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, lead
ing 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.