My question is for the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Tourism remains a vital sector in supporting Ontario’s economic prosperity and plays an important role in communities across northern Ontario. However, the reality is that the tourism and hospitality industries are still recovering from ongoing global economic uncertainty, supply chain disruptions and rising costs due to inflation. The 2022 annual report from Tourism Thunder Bay outlines many achievements, indicating a remarkable recovery, with several key tourism statistics rebounding more quickly than expected. However, there remain challenges. As an example, American tourists have typically made up one third of visitors to Thunder Bay, but their visits have dropped to less than 13%.

Can the minister please explain how our government is supporting tourism efforts in northern Ontario?

Can the minister please elaborate on what our government is doing to protect jobs and shore up the tourism sector?