CTHRC News > 2010 > Canada Improves Ranking in International Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report

Canada Improves Ranking in International Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report

July 22 2010

Since 2005, the World Economic Forum (WEF), an independent international organization, has engaged industry leaders to analyze the competitiveness of the travel and tourism industries in countries around the globe.

The WEF’s fourth annual Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report ranks Canada 5th out of 133 countries (up from 9th place in 2008). Of the countries that make up the Americas, Canada takes first place.

The Canadian tourism sector’s human resources rating jumped from 12th place in 2008 to 6th place. The report recognizes Canada’s dedication to hiring and retaining the calibre of employee needed to execute its existing tourism strategy and to stimulate growth.

In spite of the high ranking, the projected labour shortage looming on the horizon remains a major concern for Canada’s tourism sector.

Of the 10 sub-pillars measured in the human resources category, two are of particular interest to the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council (CTHRC): Education and Training and Availability of Qualified Labour.     

1.  Education and Training measures the availability of training services and the extent of staff training provided in each country. 

Canada ranked: 
          10th out of 133 countries in availability of training services 
          19th in extent of training provided

To support Canada’s tourism human resource community, the CTHRC has spent the past 17 years building a comprehensive bundle of training and certification resources, including 50 National Occupational Standards under the emerit brand name. Increased uptake by industry of these or other quality resources offered by the education community will help strengthen Canada’s ranking in future reports. 

2.  Availability of Qualified Labour examines whether labour regulations facilitate hiring foreign labour. Canada’s score of 82 out of 133 countries reflects the challenges that Canadian   employers face in hiring newcomers.

The CTHRC recognizes that by integrating foreign workers into the Canadian tourism labour force, we can diminish the impact of the projected labour shortage in the tourism sector.

To facilitate the attraction, hiring, and retention of workers with no Canadian work experience, the CTHRC has developed the Canadian Workplace Essentials workbook. This resource contains practical tools and concrete examples of how to succeed working in the Canadian tourism sector. The Council has also published numerous reports and created a number of resources geared to newcomers to Canada’s workforce.

The full WEF Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report, along with summaries and highlights, are available at the WEF website.