Special Edition: Andrew Interviewed

Mary Anne Ivison  00:01

Matt, this is forward motion discussions about the important topic shaping Ontario's tourism industry. Hi, I'm

 

Matt Cundill  00:08

Matt Cundill, one of the producers here at forward motion. Normally, you hear Andrew sigwart as the host of the show. Well, today you will hear him as a guest on the News Forum show my generation. The show first appeared on YouTube in December 2025 Your host is Sam Miele.

 

Speaker 1  00:26

Joining me today is Andrew siegworth, the president of the tourism industry association of Ontario, and this has been in the making for quite some time. Glad that we could finally sit down and get to your busy guy, but now we're after the tile conference. So is your headspace a little bit clearer, or exactly busy fully. I mean, it's still busy, yeah, but, but fully clear. You know, we learned a lot at the conference. Got a lot of ideas flowing, so I'm good well, Angel Andrew, I must say I'm doing a lot of a lot of research, obviously, substance. Hang out with you. So. So one of the things I want to ask, I want to get right into, and I think it's, start, start here that has invaded by the province. That's correct, that's correct, yet you get the torch. Why? Why? Because it was

 

Andrew Siegwart  01:21

because it was, it was needed a strategy, strategy. And you're right, you're right somewhere around where, around 20 the last sector strategy, strategy created. It was leg was literally by the government, government, you know, you know, there's been a lot of pressure, pressure on system, and for us actually to actually do our own homework, create the straight strategy and say and say, Listen, we have some ideas, and we want to work on work. And the other thing, everything that was really important for me, it had to be this time, sometimes some strategies get built either, either, government, and you don't get a lot of boots on the ground operators across that's more effective. And I

 

Speaker 1  02:15

think, well, so I kind of asked the question, and one that was one of the responses, he gave rounds around, hey, look, hey, look, we understand strategy, but if we, but if we strategy last, last five years with covid, that terror, fair war, it would have always been wasted, wasting money that's, are you confident that five year, five years. Five years were I

 

Andrew Siegwart  02:45

would, I would see that our strategy, strategy was very warm to find the last five years. And actually, while we were in marketing, actually a little bit it was, you know, Donald Trump and Terry and Terry state. We actually reach out, reach out minister, Minister, and say, listen now, now to talk about it. So we had, we had meetings November, so that we so the Ready, ready for coming and you send, you see the problem, extra funding, stand, campaign, campaign, and a lot, and a lot of them ready. So, so while I, while I appreciate Mr. Minister, might have felt, I felt that perhaps, perhaps, you know, yeah, money, I would, I would, I think, personally, that there's always, always time and time and value creating strategy and being in the trenches, really,

 

Speaker 1  03:47

yeah, I think you've really, really placed a good place to go on on what tie tie is, and, and I have a lot of, have a lot of respect for the app portion. That is really why the organization exists. Get go, yeah, that is like the number one. Number one, you don't do that through that, then why do you exist and and this is, this is our strategy. This is our discussions. Hundreds, hundreds of stakeholders around the province. Province, hey, hey, here you go. Ministry, just so you're aware. You're aware, there's a couple things around tiles, tiles, we've got a lot, a lot of

 

Speaker 1  04:35

organizations. We have our HMA, a lot of different organizations pulling advocacy. Where do you where do you feel regards regarding Ohio fits all of this Well, first of

 

Andrew Siegwart  04:49

all, first and foremost ecosystem in Ontario, Ontario, so DMO, DMOS, around the ground level, focused on a death. Regional tourism needs to take a bigger, bigger look at a regional program. Programs solve, solve problems with economies, economies, and then you have the central sector organizations, different types. So that could be restaurant, restaurants, culinary sphere. It could be it could be tourism. And I like magic matter experts, experts. So each of them funds on their usual specialty product, product region, region, local destination. You also have non traditional organization. You have different, different groups increasingly use now that are earning later, later. So, so we fire you very unique perspectives and needs. But we also, we also universal subjects might apply to all of them. So while our sector organization, think of agri tourism and cultural, cultural policy, we can, we can broader, broader workforce, broader, broader economic conditions, talking, talking, growing, the rowing, the market, talking.

 

Speaker 1  06:24

Because I was thinking. Was thinking, I mean, tourism, tourism lies heavily upon something, for example, transit, transit, infrastructure, infrastructure, correct, correct. You cannot not have a successful transit, transit, especially when you're trying to move money around, money around money, around different regions, regions within the province, in saying, saying, I noticed notice this. It does focus on guys, but things, but they, they, they have the same they do produce the same outcome. One of the things I want to talk and I'll say that. I'll say though, so Charles, Charles Kettering, this problem. Problem work, arguably, arguably right already identify what the problems are, sure they make sure they may change, but foundational problems still fairly, fairly there to be there. So you solve them. Insane, insane. How do you how do you say the structure will look really great, really

 

Andrew Siegwart  07:29

great question. I would say, identified problem, problem we've also, also transition solutions percent and because, because we've got that framework five years, five years roadmap on what should happen people so because, because we have that, it's much easier to partner all to help with, with getting the getting the job done now, Now a traditional approach like funding, let's hire higher traditional Association, a little different. We are saying. We are saying, this is this area's tourism strategy. So we are so we are running, opening up, patient to anyone or not. And we're doing, we're doing that by forming strategic working group that will tackle each sort of, each pillar and highlighted other than are experts who are most, most interested now,

 

Speaker 1  08:54

do you see addressing ministry or Address address like nation? How do you see these groups? Where they are? They talk

 

Andrew Siegwart  09:05

well, well, ultimately, they're pushing for visitors, visitors, and they're pushing lawyers, where we're supporting a level of government, government, or to a ministry, one of the benefits and worse, and we have to do that, do that. But what I would say is we are, we are forming an alignment council that will sit and guide and guidance to all the working groups and really, really help prioritize what initiatives are needed, sequence and more importantly, what measure. Measures matter most, what data, do we need? What KPIs really get, really good, exactly, so you know, so you know. And so we're gonna have an alignment council made up representatives of that big, big, including operators, operator size small. Small size and large, and we're gonna power together to take to take one from the consultation volunteer and say, let's, let's work together together on this one, forward on another one. You know,

 

10:17

when you get 530 and you've got these structures, groups,

 

Speaker 1  10:25

is the something that I feel it's a copy balance. I want to, I want a little bit more detail, but, but do you do from Calgary, or when it comes to Ontario? And how are you how are you guys that investment? Yeah, well, well, you know

 

Andrew Siegwart  10:51

much most sectors, the name of the game is diverse, diversification. So whether it's whether it's a resource or whether it's whether it's a resource, or whether it's whether it's manufacturing, finished goods, finished goods, agriculture products, right? So in so interior, our biggest, our biggest customers, spender, and so so we, we spend a spend of money on money on debating travel, travel encouraging. That's really, it's really important, but, but there are, there should be, should be greater Ontario, the American, American traveler. 20% of spend travelers. So we need to, we need to reassure them and welcome them. And those are the those that actually, that actually grows GDP, of course, of course. Because, yeah, us, us and or overseas travelers come from further further away. They stay they stay longer. They spend their late day is different destinations. So I would say that industry, industry so so it can be effort to segment today represent, present the majority of your customer base. But I think we're beyond, beyond that. And I think, and I learned, that we were all of these, stay local hands were a lot of the one of the reasons why the market we knew, we knew the American, American challenge, we also, we also knew that we had not covered our international, national China, China, India, Mexico, many of them, many of them really dropped in the last years, years, not just, not just because of covid geopolitics. So, so if we want to just have the same level, level of 1.5 growth, we would stay with, stay doing we normally,

 

Speaker 1  12:43

normally, yeah, and that's, and that's, that's very, that's very, appreciating a lot of effort without showing

 

Andrew Siegwart  12:58

we're putting as much effort. International, us, us, and really, really, what that signaling is we need to, we need to be thinking finger in the planning, planning, they'll tell you. They'll tell you, prior to my tired of my work Association, and we were DMO. And we were always, always doing in the cluster. Cluster was we would have marketing, marketing, right, and that, and that tended to be very focused on your domestic market. But we had a team with a DM DMO that was looking, that was looking, we were going to China. We're going to the mission, Plant, plant, longer term. So you have to, you have to do both. It's no longer maybe, maybe a theory plan on Omar.

 

Speaker 1  13:51

So, when, so, when investment, whether, whether it be like product development, infrastructure, infrastructure development, those those types of capital, capital, money coming in, money coming in, and people having, people just interest in Ontario, big money. One of the things that I think on public, public sector, like government tax, tax break will give you dollars, dollars. I mean, on a completely separate, separate, what happened? What have these? We pushed a lot of investment, investment now, and now they're not coming through and through. Do you feel that there are other promote investment in coming into Ontario than just, just a tax, tax break or, hey, hey, we'll give $20 million dollars, you're

 

Andrew Siegwart  14:45

talking about to leave are actually quite two levers, but there are additional So, for example, many eliminate barriers and getting things built so to a lot of businesses in small communities across. Factor, country, country and and, you know, operators migrate, migrator, greener, greener resources to get a local, local approval on land use zoning, zoning changes, I mean it means it just makes it, makes it far less, are less important, and are less, are less doable. So, so I think it's a series, series of tools. One of the things, the things that we forward, we're advancing right now, it isn't it's looking acting. How do we stimulate private, private sector, capital, capital, Investment and Development. And it's fun. It's fun because of the things that thing government, government government has done, the problem, structure, structure that can, that can bolster, not only, not only just revisit transportation, structure, roads, road banning, highway, highways, go, go, Waterloo

 

Speaker 1  16:02

and even

 

Andrew Siegwart  16:07

though there is no term how the automotive sector is responding that charging, charging infrastructure lays down, down, Game Change chain, getting, forgetting, further further northlander government downing down so so that that opens, opens up more access, having a having a capital, capital, capital incentive, a tax Break, tax break business, businesses can actually long lock that those ideas tax for wineries that that's it's not

 

Speaker 1  16:51

like, it's not like the only thing, but It is the one that helps, helps people, especially consumer consumers, because eventually that cost down to them. So you're not wrong. There are definitely with attack, with the tax break, if implemented with infrastructure development, then excited

 

Andrew Siegwart  17:15

what we're talking talking about on the one we've got, we've got, looking at, looking at, let's put, let's put a tangible tax credit in place for businesses. But the actual, the actual business, more than that, ways that we've done differently, different we're actually, actually actually suggesting, just to get, we gather stakeholders to participate in that. So municipal money, more money day, the day, than they did seven years ago. Now that are in place. So they're collecting that money. Projects, destination, destination marketing organization, sector organizations. Sector organizations bring a lot of, a lot of intellectual capital into program, program design. So the So, the idea is they could actually, actually the marketers are working with an operation. So what does that? What does that do? More X, more expertise, more volume or viability, more dollar, dollars around less risk. One of the reasons, the reasons my government innings in these types of programs, programs, is they see there is risky in tourism, tourism, we actually, actually have huge support network and great financial, financial model round around us. So the idea of the idea, let's collect elaboration at a D gram program. Never mind, never mind. And then let's see if we can get projects Niagara. That's exactly, exactly what that was built off of. You've got local, local, local, regional, regional tourism organizations working mining industry, hotels with government, government all coming together, leverage, leverage,

 

Speaker 1  19:04

they come together. I mean, ones that I think that I see is I know that with an investment, investment, at least for sure, for sure they know, for an unacquaint fact that when that, when they spend money, they know now, marketing dollars, projects, projects that the province bring again, think it's a great investment.

 

Andrew Siegwart  19:40

Are doing or before and because they are, they are. They are, you know, management, management, they are. They are becoming bigger, bigger, well for well

 

Speaker 1  19:53

as well, is it? Is it like? Like, should say, say, hey, RT, RTOS one. RTO I'm talking about budgets. Like, ran a year, but then, but then within, within the DMO, DMO brings in a million, a million off the map, the map, how can, how can we make it rational, the product, product debt, when, when the DMO is the one bringing one money and money just your sauce? Like, are we gonna see responsibility?

 

Andrew Siegwart  20:33

I think what you're seeing is a shift in One market, market, as they grow and as as all the layers earn more revenue, and the proportion abortion revenue, revenue shift differences, so I would, so I would call it a caliber calibration, but, but if you peel back really, really more than 80 and a few More, few more coming. They are driving about $2 million it's not transformative. So 50% of that news being used to market marketing destination to invest in product, product help, to help economic development, and then 50% Used by municipalities to

 

Speaker 1  21:26

custom, to the destination.

 

Speaker 1  21:42

Says, haha, how can we some of that? Well, you know,

 

Andrew Siegwart  21:47

some one of the challenges, challenges. So, so the matt, the matt regulation, regulation that came into being, 20, 2017, it was always, always envisioned to be a partnership model. Municipality penalties have a role in destination marketing organizations have a function. Function, the tax drives revenue by both entities and collectively work on a trend strategy, fulfilling, filling their own roles and roles and responsibilities and accountability. DMO emos on marketing, manage, management, investment. Municipality penalties typically on investment, attraction, infrastructure, structure, government, government, working together. But there is a buyer challenge. The regs are little bit unclear, clear to accept exactly how the process should unfold. So, for example, it doesn't. It doesn't restlessly infrastructure. It has, it has been a best practice structure. We would say it's things like transportation, visitor services, sustainability, workforce housing, something

 

Speaker 1  23:11

that's kind of because, because we're the ones are the ones I have no money and so and so. Their hair Toronto. Here's a great example. I actually, actually see by Toronto is going to welcome, potentially, mostly the motor visitors welcome, welcomed in decades, decades, maybe so, if you So, if you look at that, they need to add me, to add 10s of 1000s of hours. You know, I don't know that, but there is a lot, there is a lot of argument. The argument comes, how much, how much do they realistic? And then, and they're actually, they're actually countable. How does it, how does it like? So it's like, you know, let's say, let's say, like, Toronto as an example. Do you have the DMO say, hey, hey, we want to kind of fluctuating

 

Andrew Siegwart  24:10

it. There are two contexts. Context that was something predated Matt's, and that was that was voluntary legislation, marketing, feed. So, so they were mainly in place when Matt's, Matt legislation was regulations. They they had to be, had to be at the table. They were, they were knowledge, knowledge. And they were Gary, Gary funding. And there's a, there's a, there's a, there's a, there's a Formula, Formula that follows that based on, based on that. If there was not an entity in place, then the regular regulation wires, wires and formed, and it handed has a purpose, tourism, tourism promotion, within within regulations. So what? So what's been happening, though, is that a lot of Central. Corporations. And so they are technically a not for profit, but they have palatality. So, so there's different models, but essentially committee or working group, a

 

Speaker 1  25:18

CAO council or there policy through the funding, funding

 

Andrew Siegwart  25:33

control, yeah, was going in shared, partnership dollars going separate ability, making the decisions our rates are reaching. Industry. There industry in the right in the right amount of time, so and so, government, government, shift questions. So, so, yeah, the way I look at it, I don't think, I don't think it's reasonable to suggest one, one quality model. But what there should be in place, clear rules to ensure that were that autonomy in decision making is separate, separate and in the sphere of those governance models and with each other. So imagine, imagine, for example, counts, by the way, this way, this happened fair bit. We think we can raise the raise Matt, we're gonna do and then, and then gets passed. Then it's like, then it's like no, and then again, everyone retreat retreats the best the best practices Council. Maybe it's maybe for a number of reasons. Okay, before we discuss this, let's do an excellent economic analysis. Let's decide, let's work, let's work on this markets that are doing very well. Yes, yes, it does. He does why. That's why we have collected a series of, series of best practices, so it can be done, be done in the regs. And so part of what the rails and what's what's really well, bringing it to ministry, ministry finance, finance ministry, Ministry of

 

Speaker 1  27:33

Tourism, gaming, and I appreciate free shipping. If you're making the way you're calling, calling for? Would you say? Would you say, this organization? There are

 

Andrew Siegwart  27:54

some, there are some, there's some, there are some communities, whereas, where it makes more sense for the DMO to do a lot more, a lot more the work, it's new. And everyone's everyone's learning. And you know, it's new for new for industry, sometimes, sometimes working with industry before they set up fully, fully autonomous entities. I think the concern, though, what we are seeing that looks like happening is a bit of a hollowing municipal service, DMO, and they're becoming, becoming,

 

Speaker 1  28:38

I appreciate you saying that now that, now say that actually, from the people I've, people I've spoken with, I've seen, I've seen it is, it is new. I think you start allow allowances, you know, then, you know, let me ask you. Let me ask you that. So, so one thing, one thing was, Toronto had a mattock temporarily, temporarily they didn't want, they didn't want to put on the receipt with GTA, GTA like that. And, and I was Jay was, Do I said, Do I think they will just keep on going? That's why we have them see my long, my long question here is, does this this Bring Forward, forward question, questions, petted, petted, because both or HMA called for letter. Letter. Lastly, first of all, you didn't talk to us. I know we were. Second of all, you know, you know we're losing, losing competition to cities, lost Austin, basically, back that up. What are

 

Speaker 2  29:58

your thoughts? What are your. Thoughts, lots of questions.

 

Andrew Siegwart  30:03

The bottom the bottom line, when, when? Rate rain changes, a special search has been added. First needs to know what they're getting, what they're getting what they're getting they're paying for, paying for what the value of value is a customer, customer whether, whether that's a destination, is on a visit. So, so the way I look, way I look at it, there's a couple of to win. In order for model to YouTube. This is, this is first and foremost, and foremost customer. Customer has to win the customer. Customer has travel, travel somewhere where they get another value from what's being done. They can make evidence that funds raise tax is elevated, elevating the experience and in location clear it's rarely initially an issue with consumers. So that's first. That's first. And I can tell you, can tell you, we're having worked in Blue Mountain, Blue Mountain Blue Mountain Association, yeah. And tell you, tell you, I mean, we had a very few questions. We made sure it was clear, clear visitors, what they were, they were getting for that, for that experience, and they could, and they let feel it in their interactions with so and so it was transparent. So that's so that's the visitor for local businesses. Business operators, all type types, whether it's hotel, restaurant, restaurant actions they need. They need the DMO, dmolog visitors, and that business, business is growing. So if there's a matte in place in an visitation is dropping, dropping, getting out of balance. It should, should be driving, driving resource. Resources should be driving, drive better, better security infrastructure, right? So, so the business, business community sells, not just, not just hotel, CDC, that that win, that win and lift and last, last, because, because visitor is on our call. Up, and also, and also that that tourism, tourism managed well. So Matt, so Matt, municipalities are collecting maps, and they are not easy. When, that's

 

Speaker 1  32:25

when things eventually, will the Bucks stop, buck stop? Eventually, eventually people will know. They'll feel

 

Andrew Siegwart  32:34

it, feel it okay, where things get managed

 

32:40

the consumer, consumer. So,

 

Andrew Siegwart  32:44

so this, this model management and sustainability, and so it's to progress in a way, in a way those whole, whole and grow and growing to and when they, win. They don't. Is when you when you usually

 

Speaker 1  33:02

see so I want to, so I want to float some shoot. I didn't add this in here, and it wasn't, it wasn't intentional. Here's a hot take, we haven't afford we have an affordability crisis. Yeah, people are like, see, see the comments. But one of the, one of the things that I've heard, I've heard really behind, behind the scene, what it is like, is, like, we're in a foreign affordability crisis. And effectively is or, I mean, you also have DMF, is tax. Have have somebody coming from Toronto, or on other other areas, areas me going up to coca in an afford, an affordable crisis. Is it real estate or fellow saying, saying, for domestic travel, remove, do, reduce within the province, the Matt Field regulation. I just, I just feel like crisis, crisis, the one thing, the one thing to do is take away. Take away the going out, going out. Am I crazy?

 

Andrew Siegwart  34:08

Am I crazy? Getting at is, how may we make more affordable, affordable for business, businesses, well as consumers who are purchasing, purchasing experiences. And so I think so, I think you got to look, there's tax rates. We can eliminate trade barrier, barriers to make things more affordable, affordable. I also, I also think writ large in the economy, we can't just talk about lowering, lowering the cost of savings we actually have, we actually have to talk raising, raising job, job opportunities. Raising, raising people, raising, raising people income, income potential. This is why proposal, business, business, why they aren't investing, haven't they haven't been higher, higher in. Many people, as they would like, is because, because growth rate, growth rates haven't been there, and cost, costs of the business, business through the roof. So that's why, that's why you think about our strategy, more spend growing more and more marketing, more bringing more money into the ecosystem. Incentive, incentivizing private business, their business add a few products, revenue, revenue, which will then allow them money to invest like things like knowledge sustainability for workforce. It's a system, way of thinking. But back to your question, don't, don't think thing that that trying to find ways to reduce the cost or services as the answer. I think it's a

 

Speaker 1  35:44

band, a band, and it's not a foundational change. I change, I mean, and that's why,

 

Andrew Siegwart  35:49

that's why we're not telling, be telling businesses, well, I like,

 

Speaker 1  36:01

well, I like what I like to is there is a very foundational strategy, one time on it, 35 35,000 jobs, five years by 20 that's how many, that's how many more you want to bring great, fantastic, something that's

 

Andrew Siegwart  36:17

something that's something that strategy.

 

Andrew Siegwart  36:25

Standard. So in our strategy to model and then model, we need to get 2019, six years, six years of loss growth. What actually had? Actually had employment. Employment numbers drop. So if so ever, 10% the numbers, numbers go up, go up. So, so we need growing, growing in order, in order for employment to grow businesses, particularly similarly, smaller businesses, their profitability doesn't improve. You have to remember a member for business, particularly service since 2019 2018 still paying off era debt, sales, Rails, rate like overall sales rate levels and Not because true private, private so wild, wild numbers. 29 in sales, but businesses back to back to profitability. Which means, which means they are not they're not invested. Means, which

 

Speaker 1  37:30

means exactly everything, just like consistently, gets worse. You have

 

Andrew Siegwart  37:39

to think of the last time service. Sector, they're not, came back fine. No, what they're saying is, Jesus, we need. Needs all about just, just recovery. It's actually not actually.

 

Speaker 1  38:02

So on that point, I feel, I feel like the federal government is working against getting capacity prioritize, prioritize Canadian jobs. Okay, okay, all right. I like, well, well, I was just fine, work, work, these specific jobs, job or house, or house or house, just with how hard it is to finally solve really solid people well, the government, without changing it, where international, temporary, temporary worker, workers, from six and a half, six and a half down Five, 5% does that? Does that market if people can find the empty job, replace placed, then what? Then new jobs

 

Andrew Siegwart  38:48

do, yeah, well, yeah. Well, let's talk about, talking about the current occurrence. So, so you have, you had, Matt, dramatic reduction in international students in the last in the last year. I think, I think this, this particular year, every year, a federal, federal government, next year, the foreseeable future, in on in Ontario, we have lost, have lost level at the university level. So we have, so we have seen a loss in training, training, skills development, professional education, education, and just in just a year. So what is that? What Is that done for the right now, right now, so right now, right now. That's 1000 1000, 1000s of less, less do just, just study right there, right now and working, working now. They're studying. In addition to that, as you graduate, entering talent, talent pool poor or expanded work and progression very soon. So the shortest shortage is big and growing. So another policy shifts. So we're looking from a number of a number front in terms of solution. So So one of the things that actually quite special about stronger from within. So you can have limited, limited experience, limited education of success, get a job and job and skills development. So that's so that's all that are real, leverageable points. There's a tier in Ontario skills development, critically and critically important. We'd love, we'd love more and more of that funding and funding envelope, earmark, earmark, tourism, we can work. We can write a trainer, trainers, not for profit, training, training.

 

Speaker 1  40:57

So you guys, you guys, received development finance, which was 500 500 500

 

Andrew Siegwart  41:08

so that is an interesting, interesting cluster of partners, training, training center, which is, which is a labor, labor and training, training operation, which does, which just, was just training, training, tourism, nature Canada. There was this really destination Northern Ontario. And this is a micro credential destination development. So we so we did. We went out and curated, curated all of these programs brought them to the ministry. We can help, can help deliver the delivery training and attract, attract barriers, barriers to employees or youth. Help them, get them, getting training them with job opportunities. So that's kind of stuff. We can continue to do. A lot of opportunity there on the call the colleges, we need to acknowledge that there's a rapid disrupt, disruption the college in Ontario, Ontario, and if and when you're going to have your path in our sector, we need to, we need some radical change projects we're All calling or all any, any program around, without an environmental, environment assessments, we're going to be going to be able to work with domestic students, which means huge, huge competition. So tourism, tourism, to have to have training, training. Well, if they're

 

Speaker 1  42:45

not, they're not there, right? People, it's funny. It's funny. I remember, what do you want to do there? It would tell, you would tell. They would say, Okay, well, okay, recommended. That's right. That's right.

 

Andrew Siegwart  43:08

Many, how does that? How does that student in Yeah, like, we are, we are. This is Canada. It's real, 30,000

 

Andrew Siegwart  43:37

1000, yeah, we have a lot of homework to do, so it's gonna be going to be skills training, really, really digging deep, connecting more with you, saving, saving our programs, but, but the other, the other, is becoming Your worker, workplaces, and so in terms of large margins, improve our overall

 

Speaker 1  44:04

thing, also, also tourism can be, you know, it was a few years, few years, and I'm like,

 

Andrew Siegwart  44:19

I Love other things I am, I am a better marketer because I retail. So when you, when you speak, helping out an item, serving, serving like they like, don't I don't like, how that how react kids are

 

44:41

harassed in the gas

 

Andrew Siegwart  44:42

algorithm your life with,

 

Speaker 1  44:57

your life won't ever. I want to, I want to know a little bit about, okay, okay, you've got these groups? Yep, you've got, you've got specialists. They're talking, they're verging here, one, here, one, there, there. What do we what it would do? What we recommend? Recommend to business. Business, highly connection, connection point. But what I want to know is, there is there was looking at and getting from province, monetize. Capacity. Oh, no, in order to marketing marketing or recommend marketing pushes that,

 

Andrew Siegwart  45:56

first of course, is what I would say is that we built a strategy. We've launched strategy. We've introduced it. We built it. Built it with the ecosystem. So it's out there, it's out there. So now, now, right, Haitian. Haitian needs resources. So there are, so there are few players. We are, we are we have, we have bringing, bringing bringing the people together, magic, manage an environment. Environment. We're also talking to sponsors. Anyone, anyone, listen. Listen within you, within your economy. Within your current funding operation, you take some of these action so they're coming forward and doing that. I'll tell you. I'll tell you when I decided strategy. We had, we had waited for a year, a year, and a fine revenue took so long. So what we did, what we did was we talked loyal, loyal partners. We found lined support, support, organizing, help, help us in a contract relationship. Then we apply. I loved about this? No shade, no shade to any consulting firm, but sometimes they like higher higher consumption, and they have the header model of what a strategy this special survey, we found the Best of the Best in areas, areas. And we asked them to help me work with SES, which is a really, really great organization. They help. They helped us up front, up front. Then we when we work with tech context Research Group consultation. So I don't, I need a community. I need, I needed someone, someone who was very strong at talking to people, getting, getting, you know, you know, go, model, model, right? So it's different. I like, I like that. So the example just so, so we've been working throughout, they will be one of the, one of the marks in the market plan plan, or international marketing action action team. And so they will enable that on that team, working along, really leveraging a lot of a lot of it will be there's a there's a call for data, data warehouse, organization, they are building all their business right now. Right now they have embed, embedded in their in their business plan, government, all of the areas and ways There were, there relates plan, and we're having them so, so, actually, actually, you know, you know, following, following of all those trails we'll get, we'll get it done.

 

Speaker 1  49:34

One of the things, one of the things I wanted to ask you about, about a letter, that letter that he would read Prime Minister, and it was well written, well written, well written letter, you know, it's like, you know, it's like, one of the things, one of the things around and dropping toward, yeah, yeah. What does that? What does that signal to you? Well.

 

Andrew Siegwart  50:03

So this is what is signal to me, there's a shift, a shift in the budget. The budget the Minister, Prime Minister, already put out, is moving away from Grand program funding toward infrastructure, structure, investment, investment in capital, right? So there's ways, two ways to interpret one way program, right? Away, right away. Canada a loss in any kind marketing market sector. They have a really, really important, sorry the sorry the International, international convention fund. That's a project international business. We don't, we don't leave that. Difficult. So losing programming, programming hard to fight, make sure we make sure we call back all that. But every department has had challenges on the side, side the province. Province has taught about it where they were. They want to invest capital, capital. They want to see one nation building projects. So part of what, part of what sector has to do at the time, while we're advocating, advocating to keep programming, programming, and we also, we also advocate to ensure the sure there's tourism is recognized, capital investment. We can have nation, nation building products and project projects, if I think where it came from, village that is a bad is a that was a bet, is a juggernaut today, partnerships, many decades ago.

 

Speaker 1  51:32

So the public, the public good, public sector, public sector, of course,

 

Andrew Siegwart  51:36

course, incredible, credible system, systems. So, legacy, legacy, building, legacy, legacy, legacy. It's making sure that, sure that we, we let the government, the government know it can be there, be there. Some of those, those capital projects, the North, the North, there's a conference that conference, conference specifically focused on security, security, sovereign, sovereignty. But the tourism leaders and leaders are attending because the tourism, tourism operation in the Arctic can play a role, play a role in security, sovereign sovereignty, just by, just by being, yeah, so you go see, you know, you know, we're a big part of nation building, and this is our

 

Speaker 1  52:31

opportunity on the point on the last question, what's the legacy? What Ontario, Ontario, the legacy, legacy

 

Andrew Siegwart  52:37

I want to leave for Ontario is that operator, just as just cited cited as everyone else's system about their future. And last years, I talked stressed. Who have had, have had extra work, work hardship, hardship. Working hard, working hard, in place, working hard. And I want, I want them, sure that brings them, brings them. When they signed up and economy, they bring jobs, jobs to everyone, everyone. That's what it's about. Andrew. Andrew, thank you so much.

 

Speaker 1  53:19

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Stay tuned. Stay tuned,

 

53:29

anytime, anytime,

 

Speaker 2  53:30

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