Hotel Association of Canada – Celebrating 30 Years

In the early days of the COVID-19 crisis, Canada’s hotel and tourism industry was staring down collapse. With borders sealed and travel frozen, the sector—largely made up of small, family-owned operations—had no revenue and no timeline for recovery. In late April 2020, the Hotel Association of Canada brought in StrategyCorp to help navigate what became one of the most severe economic challenges in Canadian history.

The tourism sector’s initial instinct was to push for an immediate reopening. But that strategy was neither politically nor practically feasible. StrategyCorp provided a course correction: stop chasing border reopenings and focus on solvency. That pivot proved critical. By reshaping the advocacy narrative, StrategyCorp helped the Hotel Association of Canada position its members not as luxury operators but as essential economic anchors in local communities.

Working in lockstep with association leadership, StrategyCorp crafted a coalition-focused strategy that centered on financial support through federal wage subsidies, low-interest loans, and inclusion in key recovery programs. The firm’s strength lay in bridging policy reality with on-the-ground needs. Our plan saw hotels partner with festivals, Indigenous groups, theaters, and others, so that government understood that hotels are the anchors of a network of small tourism employers across Canada.

The impact was profound. From Indigenous-owned fishing lodges in Northern Ontario to hotels that kept small towns employed, federal relief programs bought the sector time. Without this intervention, places like Niagara Falls, Banff, and Jasper would have seen their tourism infrastructure deteriorate beyond repair. Instead, the sector endured—and by summer 2022, it was ready when international visitors returned.

By the time of the 2021 federal election, the hotel sector—thanks to StrategyCorp’s work and the strong execution by the Hotel Association—was recognized in government platforms as a priority. Over $25 billion in supports helped preserve thousands of businesses and jobs across the country. Today, the survival of Canada’s tourism ecosystem—from iconic hotels to cultural landmarks like Clifton Hill and the Maid of the Mist—can be traced directly to this strategic reframing of advocacy.

The work set a precedent in how government and industry can partner in crisis—not just to weather the storm, but to come out stronger on the other side.