THUNDER BAY – A weak Canadian dollar is resulting in more than one kind of cross-border tourism traffic to the city.
The dollar, which has plummeted throughout the summer to 76 cents U.S. on Friday, has given not only American tourists but travellers from across Canada financial incentive to visit Northwestern Ontario.
“We’re seeing our American numbers up anywhere from 12 to 17 per cent and American traffic up through the region,” city tourism manager Paul Pepe said.
“We’re also seeing an uptick in our Manitoba and southern Ontario markets because not only is the low Canadian dollar attracting Americans but it’s keeping Canadians at home and exploring more.”
That dollar has led to increased revenue for local restaurants and retail industries. Events like the Thunder Bay Blues Festival Staal Foundation Open and the BrewHa Craft Beer Festival also benefited with American visitors.
But Pepe knows the city has to use the opportunity given by the exchange rate to build a sustainable reputation.
“We don’t want to use the low Canadian dollar as a long-term crutch,” he said.
“It’s a great short-term and interim solution but we want to sell ourselves as a destination, city and region that offers great experience and great value for those adventure seekers, people who love to tour and people who love to fish, hunt and explore.”
With two new major hotels open, the city’s occupancy rate has softened and corrected as a result of the additional 240 rooms though the average daily rate has reportedly increased.
Increased visitation is expected to increase through the end of the month into early September as postsecondary school students and their families arrive.
While there has been an increase in leisure tourism, which includes 18 to 27 per cent traffic over each of the past three months at the city’s visitor centre, there has been a decline in business traffic with that drop attributed to less mining exploration and a federal election campaign that has put a halt in public service travel.
Overall, Pepe estimates the summer tourism season is up “a point and a half” from last year.
