Thank you to all operators who took a few minutes of their time to participate in the 2022 State of the Industry Survey. The results made it very clear that our sector is not in a recovery state. Here are some highlights:
- All participating operators reported that they continue to see cancellations as a result of the border restrictions and requirements, the increase in travel costs, flooding in the Northwest, and for other reasons. It is clear that the on-going border restrictions have changed the way guests view Canada as a travel destination. We need the Federal Government to open the borders to all, regardless of vaccination status.
- As a result of these cancellations, businesses have lost an average of $89,806.34 in revenues for the 2022 season to date. In total, the 2022 revenue loss reported by all 138 participants of the survey amounts to $12.2 million. It’s important to note that there are over 1300 resource-based tourism businesses in Ontario therefore the total amount of revenue loss in 2022 to date across the entire industry could be closer to $100M, with additional cancellations expected as the border restrictions continue to be extended and flooding conditions in the Northwest continue.
- A significant majority of operators reported taking an average of $187,000 in new debt over the course of the pandemic and needing to use retirement savings to remain afloat. We need the Federal Government to convert a larger portion of the loan programs into non-repayable grants, and to further extend the repayment deadlines for the loans. We will also ask the Provincial Government to waive Crown Resource Fees again for 2023 to help support the industry.