OTTAWA, CANADA (October 25, 2018) –The Canadian Vacation Ownership Association (CVOA) joined forces with Hotel Association of Canada (HAC), as the latter hosted its second annual Hotel Hill Day.
HAC is an industry-based association focused on enhancing the prosperity of the Canadian hotel industry through strong member engagement, effective advocacy and the provision of value-added programs and services. CVOA is an industry-based association dedicated to furthering vacation ownership in Canada and throughout the world.
HAC’s Hotel Hill Day 2018 brought 30 industry leaders from across Canada to Ottawa for meetings with more than 55 federal decision makers. This year’s agenda zeroed in on two primary concerns: 1) Labour Supply Shortages and 2) The Short-Term Rental Industry.
According to Alana Baker, Director of Government Relations/ HAC, “The Association’s messages and supporting research were well received on all sides of the House of the Commons, as well as within the Senate, with many offering support, advice and a willingness to help as we move forward.”
Some of the highlights of the daylong event included:
- An intimate 45-minute roundtable discussion with The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francaphonie
- An all-party panel discussion on labour shortages in the hotel sector
- A press conference, held in the Centre Block on Parliament Hill to launch new research, conducted by Nanos Research, uncovering Canadians’ concerns about short-term rentals in their neighbourhood
- 55+ meetings with parliamentarians
- 30 hotel industry executive leaders from across the country in attendance
- Social media engagement included a special Twitter hashtag #HotelHillDay and highlighted results of the new short-term rental research – reaching more than 6 million people online
- A prominent transit shelter advertisement was placed just outside Parliament Hill, which showcases the need for fair rules for the short-term rental industry
Jon Zwickel, outgoing CEO and President and incoming Chair of the Board of Directors for CVOA said, “We were pleased to be a part of this important event and to stand alongside our colleagues at HAC to discuss key issues which influence the health of the tourism industry in Canada.”