Travel & Tourism : A Powerful Driver of Economic Development
Tourism is an economic powerhouse and Canada’s second-largest service export—driving trade, attracting global customers, facilitating development and creating prosperity in every region. In 2024, tourism generated $130 billion in direct visitor spending in Canada—that’s more than $350 million every day! Tourism supports over 265,800 businesses across 5,000 communities, and one in 10 jobs relies on tourism-related economic activity. This session will delve deeper into the value of tourism and its transformative power and share actionable strategies and tools to help you successfully leverage the sector to strengthen your local economy, support investments in public infrastructure, and build communities for future generations.
About the Speaker
Johanna Griggs
Johanna Griggs
As a seasoned economic development and tourism professional with a focus on supporting public sector organizations, Johanna has built a career working in partnership with businesses, community organizations, governments, tourism sector organizations and developers to revitalize economies and attract investment. She has a proven track record of securing investments and engaging stakeholders in meaningful ways while providing strategic advice to senior officials at all levels of government.
