Canada Day tourism season looks strong as bookings climb in Ottawa
Article content
'There's so much to do for everyone's tastes in Ottawa,' he said.
Article content
Article content
As the director of public affairs for Ottawa Tourism, Miousse knows that Canada Day typically brings in an influx of tourists from across the country. Leading up to this year's festivities, he says he's expecting 'a lot of traction.'
Article content
Article content
'It should be a very good one,' he said. 'We're looking forward to it. Especially with the current context, there's a lot of Canadian pride.'
Article content
Article content
Canadian residents returned from 2.7 million trips to the United States in March — a 24 per cent decrease from the previous year, according to Statistics Canada. Flights to the U.S. were also down by 5.5 per cent. This decrease in travel comes amidst an ongoing U.S. tariff war.
Article content
It's unclear whether tourism numbers will exceed record years in 2019 and Canada's 150th birthday in 2017, Miousse says, but he's optimistic so far.
Article content
'We're already seeing more hotel bookings than last year,' he said, adding that Ottawa has seen 10 million tourists in the last year alone, who have generated an estimated $2.6 billion for the local economy.
Article content
'It's igniting a sense of your civic pride, right, to want to visit your capital city to celebrate the national day of your country.'
Article content
Article content
Article content
Miousse says 90 per cent of Ottawa's tourists are Canadian, accounting for a 'niche market' that Ottawa tends to attract. Along with a heightened sense of Canadian pride, he cited initiatives like the Canada Strong Pass as incentives that make this year's Canada Day special.
Article content
Article content
'We've all seen what's happened in the world and in Canada these past few months,' he said. 'It's all about making the most of these trends, and that's our advantage here in Ottawa.'
Article content
'Obviously, Canada Day is an uptick to that.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
35 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
S&P/TSX composite ends lower, U.S. stock markets mixed
TORONTO – Canada's main stock index lost steam through the trading day on Friday to close lower, while U.S. stock markets were mixed. The S&P/TSX composite index was down 8.43 points at 26,497.57. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 35.16 points at 42,206.82. The S&P 500 index was down 13.03 points at 5,967.84, while the Nasdaq composite was down 98.86 points at 19,447.41. The Canadian dollar traded for 72.84 cents US compared with 72.87 cents US on Thursday. The August crude oil contract was up 34 cents US at US$73.84 per barrel and the July natural gas contract was down 14 cents US at US$3.85 per mmBTU. The August gold contract was down US$22.40 at US$3,385.70 an ounce and the July copper contract was down two cents US at US$4.83 a pound. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 20, 2025. Companies in this story: (TSX: GSPTSE, TSX: CADUSD)
The Market Online
41 minutes ago
- The Market Online
@ the Bell: Markets mixed as Trump eyes role in Middle East conflict
Equities trading in Canada's largest centre fluctuated between gains and losses on Friday, as strength in the financials sector was offset by declines in mining and energy stocks. This came after fears of immediate US military involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict eased temporarily. On Thursday, the White House stated that President Donald Trump would decide within two weeks on whether the US would join Israel in the conflict. Meanwhile, US markets remained relatively flat. Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller expressed a more optimistic outlook than Fed Chair Jerome Powell had earlier in the week, suggesting that inflation was subdued enough to allow for a potential interest rate cut at the Fed's next meeting. The Canadian dollar traded for 72.82 cents US compared to 72.97 cents US on Thursday. US crude futures traded $0.14 lower at US$75.00 a barrel, and the Brent contract lost US$1.55 to US$77.30 a barrel. The price of gold was down US$8.58 to US$3,365.42. In world markets, the Nikkei was down 85.11 points to ¥38,403.23, the Hang Seng was up 292.74 points to HK$23,530.48, the FTSE was down 17.15 points to ₤8,774.65, and the DAX was up 293.17 points to €23,350.55. The material provided in this article is for information only and should not be treated as investment advice. For full disclaimer information, please click here.
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
IIHF including women in tournament bonus money ‘significant', says Canada's Kingsbury
CALGARY – The International Ice Hockey Federation's decision to share tournament bonus money with women after years of men in the driver's seat is both symbolic and practical, says the general manager of Canada's women's team. 'It's very significant,' said Hockey Canada women's general manager Gina Kingsbury. 'For years, these types of topics have been brought up to the IIHF and they've always been shut down. 'More money invested in the women's game is really important.' The IIHF stated in a website report during its annual congress that 'development support,' worth nearly $9 million Swiss francs (C$15 million) in 2025, will be distributed to member federations based on their countries' performances across the men's and women's world championships, the men's under-20 championship and the men's and women's under-18 championships. 'Furthermore, the support will be weighted according to IIHF World Ranking,' the IIHF stated. The IIHF's development money was previously given to federations based only on men's world championship results. 'This has been a talking point on the women's side of the game for a long time,' said Canadian defender Renata Fast. The IIHF says the money will be split with 40 per cent going to the men's championship, 40 per cent to the women's championship, 10 per cent to the world junior men's tournament, and five per cent each to the men's and women's under-18 championships. That equates to roughly four million Swiss francs (C$6.7 million) going to federations based on the international results of their women's teams. 'It just signals that the IIHF is realizing that they need to modernize some of the things that have just been in place for years and years and years, and recognizing the growth of the women's game and the importance of acknowledging that and valuing it,' Fast said. 'The prize money to me symbolizes that.' The IIHF had previously argued that development money wasn't shared with women because the men's world championship turns a significant profit, while the women's tournament does not. 'Our organization wants to encourage its members to develop women's hockey and junior programs,' the IIHF said in an emailed statement. Even though Kingsbury sits on the IIHF's women's committee and Fast on the IIHF athletes' council, the report of bonus-money redistribution was buried in a congress report and came as a surprise to them. 'It just shows that there's a shift in thinking, maybe,' said Kingsbury. 'If we grow the women's game and if we kind of entice countries that may not have as strong of numbers on the women's side, or as strong a team … they'll be more motivated to invest in the women's side.' The IIHF may want to motivate countries to devote equal resources to men's and women's hockey, but it's ultimately each federation's decision how to use its developmental money. 'What also would be interesting is maybe if there's a federation where the women's program is stronger than the men's program in terms of a ranking standpoint, and how now their women's team can actually bring them in some prize money in an instance where their men's programs never did, that would be huge,' Fast said. Canadian women have never finished outside the medals at either the world championship or under-18 championship. Canada took silver and the under-18 team gold in 2025. Canada's men claimed under-18 gold, but were eliminated in the quarterfinals in both the men's and under-20 championship. 'If the women's program is stronger than the men's, there will be an increase in the support,' IIHF Director General Matti Nurminen said during the congress. 'If the men's and women's programs are as strong, there will be no real impact.' Hockey Canada and USA Hockey — perennial 1-2 finishers — already have the largest women's hockey budgets in part because their female registration far outstrips other countries at a combined 200,000 players. Nevertheless, Kingsbury says she would welcome any funding the women's teams are able to generate through international success. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. 'Any increase in funds, trust me, we've got lots of projects and ideas that could grow our game and could help the women's program,' she stated. 'There's always more we can do.' After lopsided women's hockey scores at the 2010 Olympic Games — and then-IOC president Jacques Rogge warning 'we cannot continue without improvement' — the IIHF committed 2 million Swiss francs to international women's hockey development. More equitable shares in the IIHF's bonus structure 15 years later is seismic, said Kingsbury. 'Our women's committee, for many years, I remember even before I was on it, the big topic was always the trophy for the women's worlds is smaller than men's and we don't get prize money,' Kingsbury said. 'Both those things have changed.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 20, 2025.
