Tourism on rebound

I think that Newfoundland Labrador must have some of the very best television ads promoting travel in its province.
When Marnie and I travelled to Newfoundland in early June, we found it difficult to find accommodations when we started looking in March. The bed and breakfasts were all booked up.
Today Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are experiencing the best tourism growth in almost a decade.
The same can be said of Ontario, the western provinces and British Columbia.
My sister in this U.S. election year likes to tease our American friends visiting at the lake. Her line is: “Canada is experiencing line-ups of Americans coming to Canada at our border, but we are not seeing similar line-ups of Americans wanting to return home.”
It is making fun of the American election and their choice of president, but it also is talking to the number of Americans who are again choosing to vacation in our area.
In the first five months of this year, the number of visitors to Canada jumped by 13 percent over 2015, which was far better than the two previous years. The number of tourists visiting Canada between the years of 2002 and 2013 had diminished by 30 percent.
Camps and outfitters in the district are experiencing a phenomenal year.
Americans and Europeans have discovered that Canada is a cheap vacation again. Our exchange rate is favourable and most local businesses post a rate at their tills showing the exchange that they will offer of U.S. cash transactions.
With all the tragic and violent incidents that are occurring in Europe, Canada is looked at as a secure destination.
It’s seen as a very safe and welcoming place to visit and Tourism Canada has ramped up its promotion of Canada world wide to entice more visitors to our country. This renewed marketing effort by Tourism Canada has had an important impact on boosting travel to Canada.
The previous government boosted spending on tourism in 2015 and Destinations Canada will receive an extra $50 million in the next two years to boost the awareness to travel in Canada.
Tourism plays a huge role in both our local economy and the economy of the country. Almost 14 million Americans will spend at least one night in Canada, purchasing, lodging, food, gas and other products.
All those purchases translate into more jobs and new revenues being spent in our towns and cities.