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Destination Canada Unveils Groundbreaking, Award-Winning Tourism Data Collective to Boost Economic Growth

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Integral part of Destination Canada’s newly released 2030 StrategyEmpowering the industry to make smarter marketing, investment and destination development decisions, ultimately driving economic growth.Aiming to propel Canada into the top 7 global tourism destinations by 2030 through data-driven decision making.

MONTREAL, May 24, 2024 /CNW/ – Today marks the launch of an innovative data and analytics platform set to revolutionize the Canadian tourism industry and boost economic growth. The Canadian Tourism Data Collective is a first-of-its-kind, secure, centralized platform designed to harness the power of data to increase Canada’s competitiveness.

Officially launched at the Hotel Association of Canada’s Annual Conference in Montreal, the platform is a partnership between Destination Canada, Statistics Canada and the Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, and is one of the key initiatives outlined in Destination Canada’s 2030 Strategy – ‘A World of Opportunity’.

The new strategy, launched a week ago, sets bold and ambitious targets for Canada’s tourism sector and aims to reclaim and improve Canada’s global tourism competitiveness ranking and generate up to as much as $160 billion in revenue annually.

The launch of the new Data Collective also follows this week’s release of the World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Development Index 2024 which shows that Canada has risen two places to rank 11th but more progress is required to increase Canada’s competitiveness and re-enter the top seven.

The platform has already been recognized for its impact and innovative potential, winning the Best Use of AI for Not-for-Profit or Non-Commercial Purposes Award at the 2024 DataIQ AI Awards in Miami on Tuesday.

“Artificial intelligence and big data are changing our world – including the tourism industry,” says The Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec. “That’s why Destination Canada is launching the Canadian Tourism Data Collective, harnessing the power of data and AI to help the sector make smarter decisions. Congratulations to Destination Canada for its leadership and innovation. This will be a big step forward for Canadian tourism!”

“The Data Collective showcases Canadian innovation empowering tourism businesses from coast to coast to coast to create a unique competitive advantage for Canada,” says Meaghan Ferrigno, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Data and Analytics Officer, Destination Canada. “Through this groundbreaking platform, Canadians will have access to game-changing technology that will facilitate timely and informed decision-making, influence investment, and drive economic growth.”

Powered by the advanced capabilities of Google Cloud Platform, this initiative harnesses the latest in data, analytics, and AI technology. It offers timely, relevant, and actionable insights to a wide range of stakeholders, including communities, tourism operators, government, small businesses and large investors, allowing them to make critical decisions.

“The Data Collective allowed us to bring together the best and the brightest minds in the tech and tourism sectors to develop a system that is not only accessible by stakeholders across the entire tourism industry but provides a comprehensive picture of the state of the sector, from remote communities all the way up to the national level,” says Ferrigno.

“Our goal is to ensure a collaborative approach to propelling Canada into the top seven global tourism destinations by 2030, and key to this is access to timely and reliable insights that identify opportunities for growth.”

Additional Quotes

André Loranger, Chief Statistician of Canada

“Statistics Canada is proud to partner with Destination Canada and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada in the creation of the Canadian Tourism Data Collective. A result of true collaboration, this new and innovative tool will provide valuable information on tourism trends and activities in Canada. These comprehensive data will help support those in the industry to make timely, data-driven decisions.”

Susie Grynol, President & CEO of the Hotel Association of Canada

“The Canadian Tourism Data Collective platform will be a critical resource for hotels across Canada. As a data-driven sector, hoteliers will find invaluable insights, empowering them to make informed investment decisions and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving market. We are thrilled to support the Canadian Tourism Data Collective and the opportunity to propel our industry into a future of growth and innovation.”

Beth Potter, President and CEO, Tourism Industry Association of Canada:

“”The Canadian Tourism Data Collective is a game-changer. By centralizing and sharing critical data, we’re not just making decisions; we’re shaping the future of tourism. This initiative equips businesses with the insights to drive growth and innovation. It’s about empowering every corner of our sector, including those often overlooked, to achieve unprecedented success. With the Data Collective, we’re turning data into our competitive advantage, propelling the tourism industry and Canada’s economy forward.”

Keith Henry, President and CEO of Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada:

“I commend Destination Canada’s new Canadian Tourism Data Collective. Access to comprehensive tourism data, research, and insights is crucial for informed decision-making in today’s rapidly evolving tourism landscape. By recognizing the importance of Indigenous tourism, the Data Collective can take concrete steps to ensure meaningful engagement and support for authentic Indigenous tourism experiences.

What truly sets the Data Collective apart is its emphasis on collaboration and conversation between tourism partners. Through these efforts, we can harness the power of data to identify opportunities, address challenges, and enhance the competitiveness and sustainability of the Canadian Indigenous tourism economy. This will support the goal of making Canada the world leader in Indigenous tourism by 2030.” 

Notes to editors

Canadian Tourism Data Collective

The Canadian Tourism Data Collective is a partnership between industry and tech leaders that will power Canada’s tourism industry to regain its place as a global leader. It is a revolutionary, first-of-its-kind resource in Canada, a centralized, secure platform, using AI and data to drive Canadian innovation in tourism.

The Data Collective houses more than 8.9 billion lines of data from over 175 resources and growing, from more than 5,100 regions across the country.

About Destination Canada

At Destination Canada, we believe that tourism enhances the wealth and wellbeing of Canadians and enriches the lives of visitors. Our mission is to influence supply and build demand for the benefit of locals, communities and visitors through leading research, alignment with public and private sectors, and marketing Canada nationally and abroad.

Knowing that diversity is our greatest asset, we promote Canada as a premier four-season leisure and business tourism destination around the country and world in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, United Kingdom and the United States.

In addition, our Business Events team leverage in-depth global market analysis to target international clusters aligned with Canada’s priority economic sectors.

Destination Canada is a Crown corporation wholly owned by the Government of Canada.

www.destinationcanada.com

SOURCE Destination Canada

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Trimble for Government Achieves ‘Initial Implementation’ Status for FedRAMP Class C (Moderate) Certification

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Milestone accelerates secure cloud adoption for federal, state and local entities managing infrastructure, spatial data and capital assets 

WESTMINSTER, Colo., Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Trimble today announced that Trimble for Government is listed as ‘Initial Implementation’ status for Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP®) Class C (Moderate) certification and is now listed on the FedRAMP Marketplace. In conjunction with seeking FedRAMP certification, Trimble is also pursuing GovRAMP authorization to support state, local and education (SLED) customers with reciprocal cybersecurity compliance standards.

This dual milestone marks a critical step forward in delivering a software as a service (SaaS) cloud environment built within a secure Government Community Cloud. Designed specifically for U.S. Federal Government departments, state and local agencies, and defense and civilian contractors, Trimble for Government provides a unified ecosystem for managing infrastructure, spatial data, capital projects, permitting and facility assets across their entire lifecycle.

Achieving FedRAMP Class C (Moderate) and GovRAMP alignment will enable public sector entities and Department of Defense (DoD) contractors to comply with stringent security mandates — including Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) alignment — while modernizing digital engineering and asset management.

“Federal, state and local agencies face the dual challenge of modernizing critical infrastructure while maintaining uncompromising cybersecurity standards,” said Mark Schwartz, group president, AECO at Trimble. “Achieving ‘Initial Assessment’ status reflects our commitment to delivering mission-critical spatial, capital project and asset management capabilities inside a secure, audit-ready cloud boundary across all levels of government.”

Integrated cloud solutions built for government operations

The in-scope environment brings together Trimble’s proven field execution, asset, project and permitting software into four modular packages designed to support specific public sector outcomes:

Trimble® Field Collaboration: Delivers field data services using foundational spatial database infrastructure and GIS integration to support high-security field operations, map assets, and enable seamless field-to-cloud workflows across Trimble’s core Field Systems portfolio.Trimble Project Management powered by Trimble ProjectSight® software: Connects design-to-build workflows in the field, providing precision data layout, project tracking, collaboration and quality assurance across construction projects.Trimble Asset Management powered by Trimble Unity™ Maintain software: Serves as a centralized facilities data core for federal, state, and local government agencies, military installations, and public infrastructure — such as public buildings, utilities, and transportation networks — to optimize maintenance and long-term capital planning.Trimble Permit Management powered by Trimble Unity Permit software: Streamlines end-to-end management of permitting, licensing, land use and infrastructure rights-of-way in a fully compliant cloud environment.

The unifying in-scope element across all four packages is the Trimble Connect® platform, providing collaboration and a common data environment (CDE) across the Trimble for Government platform.

With assessment processes underway, Trimble continues to advance toward full FedRAMP and GovRAMP authorizations to ensure public sector customers can innovate with confidence.

About Trimble
Trimble is a global technology company that connects the physical and digital worlds, transforming the ways work gets done. With relentless innovation in precise positioning, modeling and data analytics, Trimble enables essential industries including construction, geospatial and transportation. Whether it’s helping customers build and maintain infrastructure, design and construct buildings, optimize global supply chains or map the world, Trimble is at the forefront, driving productivity and progress. For more information about Trimble, visit: www.trimble.com.

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View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/trimble-for-government-achieves-initial-implementation-status-for-fedramp-class-c-moderate-certification-302913499.html

SOURCE Trimble

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Trimble for Government Achieves ‘Initial Implementation’ Status for FedRAMP Class C (Moderate) Certification

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Milestone accelerates secure cloud adoption for federal, state and local entities managing infrastructure, spatial data and capital assets 

WESTMINSTER, Colo., Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Trimble today announced that Trimble for Government is listed as ‘Initial Implementation’ status for Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP®) Class C (Moderate) certification and is now listed on the FedRAMP Marketplace. In conjunction with seeking FedRAMP certification, Trimble is also pursuing GovRAMP authorization to support state, local and education (SLED) customers with reciprocal cybersecurity compliance standards.

This dual milestone marks a critical step forward in delivering a software as a service (SaaS) cloud environment built within a secure Government Community Cloud. Designed specifically for U.S. Federal Government departments, state and local agencies, and defense and civilian contractors, Trimble for Government provides a unified ecosystem for managing infrastructure, spatial data, capital projects, permitting and facility assets across their entire lifecycle.

Achieving FedRAMP Class C (Moderate) and GovRAMP alignment will enable public sector entities and Department of Defense (DoD) contractors to comply with stringent security mandates — including Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) alignment — while modernizing digital engineering and asset management.

“Federal, state and local agencies face the dual challenge of modernizing critical infrastructure while maintaining uncompromising cybersecurity standards,” said Mark Schwartz, group president, AECO at Trimble. “Achieving ‘Initial Assessment’ status reflects our commitment to delivering mission-critical spatial, capital project and asset management capabilities inside a secure, audit-ready cloud boundary across all levels of government.”

Integrated cloud solutions built for government operations

The in-scope environment brings together Trimble’s proven field execution, asset, project and permitting software into four modular packages designed to support specific public sector outcomes:

Trimble® Field Collaboration: Delivers field data services using foundational spatial database infrastructure and GIS integration to support high-security field operations, map assets, and enable seamless field-to-cloud workflows across Trimble’s core Field Systems portfolio.Trimble Project Management powered by Trimble ProjectSight® software: Connects design-to-build workflows in the field, providing precision data layout, project tracking, collaboration and quality assurance across construction projects.Trimble Asset Management powered by Trimble Unity™ Maintain software: Serves as a centralized facilities data core for federal, state, and local government agencies, military installations, and public infrastructure — such as public buildings, utilities, and transportation networks — to optimize maintenance and long-term capital planning.Trimble Permit Management powered by Trimble Unity Permit software: Streamlines end-to-end management of permitting, licensing, land use and infrastructure rights-of-way in a fully compliant cloud environment.

The unifying in-scope element across all four packages is the Trimble Connect® platform, providing collaboration and a common data environment (CDE) across the Trimble for Government platform.

With assessment processes underway, Trimble continues to advance toward full FedRAMP and GovRAMP authorizations to ensure public sector customers can innovate with confidence.

About Trimble
Trimble is a global technology company that connects the physical and digital worlds, transforming the ways work gets done. With relentless innovation in precise positioning, modeling and data analytics, Trimble enables essential industries including construction, geospatial and transportation. Whether it’s helping customers build and maintain infrastructure, design and construct buildings, optimize global supply chains or map the world, Trimble is at the forefront, driving productivity and progress. For more information about Trimble, visit: www.trimble.com.

GTRMB

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/trimble-for-government-achieves-initial-implementation-status-for-fedramp-class-c-moderate-certification-302913499.html

SOURCE Trimble

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Delta Development Team and The Good Drone Company Awarded U.S. Army Contract for Aerial Blood Delivery

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TUCSON, Ariz., Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Delta Development Team (DDT), a leader in prehospital blood storage and cold chain technology, and The Good Drone Company (GDC) have been awarded a U.S. Army contract to develop a drone-based blood delivery capability for the Army Blood Link (ABL) program.

The program is part of the broader Armed Services Blood Program (ASBP), which supplies blood products to U.S. military forces worldwide. Army Blood Link is designed to support battlefield medical logistics through rapid, temperature-controlled delivery of lifesaving blood products to the field, providing an additional resupply option when traditional ground transportation is unavailable, delayed, or unsafe. Under the contract, The Good Drone Company will provide two U.S.-built prototypes of its hybrid vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) cargo drone, each designed to transport up to six units of blood, while DDT will provide the temperature-controlled storage capability through its Delta ICE 2L Smart Blood Cooler.

The companies are combining commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technologies to create a U.S.-sourced aerial blood delivery system capable of transporting blood directly to the point of need.

To meet ABL program requirements, DDT will supply six Delta ICE 2L Smart Blood Coolers, each designed to maintain two units of blood within the required temperature range for three hours of aerial delivery in high-humidity environments with ambient temperatures ranging from 15°F to 120°F. Built-in temperature monitoring and data recording, along with Bluetooth and cellular connectivity, support cold-chain oversight and blood accountability. The program extends DDT’s blood storage and monitoring capabilities into aerial delivery.

“Getting blood to the point of need is only part of the challenge. It must also remain within the required temperature range throughout the journey,” said Montgomery Leija, CEO of Delta Development Team. “This program brings DDT’s experience in blood storage and cold chain management into a new operational environment, taking the blood supply chain from the ground to the air.”

The prototype system is designed to deliver blood within 10 meters of a designated target during both day and night operations. It will feature a communications range of up to 30 miles and semi-autonomous waypoint navigation. It is intended for single-person operation with minimal training and is built on GDC’s existing commercial cargo drone technology to accelerate development and fielding while meeting U.S.-sourcing requirements.

“We have seen strong interest in middle-mile drones in emerging markets for some time, from both public and private sector customers spanning healthcare to third-party logistics,” said Jake Vander Ploeg, CEO of The Good Drone Company. “This program is a great example of how the military is adopting commercial technology like our cargo drones to quickly test new ideas in the field without starting a full aircraft development program.”

The collaboration combines GDC’s expertise in commercial drone platforms and aerial delivery with DDT’s temperature-controlled blood storage and transport capabilities to support:

Rapid resupply: Delivering blood when conventional ground transportation is unavailable or unsafe.Cold chain protection: Maintaining required blood temperatures during aerial transport.U.S.-sourced capability: Supporting domestic defense supply chain objectives.Accelerated development: Combining GDC’s existing commercial cargo drone technology with DDT’s established blood storage solutions.

The ABL effort addresses the challenge of delivering critical medical supplies in contested and austere environments. When terrain, damaged infrastructure, or tactical conditions prevent conventional resupply, aerial delivery combined with temperature-controlled storage can expand options for getting lifesaving blood products to service members when and where they are needed.

About Delta Development Team

Delta Development Team (DDT) is a U.S.-based medical technology company headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, specializing in blood storage, transport, monitoring, and logistics solutions for military and prehospital environments. DDT develops technology designed to keep blood available, traceable, and mission-ready from the blood bank to the point of injury. Its portfolio includes the APRU 6L, Delta ICE 2L, TBS 40L, and BloodCOMM® blood management platform.

Media Contact: info@deltadevteam.com | www.deltadevteam.com

About The Good Drone Company

The Good Drone Company (GDC) is an aerospace company headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, that designs and builds autonomous hybrid VTOL cargo drones for middle-mile logistics. GDC’s aircraft take off and land vertically without a runway, carry up to 55 lb (25 kg) of payload, and fly more than 300 miles (500 km) at speeds up to 93 mph (150 km/h). GDC is deploying in Kenya to close the middle-mile transportation gap for public and private sector customers, working closely with its local partner ThatcherX and the Kenyan government to change how goods move around the country.

Media Contact: info@thegooddronecompany.com | www.thegooddronecompany.com

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SOURCE Delta Development Team

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