The Tourism Relief Fund, administered by Canada’s regional development agencies and Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), helps tourism businesses and organizations adapt their operations to meet public health requirements while investing in products and services to facilitate their future growth. With a budget of $500 million over 2 years (ending March 31, 2023), including $50 million specifically dedicated to Indigenous tourism initiatives and $15 million for national initiatives, this fund will position Canada to be a destination of choice when domestic and international travel is once again safe by:
- empowering tourism operators to create new or enhance existing tourism experiences and products to attract more local and domestic visitors
- helping the sector reposition itself to welcome international visitors by offering the best Canadian tourism experiences we have to offer the world
Eligible applicants
Eligible applicants include tourism entities that cater mainly to visitors, such as:
- businesses
- not-for-profit organizations, such as tourism associations
- band councils or other Indigenous organizations and cooperatives
To be considered eligible for this fund, applicants must meet at least one of the following criteria:
- be a key supplier or operator in the visitor experience
- be part of a defined tourism cluster or a tourism-dependent community, including supporting downtown cores
- provide an anchor product or service in a tourism destination
For more details on eligible applicants, please consult the applicant guide.
Eligible activities
An envelope of $15 million, delivered by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), will support the advancement of national tourism priorities aligned with Canada’s Federal Tourism Growth Strategy, such as destination development, seasonal and geographic dispersion, and human resources and skills development. This funding provides the opportunity to leverage the reach and expertise of national tourism organizations to support pan-Canadian or multi-regional activities addressing challenges facing the tourism sector on its path to recovery, like conferences and events, training and research, and strengthening networks. More details will be available shortly.
For more information and further details visit:
www.canada.ca/en/prairies-economic-development/services/funding/tourism-relief-fund.html
