Building a Sustainable Future for Canadian Tourism: A Call to Action
As Canada continues to chart a course for long-term economic resilience, the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) has provided a pivotal opportunity for dialogue, strategy, and alignment between government leaders and tourism stakeholders through its One Hill of a Party Event. One of the most pressing imperatives emerging from these discussions is the integration of sustainability as a cornerstone of Canada’s tourism growth, both for domestic prosperity and international competitiveness.
TIAC offers a crucial platform for the tourism industry to amplify the message that Canada’s tourism sector must not only recover but transform, driven by a shared vision of long-term environmental, social, and economic sustainability.
Why Sustainability Matters Now
Tourism globally is facing a profound shift. Post-pandemic travellers are more aware than ever of the environmental and social impacts of their choices.
The demand for sustainable travel is no longer a fringe movement; it is becoming the norm, particularly among high-value international travellers from Europe and Asia. These markets are setting the pace for sustainability, with the EU’s Green Deal, ESG policies, and responsible travel regulations increasingly shaping both consumer demand and government procurement standards. Likewise, many Asian nations are embracing sustainability as a path to resilience in the face of climate vulnerability.
For Canada, this presents both a challenge and a tremendous opportunity. If we are to compete effectively for discerning EU and Asian visitors, we must offer tourism products, experiences, and destinations that meet their elevated sustainability expectations. This includes sustainability certification, measurable climate action, Indigenous tourism leadership, and inclusive practices that reflect Canada’s diversity and values.
Sustainability also matters for Canada’s own future. Tourism is a sector deeply dependent on nature, culture, and community, all of which are vulnerable to the accelerating effects of climate change and social inequity. Investing in sustainability is not just good marketing; it is risk management, economic insurance, and a moral imperative.
Supporting Canada’s Net-Zero Goals
Embedding sustainability in tourism is more than just market readiness; it directly supports Canada’s national climate commitments, including its legislated target to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Tourism may not be the largest emissions sector in Canada, but its supply chain touches nearly every part of the economy, including transportation, accommodation, food systems, infrastructure, and more.
By supporting tourism businesses and destinations to reduce emissions, invest in green infrastructure, and operate more sustainably and regeneratively, Canada can reduce tourism’s environmental impact while driving demand for low-carbon goods and services.
Through initiatives like Ottawa Tourism’s Carbon Tracking Pilot Project for tourism businesses, Destination Canada’s carbon footprint measurement and Business Events Sustainability Plan, partnerships with Pursuit and Sandman on the GreenStep EcoFund program, sustainability training and certification programs that use Global Sustainable Tourism Council-Recognized criteria, tourism businesses and destinations are already showing how decarbonization and sustainability can be paired with economic growth.
Sustainable tourism also serves as a public education platform. By engaging millions of domestic and international travellers each year, the sector can help normalize climate-friendly behaviours and promote regenerative choices, from low-emissions travel options to zero-waste hospitality practices. These efforts are critical to building a culture of climate responsibility in every region of the country.
Tourism as Export Diversification
In recent years, the federal government has emphasized export diversification as a key pillar of Canada’s trade and economic strategy. Tourism is a critical yet often under-recognized component of that strategy. Unlike the export of goods, tourism exports bring international dollars directly into local communities, from large cities to rural and Indigenous territories, supporting SMEs, preserving cultural heritage, and revitalizing main streets.
But to truly harness tourism as a tool for export diversification, Canada must differentiate itself on the global stage. Competing solely on price or scenery is no longer sufficient. The EU and Asia-Pacific markets are home to sophisticated, well-informed travellers who prioritize experiences aligned with sustainability, cultural authenticity, and regenerative impact.
Initiatives that support sustainability certification, carbon measurement and climate action planning provide a practical blueprint for this transformation, helping destinations and the tourism industry align with international sustainability standards and frameworks such as the GSTC criteria and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. These initiatives are not just symbolic, they are the very criteria being used by travel trade buyers, tour operators, and incentive travel planners when choosing which countries and destinations to prioritize.
Canada’s Moment to Lead
We are faced with a moment of reckoning and of possibility. Canada has the natural beauty, cultural depth, Indigenous leadership, and innovation capacity to be a global leader in sustainable tourism. But leadership requires vision, investment, and coordinated action.
There are five key recommendations GreenStep and its allies can champion during TIAC’s One Hill of a Party Event:
- Sustainable Tourism as Trade Policy: Recognize tourism’s role in Canada’s export diversification strategy and embed sustainability into federal tourism funding, trade missions, and policy frameworks.
- Support for Certification: Expand funding and incentives for businesses and destinations to become certified under GSTC-Recognized and Accredited sustainability programs.
- Climate Resilience and Adaptation Investment: Prioritize funding for tourism infrastructure and businesses that are reducing carbon, adapting to climate risks, and building community resilience.
- Targeted Marketing: Increase federal investment in Destination Canada and provincial DMO campaigns that showcase Canada as a sustainable destination to values-aligned EU, Asian and American travellers.
- Measurement and Accountability: Integrate sustainability metrics, impact reporting, and Indigenous-led indicators into Canada’s tourism data systems and national tourism strategy.
Conclusion: A Competitive, Responsible Future
Sustainable tourism is not a trend, it is the future of the industry. Canada has everything it needs to lead; world-class destinations, a committed tourism workforce, and organizations like GreenStep that offer practical tools and frameworks for transformation.
Canada has an opportunity to align policy with purpose, ensuring that as we diversify our economy and attract global visitors, we do so in a way that protects what makes our country unique, and contributes meaningfully to our national net-zero and sustainable development goals.
