FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MP BALDINELLI APPOINTED CONSERVATIVE TOURISM CRITIC

October 12, 2022

OTTAWA, ON – Tony Baldinelli, the Member of Parliament for Niagara Falls Riding, which includes the
City of Niagara Falls, the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, and the Town of Fort Erie, issued the following
statement after being appointed by newly elected Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to serve as
Shadow Minister for Tourism:

“It is an honour for me to be appointed Shadow Minister for Tourism by our Leader Pierre Poilievre. This
is a role I am very familiar with, having served earlier as Special Advisor on Tourism Recovery, and after
having worked 18 years in Niagara’s tourism industry, with The Niagara Parks Commission.”

“Before COVID, the travel and tourism sector represented a $105 billion industry, accounting for 2 per
cent of Canada’s overall GDP. One out of every 11 jobs in Canada were directly linked to those who take
part in the sharing of our incredible Canadian tourism experiences. These include travel services,
accommodation, recreation and entertainment, transportation and food and beverage services.

“When COVID arrived in March 2020, the Canadian travel and tourism industry was hit first, it was hit
the hardest, and as we expected, it will take the longest to recover.

“Reckless federal Liberal policies, such as the ArriveCan app, only further delayed the tourism recovery
we so badly needed and hoped for, by deterring international visitation to Canada this past summer, all
while hurting Canada’s international reputation as a globally renowned tourism destination.

“As a result, according to the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, full tourism recovery is not
expected to be achieved in Canada, until the end of 2025.

“There is a lot of work ahead and I look forward to meeting with local and national travel and tourism
stakeholders on this important file, to find creative and innovative ideas to support tourism recovery in
Niagara and across Canada.”

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