THE IMPLICATIONS OF FREE-TRADE AGREEMENTS FOR TOURISM IN CANADA

This article reviews the implications for tourism in and to Canada of NAFTA, the earlier Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the USA and former bilateral agreements on tourism between Canada and Mexico. It examines impacts on tourism flows among the relevant countries and the likely effects on the Canadian tourism industry - eg lower import costs, leading to improved competitiveness. Such benefits could be undone by any depreciation of the Canadian dollar or by continued economic recession, which should not, however, be blamed on the FTA: the full impact of free trade agreements will only become apparent in the long term.