Atlantic premiers and federal ministers want to help accelerate the growth of our region’s economy.

That is why they have agreed to renew the Atlantic Growth Strategy, which was first launched in 2016.

Atlantic Canada’s premiers and federal cabinet ministers made the announcement in Moncton on Tuesday.

Ginette Petitpas Taylor, the minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, said this is important as more people call our region home.

“It’s a testament of the untapped potential and growing opportunities that exist right here, but this also comes with challenges,” Petitpas Taylor told reporters.

The meeting focused on several themes, including leveraging population growth, attracting and retaining a strong workforce, and spurring increased productivity and competitiveness.

Petitpas Taylor said competition for international travellers will be intense, and the time to refocus efforts on promoting Atlantic Canada as a tourist destination is now.

“We’ve agreed to renew the Atlantic Canada Agreement on Tourism for $30 million over the next four and a half years,” said Petitpas Taylor.

The agreement will support efforts to increase visitation to the region and aligns with the new Federal Tourism Growth Strategy, she said.

In addition, the ministers also announced the creation of a new Atlantic Working Group on Regional Air Travel.

Senior officials and industry partners will look at ways to address regional air access challenges and submit a proposed implementation plan by Oct. 1.

According to a news release, premiers and ministers discussed options to expand air connectivity and address the challenges of airline capacity, pilot availability, and passenger demand.