A small mention at the bottom of the government of Ontario’s 2021 Fall Economic Statement bolstered one segment of the province’s economy - at the expense of another.
"To help the tourism and hospitality sectors recover, and encourage Ontario families to explore the province, the government is proposing a new temporary Ontario Staycation Tax Credit for 2022.
“The credit would provide an estimated $270 million to support over one-and-a-half million families to further discover Ontario."
It’s another blow to Ontario’s travel agency and advisor community, which is struggling to recover after 19 months of shutdowns and lurching new travel regulations and protocols that have hindered the return to travel.
Encouraging Ontario families to spend their travel budgets in the province next year may not affect sun season sales, but may keep some Ontarians from returning to Europe or to cruising between spring and fall 2022.
The government’s summary of highlights of the Fall Economic Statement made no mention of Ontario provincial support for travel retailers including agencies or independent advisors.
I am not voting for Doug Ford in the next provincial election because of this. The province has treated travel agents very shabbily. Is it because they are mostly women? Compared to the bailout of mostly men workers at GM in 2009? Shame on the provincial government.