New president of Canadian Tourism Commission appointed

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Written by Linda Hohnholz

OTTAWA — The Canadian government has tapped an industry insider to head its travel marketing agency, the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC).

OTTAWA — The Canadian government has tapped an industry insider to head its travel marketing agency, the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC).

David Goldstein, currently president of the Travel Industry Association of Canada (TIAC), will assume the presidency of the CTC on Dec. 1. In a statement he said he looks forward to advancing โ€œboth the commercial interests of the sector and the federal government’s desire to provide broader economic opportunity to the Canadian economy.”

The commission, an arms-length Crown corporation of the Canadian government, leads tourism marketing efforts, focusing on 11 countries. It conducts market research and provides industry with resources to do their own marketing.

Announcement of his latest appointment comes just two days after current employer TIAC released a damning report on the Canadian industryโ€™s track record with its most important travel market, the United States.

Despite global travel industry growth of about 5 per cent, the report said, American travel to Canada grew by only 1.5 per cent. The U.S. market is key for Canada โ€“ in 2012, three out of four visitors to Canada were American โ€“ but U.S. visits have declined by 54 per cent between 2000 and 2012.

โ€œAs a trading nation, Canada must do a better a job of expediting the movement of people across our borders,โ€ Goldstein said upon the reportโ€™s release. He said that applied not only to tourism but to trade development and business investment.

Itโ€™s premature to know what Goldsteinโ€™s priorities will be for the CTC, but heโ€™s on record as having identified several key stumbling blocks to tourism growth in Canada, and itโ€™s likely heโ€™ll bring those concerns to his new position:

* competitive, sustainable long-term funding for the CTC to strengthen international tourism marketing;

* reduced aviation costs, with such fees as airport rents and fuel taxes placing the country 105th in the world for aviation cost structure;

* better border crossing and visa programs; and

* more government investment in state-owned tourism products, such as parks and museums, and renewed support for non-government attractions and festivals.

Goldstein took the helm of TIAC in 2010. Prior to that, he served at one of Canadaโ€™s major media companies, CTVglobemedia, as vice-president for regulatory affairs, and before that in a similar capacity for the Canadian Association of Broadcasters.

He replaces Greg Klassen, who has served as CTCโ€™s interim head since January following a 10-year reign by Michele McKenzie.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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