Canada scrambling to attract US visitors
Statistics Canada reports that the number of travellers to Canada has fallen to a record low, mainly because of a drop in US visits, prompting tourism officials to look for creative ways of enticing visitors.
“Across Canada, tourism operators are bending over backward to try to keep the flow of US visitors coming this summer, or to replace them with other travellers. But it’s an uphill battle in the face of serious declines in cross-border travel by Americans,” according to wire services.
Initiatives include:
- Ontario’s Stratford Shakespeare Festival is selling cheaper ticket packages and stepping up a US advertising campaign.
- Casino Windsor, just across from Detroit, is re-branding and beefing up convention facilities.
- And Quebec’s government is targeting wealthy US travellers.
In March, foreigners made 2.3 million trips here, 12.4% fewer than last year and the lowest number since records started in 1972.
While the number of offshore visitors – those not from the United States – is flat, it’s the 15-per-cent annual drop in trips to Canada from the US that made the biggest dent in the overall numbers. Americans are by far this country’s biggest tourist customers.
The level of the Canadian dollar, which is up nearly 50% relative to the US dollar since 2002, has changed Canada from a low-cost vacation hot spot to a more expensive proposition.
“The challenge is that the U.S. represents about 50% of all travel into Canada,” said Shannon Wilkinson, vice-president of marketing at tour packager Exclusively Canada Ltd. in North Vancouver. “There has been a change in daily cross-border behaviour, the main reason being the high Canadian dollar. Canada’s not a cheap place to come to.”
At the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Southwestern Ontario, administrative director Anita Gaffney said US bookings are down about 13% this year. A survey conducted by the festival found the high dollar was the biggest factor.
Stratford is heavily promoting discounted ticket packages, and pushing the fact that the city is not far from the border.
“We’re investing more money in our marketing in the United States,”Ms Gaffney said.
US visitors to Canadian casinos have also been declining, so Casino Windsor is planning to open a new redevelopment project in June.
David
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