As reported last week by the Statistical Office of Canada, revenues from tourism in the country fell by almost half in 2020, which ended with a drop in gross domestic product in the fourth quarter by 3.3%.
The Federal Agency reported that the tourism industry lagged behind the economy as a whole, which grew by 2.3% in the fourth quarter and fell by 5.4% in 2020.
According to Statistics Canada, employment in tourism fell by 28.7% in 2020, with most of the decline in the second quarter. In the food and housing services sector, the largest job losses were recorded – 32.3% and 35.2%, respectively.
In 2020, the share of domestic tourism in total tourism revenue in Canada increased to 92.7% compared to 78.4% in 2019, as a result of restrictions on international travel.
In the fourth quarter, Canada’s domestic tourism revenue fell 3.4%. The increase in revenues from passenger flights by 18.5% partially offset the decrease in expenditures on food services and motor fuel. However, a total of 400 employees lost their jobs in the air transport sector.
The aviation sector is considered one of the engines of the country’s economy because of its importance for the transportation of people and goods, as well as the impact of tourism on the country’s economy. The International Airline Pilots Association, which includes about 60,000 pilots working for 30 companies in Canada and the United States, is discussing effective financial assistance with government officials.