THUNDER BAY - Thunder Bay residents are taking fewer and fewer road trips into Minnesota, according to data released by the United States Department of Homeland Security.
Since 2011, there has been a steady decline in southbound vehicle traffic crossing the border at Pigeon River in one of the peak travel periods.
The cumulative number of automobiles headed into Minnesota during the months of June, July and August fell from a peak of 115,000 in 2011 to a low of 97,000 last year.
This year is trending to be considerably worse than last year, as DHS counted 8,000 fewer vehicles entering from the Canadian side of the Pigeon River during the months of June and July compared with a year ago. The decline in June alone was 22 per cent. Figures for August are not yet available.
Paul Pepe, Manager of Tourism for the City of Thunder Bay, says the U.S. data confirms what his office has been seeing from analyzing its own data sources.
"The number of Canadians returning to Canada has been dropping considerably. That's a direct result of the currency exchange difference."
Tourism Thunder Bay has been studying Statistics Canada reports and Canada Border Services Agency information on northbound traffic at Pigeon River.
"Between 2014 and 2016 the drop was about 120,000 Canadians less over that two-year period. About 40 to 50 thousand less Canadian travellers a year coming back into Canada."
Pepe said a majority of that traffic was day-traffic, comprised of Canadians picking up parcels.
He believes, the exchange rate has encouraged more Americans to travel to Thunder Bay but has also prompted more Canadians to vacation in their own country rather than visit the U.S.
"We've seen increases in our Manitoba traffic, and we've seen Quebec really grow for us this year as a market at our visitor centres, which is really encouraging."
Hotel occupancy rate set a record in July
This summer was particuarly strong for hotel occupancy rates in the city.
According to Pepe, it was just under 89 per cent in July, the best July since at least 2010, despite a growth in hotel-room inventory.
"We had the addition of the Hampton Inn this year, 120-ish new rooms in the inventory. So to see a bump-up and more inventory, and the fact that the average daily room rate went up as well...It all bodes well."
Tourist counts at the Terry Fox Visitor Centre also saw some record-setting days this summer, Pepe said, with up to 900 people through the doors in one day, and strong traffic volumes there "more consistently."
Visitors this summer have included Americans from states that traditionally don't play a role in Thunder Bay's tourism industry.
"Missouri really showed up in the border-crossing data and in our visitor centre registrations, more prominently than in past years. Texas, California, Arizona...We're seeing Americans from farther afield, " Pepe said.
Northbound American-registered vehicular traffic at Pigeon River has been growing, going up in 2015 and 2016 by close to 8%, he noted.
The first half of this year flattened out, but Pepe attributes that to poor weather. "Certainly our summer traffic looks more promising," Pepe said.
