The Canadian Federal Minister of Finance Bill Morneau presented the 2016 federal budget, entitled “Growing the Middle Class” on Tuesday (March 22).
Presented in the House of Commons by Federal Minister of Finance, the Honourable Bill Morneau, the 2016 budget proposes greater investment in our national parks and tourism industry, the Association reports.
The RV Dealers Association of Canada praised the budget for its effort to stimulate the country’s tourism.
“We are pleased to see the investments in both our tourism industry and national parks, as RVing and camping play vital roles in Canada’s tourism sector,” RVDA of Canada President Eleonore Hamm said.
Specifically, the 2016 Federal Budget proposes to promote Canada’s tourism sector as an integral part of the economy, the report read. The government proposes $50 million over two years, starting in 2016-17, to Destination Canada to seize opportunities with partners by augmenting marketing initiatives in important international markets, such as the United States and China.
As expected, the Canadian government will run a deficit over the next several years, reaching $29.4 billion in between 2016-17, dropping slightly to $29 billion in 2017-18, before declining to $14.3 billion in 2020-21, in an effort to stimulate the country’s middle class. The government maintains that the national debt/GDP ratio will still decline over that time.
Additionally, the government has committed to providing up to $142.3 million, over five years, to the Parks Canada Agency and National Resources Canada to deliver on commitments for the development of new national parks and national marine conversation areas; the provision of free admission for all visitors to national parks operated by the Agency; and the expansion of the Learn to Camp Program.
“As a key component of our ongoing advocacy strategy, we have recommended that the federal government provide targeted investment in camping and RV infrastructure in Canada’s national parks, in order to maintain the treasured parts of Canadian history. Investing in this infrastructure will play a critical role in the overall contributions of the tourism industry to future economic development and prosperity,” Hamm said. “Moreover, upgrades in infrastructure is essential if we want to be able to ensure the future of this industry and make it more accessible to all Canadians.”
Contributing $14.5 billion to the Canadian economy in a given year, the Canadian RV industry makes vital contributions to ongoing tourism and recreation spending across Canada. Some 14 percent of Canadian households currently own an RV and there are more than 1 million RVs on Canada’s roads today.
“We are pleased to see these measures outlined in the 2016 Federal Budget,” Hamm said. “We look forward to continuing to work with government on these and other key initiatives, to ensure that proactive roles are being taken to develop policies that support all travel and tourism, and recognize RVing as a prosperous tourism activity.”