Research / Publications > Upcoming and Ongoing Projects

Upcoming and Ongoing Projects

Workplace Matters Panel

The CTHRC, in conjunction with Ipsos, has developed an online forum to gather and share information related to human resource practices in the Canadian tourism sector. The panel will allow the Council to better serve its stakeholders with timely research and information on the latest legislative, operational, and occupational issues currently impacting the workforce or potentially affecting it in the future. Recruitment for the panel began in the fall of 2009 and is ongoing. Panel members have the opportunity to provide feedback and express their opinions through short monthly surveys. Panelists receive newsletters containing research results and useful workplace insights to help improve their businesses. Enrolment is limited. Interested participants may click here to complete the short membership survey.

Total Tourism Sector Employment in Canada

This report is updated on an annual basis using the most current data available. Since statistics from the next census will not be available until at least 2012, the report updates will rely on annual Labour Force Survey and Business Register data.

Human Resource Module (HRM) of the Tourism Satellite Account

The CTHRC will continue to partner with Statistics Canada and the Canadian Tourism Commission to update the HRM on an annual basis. These founding partners, as well as HRSDC and other organizations, will continue to collaborate on the future development of the HRM. Some strategic developments being discussed include improved content coverage, increased timeliness of estimates, including quarterly releases, and the inclusion of provincial supply-side data. To address the feasibility of HRM data at a provincial level, a pilot project with the Ontario Ministry of Tourism is planned for 2009-10. If successful, the next step would be to pilot the HRM in a small province to see if the method also works when smaller data samples are available. This would likely require a partnership with the Provincial Marketing Organization and/or Human Resource Organization in the selected province.

Canadian Tourism Sector Compensation Study

Following the 2006 and 2008 studies, the CTHRC plans to administer the Compensation Study again in 2010. As with previous studies, this will involve obtaining updated information from past participants and collecting data from new participants. Each study’s report includes a comparative analysis to the previous results, as well as a cross-sectoral analysis of similar occupations. These results will help employers better assess the compensation rates required to compete with other sectors to attract workers and to dispel the poor image of tourism as a career. This information is also provided to HRSDC for consideration in their assessment of the accuracy and reliability of existing prevailing wage rates.

Labour Supply and Demand Projections Model

The labour supply and demand projections model will be updated annually to ensure the most current information is available for employers, educators, and other sector stakeholders. As part of the update, focus groups will be held in all provinces across Canada to garner information from tourism business representatives to ensure the model accurately reflects the labour situation “on the ground”. Future enhancements will include the introduction of provincial results at a regional (CMA) level and a year-over-year trend analysis to explain any major variances in the model outputs.

Annual Employer Survey

In order to assess the impact the Council has on tourism employers and to keep track of emerging issues, an annual survey of employers with associated ASPI reporting will be conducted. An analysis will be prepared to help identify such trends as shifting employer issues, changes in the awareness of CTHRC products and programs, and changes in HR practices by employers.

Tourism Productivity

Using sources such as the Human Resource Module of the Tourism Satellite Account, the CTHRC will be reviewing trends and measuring the impact of technology on the sector’s labour force. The council will identify skills changes that may be occurring in tourism occupations and assess the impact labour shortages may be having on the sector’s ability to become more productive.

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