ACTA Heads to Ottawa for its Inaugural Parliamentary Hill Day

ACTA (Association of Canadian Travel Agencies and Travel Advisors) is heading to Parliament Hill in Ottawa today (March 24) for its for its inaugural ACTA Parliamentary Hill Day – marking a significant step in its advisory advocacy.

Members of its Board of Directors, Travel Agency Leaders Advisory Committee (TALA), and regional advisory committees will meet with Senators, Members of Parliament, and federal officials to discuss how government policy can better support the sector amid evolving consumer demand, border challenges, and shifting global travel dynamics.

“Parliamentary Hill Day brings frontline business experience directly into federal discussions at a time when our sector is navigating significant change,” said Suzanne Acton-Gervais, President of ACTA. “Federal decisions increasingly shape how our sector competes, grows and serves travellers across Canada.”

ACTA’s discussions on Parliament Hill will focus on five recommendations that align directly with the priority of building a strong united economy:

• Federal leadership to establish mutual recognition of licenses across provinces and territories, and harmonized consumer protection and travel-insurance rules – so businesses can serve clients nationwide without duplicative compliance.

• Temporary support for travel advisors affected by U.S. market shift, including: co-funding diversification marketing; expanding training and credential supports (including youth employment/wage subsidies) tailored to travel advisors.

• Create a digital market-access grant program to connect small and Indigenous tourism suppliers to global booking platforms and distribution systems. This improves export readiness and year-round demand.

• Build a made-in-Canada Trusted Traveller option (alongside NEXUS) to speed domestic screening and reentry for pre-approved Canadians, maintaining service continuity during operational or geopolitical disruptions.

• Avoid new cascading costs that would strain airline economics, disrupt distribution partnerships, and raise prices for travellers.

“ACTA’s advocacy work spans industry partners as well as provincial and federal priorities because travel businesses operate across multiple regulatory environments,” said Monica Johnstone, Board Chair of ACTA. “Many are small and medium-sized businesses, often women- led, and bringing these conversations to Parliament Hill ensures federal decision-makers hear directly about the realities facing those businesses across Canada.”