MONTREAL — Destination Canada (DC) recently unveiled an innovative data and analytics platform set to revolutionize the Canadian tourism industry and boost economic growth. The Canadian Tourism Data Collective is a first-of-its-kind, secure, centralized platform designed to harness the power of data to increase Canada’s competitiveness.
Officially launched at the Hotel Association of Canada’s Annual Conference in Montreal last month, the platform is a partnership between Destination Canada, Statistics Canada and the Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, and is one of the key initiatives outlined in Destination Canada’s 2030 Strategy – ‘A World of Opportunity’.
The new strategy sets bold and ambitious targets for Canada’s tourism sector and aims to reclaim and improve Canada’s global tourism competitiveness ranking and generate up to as much as $160 billion in revenue annually.
The launch of the new Data Collective also follows the release of the World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Development Index 2024 which shows that Canada has risen two places to rank 11th but more progress is required to increase Canada’s competitiveness and re-enter the top seven.
The platform has already been recognized for its impact and innovative potential, winning the Best Use of AI for Not-for-Profit or Non-Commercial Purposes Award at the 2024 DataIQ AI Awards.
“Artificial intelligence and big data are changing our world – including the tourism industry,” says The Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec. “That’s why Destination Canada is launching the Canadian Tourism Data Collective, harnessing the power of data and AI to help the sector make smarter decisions. Congratulations to Destination Canada for its leadership and innovation. This will be a big step forward for Canadian tourism.”
“The Data Collective showcases Canadian innovation empowering tourism businesses from coast to coast to coast to create a unique competitive advantage for Canada,” says Meaghan Ferrigno, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Data and Analytics Officer, Destination Canada. “Through this groundbreaking platform, Canadians will have access to game-changing technology that will facilitate timely and informed decision-making, influence investment, and drive economic growth.”
Powered by the advanced capabilities of Google Cloud Platform, this initiative harnesses the latest in data, analytics, and AI technology. It offers timely, relevant, and actionable insights to a wide range of stakeholders, including communities, tourism operators, government, small businesses, and large investors, allowing them to make critical decisions.
“The Data Collective allowed us to bring together the best and the brightest minds in the tech and tourism sectors to develop a system that is not only accessible by stakeholders across the entire tourism industry but provides a comprehensive picture of the state of the sector, from remote communities all the way up to the national level,” says Ferrigno. “Our goal is to ensure a collaborative approach to propelling Canada into the top seven global tourism destinations by 2030, and key to this is access to timely and reliable insights that identify opportunities for growth.”
The post Destination Canada Unveils Tourism Data Collective to Boost Economic Growth appeared first on Hotelier Magazine.