Atlantic Canada Travel Trade Market Readiness Program

Who is eligible?

This program targets tourism businesses in Atlantic Canada that are aiming to engage effectively with the travel trade sector to promote and distribute their products through travel agents and tour operators.

• Tourism businesses located in the Atlantic Canada region.
• Organizations seeking to enhance their travel trade readiness.
• Companies interested in learning best practices for travel trade partnerships.
• Businesses committed to expanding their international tourist market.

Who is not eligible

There are specific types of companies that are not eligible for this grant:

• Non-tourism related businesses
• Companies without sufficient capacity to work with travel trade partners

Eligible expenses

The grant aims to support tourism businesses in Atlantic Canada to become travel trade ready through various educational and development activities. Eligible projects focus on equipping businesses with the necessary tools and strategies to effectively partner with the travel trade and enhance their service offerings for international travellers.

• Participation in webinars and workshops designed to educate tourism businesses on working with the travel trade.
• Utilization of advisory services to develop partnerships and grow business through travel trade channels.
• Download and application of insights and strategies from the Atlantic Travel Trade Readiness Toolkit.
• Engagement in sales action planning to align business operations with travel trade requirements.

Eligible geographic areas

This program focuses on businesses within the expanse of the Atlantic provinces of Canada, driven by a regional partnership predominately between the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and relevant tourism organizations across these areas.

• Nova Scotia
• New Brunswick
• Prince Edward Island
• Newfoundland and Labrador

There are evaluation and selection criteria for this grant. The criteria include:

• Demonstrated ability to work with travel trade partners
• Capacity to serve international travelers
• Consistent quality and standards

Here are additional relevant details for this initiative:

• The Atlantic Canada Travel Trade Readiness Program offers a toolkit, webinars, workshops, and advisory services to assist tourism businesses.
• The initiative is a collaborative effort between the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and tourism development organizations from the four Atlantic provinces.
• Travel trade readiness includes business policies, booking systems, year-round support, and consistent quality standards.
• Participants gain the advantage of attracting visitors who prefer booking through travel agents or operators, leading to increased business exposure and potentially more predictable cash flow.