NTA Applauds the Creation of the Foreign Convention and Tour Incentive Program

March 22, 2007

NTA Applauds the Creation of the Foreign Convention and Tour Incentive Program
March 22, 2007 – The National Tour Association applauds the Canadian government’s inclusion of the Foreign Convention and Tour Incentive Program in the federal budget announced this week. Under the program, which replaced the Visitor Rebate Program, Canada will still reimburse non-resident attendees at conventions in Canada, as well as rebate the accommodation portion of a tour package.

 

"Twenty years ago, NTA joined our allied industry friends to lobby for inclusion of package tours in the first GST Rebate Program," said NTA Legislative Counsel Jim Santini. "NTA commends the Minister of Finance and the Canadian officials for the continuation of this win-win program."

 

Last fall the Canadian government announced that it was eliminating the Visitor Rebate Program by April 1, 2007, which reimburses the Canadian Goods and Services Tax and the Harmonized Sales Tax on goods/services purchased by international travelers.

 

The Foreign Convention and Tour Incentive Program allows for GST/HST rebates for non-resident attendees at conventions in Canada that start after March 31, 2007. In addition the program will allow a GST/HST rebate for the accommodation portion of a tour package.

 

The new program does not include GST rebates for individual travelers from foreign countries. Starting April 1, tourists will no longer be able to get a sales tax refund for items purchased in Canada.

 

The National Tour Association was established in 1951 as a unified voice to fight legislation in the newly formed packaged travel industry. Today, NTA’s government relations activities include monitoring security issues, as well as state and federal legislation and regulatory issues affecting the travel and tourism industry. NTA maintains full-time representation in Washington, D.C., to serve as the association’s voice on Capitol Hill. Additionally, NTA empowers its members to be advocates for the association on the local level, as well as to provide support for NTA’s positions on national priority issues through its Grassroots Action Network. For more information on NTA’s government relations activities, please visit http://www.nta.travel/ or call 800.682.8886.

 

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