Tourism starting strong
Stronger Canadian economy and surging dollar not impeding flow of visitors across border
A top Niagara Falls tourism official is not concerned about the Canadian dollar’s surge to 80 cents American this week amid a weakened U.S. dollar and further signs of a strengthening Canadian economy.
“I don’t think it’s enough to discourage anybody from coming,” said Wayne Thomson, chairman of Niagara Falls Tourism.
“I think 20 cents on the dollar is really not bad. They’d prefer 30 cents on the dollar, 32 cents, but 20 cents on the dollar is a pretty substantial reduction on travelling (costs to Canada) … so I don’t think we’re in any kind of concern at this point.”
Despite Canada’s currency spiking 10 per cent since early May, Thomson said he heard a report Tuesday that suggested “don’t get too comfortable with the 80-cent dollar because it’s not going to be there very long.”
“I think you’re going to find that it’s going to go back,” he said.
The soaring Canadian dollar has provided some relief to Canadian exporters, cross-border shoppers and investors.
While a continuation could encourage more Canadians to travel south of the border, Thomson touted what has already been a booming tourism summer season in Niagara Falls.
“Everybody is doing exceptionally well and very happy with the crowds they’re getting,” he said.
Thomson said it’s a positive trend Niagara Falls has been experiencing for the past three or four years.
He said Canadians and Americans are not travelling to Europe as much as they used to, in part for safety concerns due to recent terrorist attacks in several prominent European cities.
“Canada and Niagara Falls are very safe places to go for a holiday.”
Thomson said the recent Live with Kelly and Ryan show at Oakes Garden Theatre was like a “twohour commercial” for Niagara Falls.
Hosts Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest showered praise on the Honeymoon Capital and showed clips of them enjoying many of the city’s attractions and establishments.
“Everybody watching that for two hours said, ‘My God, I thought we went to Niagara Falls to look at the falls and the illumination,’ they all of a sudden realized that this is (also) a tremendous, exciting, wonderful place to go for daredevil-type activities.”
He said Niagara Falls was also flooded with about 80,000 people in the tourist core to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary July 1.
Thomson said while it was good for the city to be at the top of mind for so many visitors, “we have to address (the situation) because people could not get in and out of the park.”
“We’re having a meeting regarding transportation and events and how we’re going to handle parking (during future major events). That was wonderful to see that people were interested in coming and seeing and being in our community during that time of year, but I don’t think they were impressed by the way we were handling our parking and traffic.”
He said “it doesn’t matter where you are” along the Niagara Parkway, “there are people all over the place.”
Thomson said visitors are “jamming up” the Queen Elizabeth Way coming from Toronto because they want to get out of the big city and enjoy a “smaller community, which has all of the attractions.”