements of Principle
The Central Nova Tourism Association is supportive of the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council in its efforts to ensure that the tourism industry in Canada has an adequate supply of qualified personnel. The Central Nova Tourism Association believes that labour shortages can be addressed through career promotion, industry employee-retention strategies, and government support for school-to-work transition programs, employment programs and, where appropriate, relevant immigration policies.
Active Policy
The Central Nova Tourism Association, as a Board Member of the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council, will support and participate in research, advocacy and active measures undertaken by the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council to address labour shortages in the tourism industry.
Statements of Principle
The Central Nova Tourism Association supports the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council and believes that the Government of Canada should consult with the tourism industry through the Central Nova Tourist Association and/or the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council on policies and programs relating to the tourism labour market. The Central Nova Tourism Association believes that governments have an integral role to play in the development of programs relating to tourism training and skills. The Central Nova Tourism Association supports skill development and training as industry priorities for management and front-line positions in order to enhance labour productivity. The industry should work co-operatively in program development with the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council to ensure effective, accessible and innovative training resources. The Central Nova Tourism Association encourages the industry to provide a quality work environment to motivate Canadians to choose tourism as their career.
Active Policies
The Central Nova Tourism Association will play an active and participatory role on the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council. The Central Nova Tourism Association will encourage tourism operators to become involved in human resource development strategies, development projects and in testing and implementing programs through provincial/territorial tourism education councils and the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council. The Central Nova Tourism Association will support and encourage activities which provide information to allow business to improve its labour force development, such as on-line recruitment and identification of labour market needs.
2.3 Employment Insurance Program
Statements of Principle
The Central Nova Tourism Association supports:
- An Employment Insurance System that is responsive and promotes labour market flexibility and mobility.
- The review and revision of eligibility and entrance requirements to ensure the system is focused as an instrument of economic and labour market development.
- Positive incentives for the unemployed and under-employed, including encouraging those who are unemployed to participate in training programs and to develop new, or upgrade existing, skills.
Active Policies
The Central Nova Tourism Association will encourage:
- Financial integrity and program simplicity as the guiding principles of Canada's Employment Insurance program, creating a system that is able to withstand fluctuations caused by the business cycle.
- The Government of Canada to demonstrate the rationale for the amount of current Employment Insurance premiums and any proposed changes.
- The Government of Canada to consult with all stakeholders prior to the introduction or increase of any payroll taxes and to demonstrate that there is a business case for all such adjustments.
Statement of Principle
CNTA supports equal employment opportunity for all Nova Scotians and commits to it as an organizational policy.
CNTA believes that uniform excellence in Guest Service eliminates discrimination in any context. CNTA also believes that the Cultural Diversity within our province is a competitive advantage and that the portrayal of our tourism product should include our multicultural population and heritage.
3. Marketing
3.1 Canadian Tourism Commission
Statements of Principle
The Central Nova Tourism Association supports the Canadian Tourism Commission as the industry's national marketing agency, and affirms that:
- The Canadian Tourism Commission's ongoing focus should be to increase visitation and tourism revenues across Canada, through domestic and international marketing.
- The tourism industry has a critical role within the Canadian Tourism Commission, defining industry needs and goals, contributing to the strategic planning efforts of the Canadian Tourism Commission, and contributing financial investment in marketing initiatives.
- The Central Nova Tourism Association supports the vision and mission statements developed by the industry through the Canadian Tourism Commission:
VisionCanada will be the premier four-season destination to connect with nature and to experience diverse cultures and communities. MissionCanada's tourism industry will deliver world-class cultural and leisure experiences year-round, while preserving and sharing Canada's clean, safe and natural environments. The industry will be guided by the values of respect, integrity and empathy.
Active Policies
- The Central Nova Tourism Association will advocate on behalf of the tourism industry and the Canadian Tourism Commission to political and public audiences, to help ensure the ongoing viability of the Canadian Tourism Commission.
- The Central Nova Tourism Association will work with foreign posts to actively promote Rendez-vous Canada in international markets.
- The Central Nova Tourism Association will work with the Canadian Tourism Commission to ensure the further growth of Rendez-vous Canada as the premier sales and marketing venue.
- The Central Nova Tourism Association will work with the Canadian Tourism Commission to ensure the growth and viability of market-ready packages.
3.2 Industry-led Marketing Partnerships
Statements of Principle
The Central Nova Tourism Association supports the existence and creation of private-sector-led, public and private-sector-partnered tourism marketing entities, to achieve long-term national objectives and industry growth.
Active Policies
The Central Nova Tourism Association will profile successful industry-led marketing partnerships for key audiences to ensure that provincial/territorial and municipal governments have the necessary information to support such initiatives. The Central Nova Tourism Association will actively support industry-led marketing partnerships in their efforts to sustain or enhance their revenue streams from public sector partners.
4. Regulatory Environment
4.1 Regulatory Barriers to Tourism
Statements of Principle
The Central Nova Tourism Association believes that an integrated and barrier-free environment will allow Canada's tourism industry to present and promote its tourism products effectively, to the benefit of all. The Central Nova Tourism Association supports the elimination of unnecessary and costly regulations that affect the tourism industry's ability to present and promote its products.
Active Policies
- The Central Nova Tourism Association will encourage all levels of government to consider tourism needs when considering changes that may affect jurisdictional authority, such as training, infrastructure, transportation, land and resource use, fishing, etc.
- The Central Nova Tourism Association will seek the input of stakeholders to determine regulatory barriers that inhibit tourism business, and will advocate with the appropriate government bodies for their removal.
- The Central Nova Tourism Association will advocate with all levels of government to eliminate barriers to intra-Canada and international trade in a timely manner.
Statement of Principle
In a free enterprise system, the hours of operation of all businesses should be at the discretion of the owner. It is the position of CNTA that hours of operation for all businesses should be fully deregulated, providing the owners and operators of Nova Scotia establishments the discretionary right to set individual hours of operation providing:
- valuable additional revenues for many tourism-related businesses
- positive economic results for the economy
- option / choice by the general public and/or visitors of using the business facilities / services 24 hours a day, seven days a week during the hours of operation set by the operator.
Statement of Principle
Let the Market decide.
5. Taxation
Statements of Principle
The Central Nova Tourism Association supports governments in taking steps to mitigate taxes and levees, including user fees that are demonstrably counter-productive to business and job growth. The Central Nova Tourism Association supports government actions that result in simplified reporting and remittance systems.
Active Policies
The Central Nova Tourism Association, when appropriate, will: Review the implications of all taxation policy in the context of price competitiveness, and closely monitor and report on the impact of taxation on tourism.
- Encourage the Government of Canada to work with provincial/territorial counterparts to ensure that federal tax decreases are not offset by provincial/territorial or municipal tax increases.
- Encourage the Government of Canada to work with provincial/territorial counterparts to ensure all levels of government cooperate to develop a common taxation and administrative base.
- Encourage the Government of Canada to consult with the Central Nova Tourism Association on tax policies that affect tourism prior to enacting legislation.
- Encourage federal and provincial/territorial governments to reduce the level of taxation on beverage alcohol to achieve a competitive consumer price.
Statements of Principle
The Central Nova Tourism Association supports the reduction of tax on motive fuels to achieve a competitive consumer price. The Central Nova Tourism Association supports the reduction or elimination of the Federal Excise Tax on domestic aviation fuel. As a tax on a business input, it contradicts previous and existing federal taxation policy and it creates a competitive price disadvantage for the Canadian aviation industry, thus affecting its viability.
Active Policies
- The Central Nova Tourism Association will encourage the federal and provincial/territorial governments to reduce the level of taxation on motive fuels, and to ensure that any reductions on motive fuel taxation levels undertaken at one level are not met by compensating increases at another level.
- The Central Nova Tourism Association will advocate with governments for the reduction of federal and provincial aviation taxes on fuel, which are impediments to the aviation industry.
5.3 Goods & Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax
Statement of Principle
The Central Nova Tourism Association maintains that, for the purpose of taxation, the international component of tourism must be considered an export industry for Canada and that a Visitors Rebate of "value added" consumption tax be retained.
Active Policies
The Central Nova Tourism Association will encourage:
- The investigation of methods to more easily access and administer rebates to foreign travelers on goods and services purchased in Canada.
- The development of a sound and accountable rebate program for international travelers operated by the private sector.
- The retention of the "assignment of rights" option for goods and services purchased by non-registered, non-resident tourism and convention/meeting-related organizations.
6. Transportation
Statements of Principle
The Central Nova Tourism Association supports the Government of Canada in:
- Taking a leadership role and becoming partners with the provinces and territories to upgrade Canada's national highway system.
- Allocating a portion of motive fuel tax revenues to enhance the national highway system.
Active Policy
The Central Nova Tourism Association will participate with the Coalition for the Renewal of Highway Infrastructure and other relevant agencies working toward a National Highways Policy.
Statements of Principle
The Central Nova Tourism Association supports and encourages government actions and policies which result in a freer flow of people to and within Canada, and which result in a viable, accessible, multi-modal transportation system.
- The Central Nova Tourism Association supports competition and market forces as the prime agents in providing viable and effective transportation services.
- The Central Nova Tourism Association supports the efforts of Canadian air negotiators to develop, renegotiate and extend bilateral air agreements with other countries.
- The Central Nova Tourism Association supports policies that allow Canadian carriers to compete freely in domestic and international markets.
- The Central Nova Tourism Association supports the provisions of Bill C-26, already passed by the House of Commons, which amends certain statutes to implement elements of the Policy Framework for Airline Restructuring in Canada. The goal is to protect the public interest, and the Bill focuses on issues such as price-gouging, service disruptions, anti-competitive behavior and predatory behaviors.
- The Central Nova Tourism Association maintains that governments have a role to play in facilitating access to remote regions, secondary gateways and regional markets of Canada.
Active Policies
- The Central Nova Tourism Association will monitor the impact of transportation policy on the tourism industry, and advocate, when appropriate, its views on issues relating to competitiveness and affordability.
- The Central Nova Tourism Association will work with the private Airport Authorities to identify cooperative opportunities with the tourism community to enhance tourism arrivals and other business potential.
- The Central Nova Tourism Association will encourage harmonization of transportation responsibilities and policies of all levels of government for all regions of Canada, in accordance with the policies of major trading partners.
Statement of Principle
The Central Nova Tourism Association supports and encourages all government actions and policies, which result in increased efficiencies and effectiveness of Customs clearance procedures. The Central Nova Tourist Association acknowledges the benefit of cooperating and collaborating with US Customs on issues of mutual interest and benefit.
Active Policies
- The Central Nova Tourism Association will work with appropriate government agencies to reduce barriers such as work visa requirements that may have a negative effect on the tourism industry.
- The Central Nova Tourism Association will encourage the Government of Canada to continuously improve all aspects of customs procedures and training to facilitate the freer flow of people and tourism-related goods into Canada.
- The Central Nova Tourism Association supports the implementation of the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency's Customs Action Plan, which will help facilitate the movement of legitimate travelers and goods.
7. Research
Statements of Principle
The Central Nova Tourism Association recognizes the need for a solid foundation of research and intelligence upon which Canada's tourism industry can make sound business decisions.
- The Central Nova Tourism Association supports the mission of the Canadian Tourism Commission Research Program, to enable Canada's tourism industry to make better decisions by ensuring it has the best data and research possible.
Active Policies
- The Central Nova Tourism Association will encourage all organizations, including the Canadian Tourism Commission, the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council and Statistics Canada, to provide accurate, timely, relevant and accessible information to the tourism industry and public sector audiences.
- The Central Nova Tourism Association will, when appropriate, disseminate relevant research and information to the tourism industry at large, to assist the industry in its planning and business operations.
- The Central Nova Tourism Association will encourage all relevant organizations to provide, in addition to performance data, additional research and information that will assist tourism stakeholders and operators to make sound business decisions.
