In Canada, TIAC is the organization that helps the Canadian government to fulfill the role of the certification of ADS compliant inbound tour operators (ITO) and in developing a set of qualifying criteria for Canadian ITOs.

• June 2010 - DFATD and CNTA sign a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate outbound tourist group travel from China to Canada
• February 2012 - Canada announces 10-year multi-entry visas for Chinese travellers to Canada
• March 2015 -  China announces 10-year multi-entry visas for Canadian travellers to China

(L to R) Alejandro Mayorkas, Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security; Jim Phillips, President & CEO, CAN/AM Border Trade Alliance; Eric Miller, Vice President, Policy, Innovation and Competitiveness, Canadian Council of Chief Executives; Jeh Johnson, Secretary of Homeland Security; Steven Blaney, Minister of Public Safety Canada; Rob Taylor, President & CEO (Interim), Tourism Industry Association of Canada; François Guimont, Deputy Minister, Public Safety Canada

The agreement is expected to ease the cross border flow of visitors by providing the legal framework to establish pre-clearance operations on both sides of the border similar to existing operations at 8 Canadian airports. TIAC welcomes this deal as it helps expedite the flow of American visitors across the Canadian border.

While the US is Canada's largest tourism market with 12 million annual visitors spending more than $4.8 billion per year, it also holds the greatest growth potential. Increased marketing, border efficiency, currency exchange and visitor safety will strengthen Canada's advantage in the competitive market for US visitors.

As a key commitment in the Beyond the Border Action Plan, this agreement will enable the market to propose pre-clearance operations in the US and Canada for air, road, marine and rail crossings. This agreement builds on other initiatives that have eased border congestion like Global Entry and the Nexus program.

"Allowing for the pre-clearance of American visitors to Canada away from the border at locations such as train stations and bus depots will drastically improve the visitor experience, save valuable time and lessen border congestion," noted Rob Taylor, President & CEO (Interim). "TIAC has worked closely with government officials to expedite border access for US visitors. This agreement finally gets us over the legal hurdles and focused on facilitation."

Tourism is an $84 billion industry that directly employs over 600,000 Canadians in every region of the country. In 2013, three out of four visitors to Canada were American but growth in visitation rates have slowed. To capitalize on a favourable exchange rate, increased passport ownership and recovering economy, TIAC is proposing Connecting America, a government co-investment in a strategically-designed and nationally-aligned marketing campaign.

Resonance Consultancy's survey of more than 1 200 recent US international travellers found that 29% of all respondents plan to vacation in Canada in the next 12-24 months versus 28% in Mexico and 27% in Italy.

The study found that Millennials (age 18-34) have a particularly strong desire to visit Canada, with 38% saying they plan to visit Canada in the next year or two. This contrasts with 25% of those aged 35-64, and 27% of those 65 and older. According to the report, Millennials have similar levels of interest in cultural attractions and events as other age groups, but much higher levels of interest in shopping, fun attractions, and engaging with nature.