About
The Tourism Industry Association of Canada launched the Elevating Canadian Experiences (ECE) program before the global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Canada’s tourism industry was hit hard by the pandemic and we face a long road to recovery.
But we also have untapped resources that we can use to diversify the experiences we offer.
Canada’s breathtaking outdoor spaces offer unique opportunities during the winter and shoulder seasons (WSS)—especially in rural and remote regions. And our world class local ingredients promise to connect food and place in multisensory culinary experiences across the country.
The ECE program helps Canada’s tourism industry develop compelling WSS and culinary experiences for domestic and international travellers. So when it’s safe to welcome visitors back, you’ll be ready.
About Elevating Canadian Experiences
The ECE program helps tourism organizations and small operators in rural and remote areas explore opportunities in WSS and culinary tourism.
Delivered through the Canadian Experiences Fund (CEF) with support from the Government of Canada, this one-year program helped tourism stakeholders maintain and grow their businesses through capacity-building workshops on WSS and culinary tourism. In addition, a select number of destinations received support to develop their own strategies in either WSS or culinary tourism development in their regions.
Our Impact in 2020 and Early 2021 from Coast to Coast to Coast
Free Learning Resources for Tourism Stakeholders
To boost the reach and impact of the ECE program, we are pleased to share our digital webinars, guidelines, toolkits and research with operators and destination partners across Canada.
Explore our free resources for actionable tools and strategies to grow your business and tourism in your region.
Culinary ToolsView
Canada has all the ingredients to become a world class culinary destination. Our culinary webinars and national guidelines support growth and innovation in creating tasty experiences for domestic and international visitors.
Self-Guided Webinars
Over the course of five learning modules, you will learn how to concoct compelling culinary experiences, attract tourists and partner with other tourism stakeholders in your region. You’ll also explore how to nurture agritourism, create multisensory experiences, and how to exceed your visitors’ expectations—every single time.
Culinary Tourism Strategy Development National Guidelines
Create your destination’s culinary tourism strategy using best practices from TIAC’s culinary tourism strategy development pilot, which took place in four regions in Québec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Informed by the methods, processes, activities, and learnings from the pilot project, the guidelines provide practical advice for tourism operators and destination partners.
Winter / Shoulder Season ToolsView
Summer is Canada’s peak tourism season. But we have a lot to offer visitors beyond June, July and August! Our WSS webinar, toolkit, and research report help operators and destination partners develop exceptional year-round experiences for when it’s safe to welcome visitors back.
Enhancing WSS Tourism in Canada Webinar
Made up of six learning modules, this webinar will give you actionable advice on how to define your strategy, develop products and experiences, build collaborative partnerships and more to boost seasonal tourism in your business or region.
Developing WSS Tourism Toolkit
Developed by industry experts, this toolkit helps destination partners discover untapped opportunities for tourism products and experiences from September to May. Full of valuable insights, worksheets, tips and strategies, the toolkit will fuel ideas to boost your region’s off-season tourism.
WSS Consumer Demand Research Report
Discover current data on the domestic WSS travel consumer that provides essential market insights to help tourism operators and destination partners develop exciting off-season products and experiences.
Partners
The ECE program was made possible with support from the Canadian Experiences Fund (CEF), in partnership with the Government of Canada.
We would like to thank our partners at Regional Development Agencies across Canada for supporting regional economic growth through innovation:
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)
Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED)
Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor)
Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario)
Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario (FedNor)
Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD)
Workshops and strategies were delivered in collaboration with our dedicated provincial, territorial and regional tourism associations and organizations.
Our resources and tools were developed by industry experts:
