VijaySappani.com

While a report released Monday says the Canadian tourism industry is on the verge of a crisis , Canada is also being black listed by many tour operators as a difficult to work with country for visa processing.

The report said Canada is not doing a very good job of promoting itself in emerging markets such as India and Brazil.

Guess what, those highly paid extremely intelligent Canadian visa officers sitting in New Delhi are telling, we don’t need these Indians visiting Canada, but the tide is changing on Canada that those  Indians are saying FU to Canada and visiting Europe, Egypt, US, Australia and even Russia.

Cleo Paskal in his article “India roars, Canada Snores” has talked about the missed opportunities for Canada in the world fastest growing free market economy.

The Indian representative in Canada talked about simplifying visa to Canada recently . The number one source of International students to US is from India, but Canada is way below on the list of preferred countries for students in India for graduate and post graduate studies, but the number one source of immigrants, many who have trouble finding jobs here.

Visa processing for Canada is very difficult and insulting in most cases that some companies that had Canada on their list for awards trips have dropped Canada in favour of US, as (read this carefully) getting visa to US, Europe, Australia, Russia are far easier and more respectful and humane  than for Canada

Business people complain that they are always treated like potential refugees. Some one needs to educate these screwed up visa officers that potential refugees in India don’t come in Mercedes Benz and BMW.  Canada is fast losing it reputation of a great tourist spot to be a “we don’t want you here” country.

 Many tour operators in India are now refusing to recommend Canada or comes with an added comment- “visa not guaranteed, processing time not guaranteed” that is discouraging tour groups and corporate visits to Canada.

Canada is fast building a reputation of a country of arrogant people, who treat everyone like refugees and is next to impossible to get a visa to that country, while US, Australia, Europe are seen as friendly countries to go for education, tourism and business.

While this is happening there, our tourism industry is taking a hit due to various factors from oil price to weakening economy and the ones from boomers in India and Brazil prefer to take their money elsewhere.

Thousands of jobs are lost here, millions are created there, our average salary is growing by 2-3% while spending power is growing by over 40%  with the 300 million strong middle class in India, whose new found wealth is making them globe trotters, but not to Canada because they are not welcome here.

Canada needs to loosen it visa rules and make it more friendly and easy to get it and tighten it rules with those who over stay and abuse it. In an attempt to prevent those who abuse the system, we are hurting ourselves by preventing tourists and investors. Our dollar might be rising, but the rupee is rising too, making Indians among the largest tourists now along with Chinese and Japanese, markets that are highly untapped by Canada. We event failed to make a deal with China on preferred status, that will make it easy for more Chinese tourists to visit Canada.

Some one needs to shake things up or things will shake us up.