Canadian Tour Operators are celebrating a rebound in business.
A study by consulting firm BDO finds that CATO members' total sales revenue was $9.8 billion last year.
Direct full-time employment was at 3,702 in 2023, up from 2,571 in 2020. Of those 3,702 direct, full-time jobs reported for last year, 72% were held by women. That’s up from 46.8% in 2020.
Total employment, both direct and indirect, was at 21,824 in 2023. For 2020, the figure was 13,344.
CATO members had a total economic output of $8.5 billion in 2023, the study said. That’s a massive increase (about 57%) from 2020, the last year for which figures are available.
“Congratulations to all CATO members for their hard work in the recovery following the economic disaster caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021,” said CATO Chair Brett Walker.
“The cumulative sales as reported by CATO members in 2023 was $9.8 billion, compared to $15.9 billion as reported by United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) members in their 2022 year-end economic impact analysis. That’s impressive,” Walker said.
“While there may not be any true comparison between the two analysis, one thing is for sure, with a market population of 1/10th the U.S., CATO members are generating many multiples more than one tenth of the revenue of our U.S. counterparts.”
“These numbers reflect the positive changes that have taken place amongst CATO members and the market more generally in the last few years,” said CATO Executive Director Jean Hébert. “Further to these economic impacts, CATO members are committed to improving their social and climate impacts. To this end, CATO members have formed a standing sustainability committee and partnered with the USTOA on joint sustainability initiatives.”
CATO also has joined forces with the Tourism Cares program.
