Feds Worry Over Decline in International Travel to Canada

Image by: Francisco Diez

Niagara Falls and other Canadian tourist attractions have seen fewer international visitors in the last decade.

A sharp decrease in international tourism to Canada in the last decade begs the question – what are we doing wrong?

Ottawa is expressing concern over Canada’s drop from eighth on a list of international destinations for tourists in 2000 all the way to 15^th in 2009.
 
While Canada gets its fair share of domestic tourists, the feds are worried because international tourism can have a significant economic impact. The Canadian Tourism Commission says that domestic travellers spend an average of $91 a day, whereas vacationers from abroad spend an average of $129 per day.
 
But the international travel market has obviously gotten more competitive in the last 10 years. According to a report from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the contribution of international travellers to Canada’s total tourism revenue has dropped from 35 per cent in 2000 to only 20 per cent in 2010.
 
The chamber report points to marketing as a key issue Canada must address to gain ground in the international tourism market. I have to agree, based on my own anecdotal evidence.
 
When I’ve travelled abroad, few people in other hemispheres have any clue about Canada’s tourist destinations. Their view is that the entire nation is a snowy tundra with polar bears and caribou roaming the mostly unpopulated countryside.
 
Even many American acquaintances, especially outside border states, have little knowledge of the beautiful destinations Canada has to offer.
 
Bolstering marketing efforts would only be one step, but it’s an integral one. When we educate travellers on Canadian tourist treasures, we can share a bigger piece of the international tourism market. 

• Tags
  • Ottawa, 
  • lindsey peacock, 
  • Canadian Tourism Commission, 
  • canadian chamber of commerce, 
  • Tourism and Hospitality