Canada's tourism industry is trying to put on its Sunday best this week, showcasing itself to more than 500 international travel agents and tour operators at the largest annual tourism convention in Canada.
But as Rendez-vous Canada is taking place at the Edmonton Convention Centre, one of the biggest challenges Canada's tourism industry is facing is playing out in technicolour just a few hundred kilometres away: wildfires.
"Climate change is an essential threat to Canadian tourism, to their reputation and that's what we're seeing," said federal Tourism Minister Soraya Martinez Ferrada.
Hot, dry weather in Western Canada, exacerbated by climate change, sparked a massive fire southwest of Fort McMurray, forcing more than 6,000 people from their homes.
Some of them are the same residents whose houses were razed by a major wildfire in the same city just eight years ago.
In 2023, Canada recorded its worst wildfire season ever, with more than 6,400 fires burning more than 150,000 square kilometres in almost every province and territory.
This season started out a little slower, but turned quickly over the weekend with major out-of-control fires forcing evacuations and threatening cities and towns in both British Columbia and Alberta.
Beth Potter, president of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, said the direct impact of wildfires is hard enough.
But making matters worse is the fact that many people around the world see headlines about Canada being on fire, she said, then think nowhere in the country is safe to visit.
"There are fires right now in northern parts of Alberta and British Columbia, but that doesn't mean that all of Canada stops welcoming visitors from around the world," she said.
"The biggest challenge we had actually (last year) was how big the fires are by comparison to how big our country is."
Many international visitors don't understand that wildfires have a limited impact on most of the country, said Potter.
Last summer, tourism operators in southwestern Ontario told her about cancellations due to fires largely more than 3,500 kilometres away in B.C., she said.
On top of all that, some operators have been finding insurance more expensive -- if they can even secure it -- as the risks from severe weather force the insurance industry to rethink costs.
Martinez Ferrada said there is no "miracle" cure, but government and industry must prepare for the worst, because climate change isn't going away.
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Hollywood was quick to react to the news that U.S. President Joe Biden was ending his bid for re-election and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris.
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The Department of National Defence is looking to retire and replace the decades-old aircraft used by the Royal Canadian Air Force's iconic Snowbirds demonstration team.
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A Brazilian conceptual artist swapped a historic British coin for a fake in the British Museum to highlight the large number of foreign objects it holds.
Vice President Kamala Harris spoke Monday at a White House celebration with the NCAA championship teams, her first appearance since President Joe Biden announced he was leaving the race.
Bangladesh remained without internet for a fifth day and the government declared a public holiday Monday, as authorities maintained tight control despite apparent calm following a court order that scaled back a controversial system for allocating government jobs that sparked violent protests.
Karen Read returns to court Monday for the first time since her murder case involving her Boston police officer boyfriend ended in a mistrial.
The Israeli military ordered the evacuation Monday of part of a crowded area in the Gaza Strip it had designated a humanitarian zone, saying it is planning an operation against Hamas militants there.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to the news that U.S. President Joe Biden won’t run for re-election Sunday, calling Biden a 'true friend.'
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Businesses from airlines to hospitals have been grappling with a faulty software update that caused technological havoc worldwide on Friday, and its repercussions continued through the weekend.
The first gene-edited pig organs ever transplanted into people came from animals born on this special research farm in the Blue Ridge mountains..
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Taylor Swift fans know all too well the costs that come with travelling to see the singer live on her Eras Tour.
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Backlogs and processing delays of temporary U.S. visas required by entertainers, athletes and artists has forced some Canadian bands to cancel U.S. tour dates because paperwork wasn't processed in time.
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Air Canada has lowered its 2024 earnings forecast, saying its planes have not been flying as full as anticipated this summer in part due to tough competition in international markets.
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Barcelona will raise the tourist tax for cruise passengers visiting the city for less than 12 hours, the mayor said in an interview published on Sunday.
Researchers surveyed about 300 people about their experiences being raised with or without humour and their views on their childhood, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One.
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Stellantis is warning the owners of more than 2,900 hybrid minivans in Canada to stop charging their vehicles and park them outdoors, away from buildings and other cars, due to the risk of battery fires.
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Standing on the edge of an open aircraft hatch, a smokejumper in a pale yellow suit steadies himself before rocking back then swinging out the door and vanishing as gravity takes over.
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Lethbridge police are warning the public over what they're calling a "bait-and-switch tactic" being used by scammers who are posting on social media about phony alerts about missing children, seniors and pets.
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