Decline in U.S. visitors to B.C. continues
Last Updated: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 | 5:53 PM PT
CBC News
The number of Americans visiting British Columbia continues to decline, Statistics Canada reports.
The new figures show a seven per cent drop in the last year alone. The number of visitors from the U.S. has been declining every year since 2001, and the new figures mirror the seven per cent drop seen in 2006.
David Roberts with Prince of Whales Tours in Victoria says European visitors are making up for the decline in visitors from the U.S. (CBC) Across Canada, same-day travel from the U.S. has dropped 41 per cent over the past two years.
Visits are now at an all-time low, and the start of this trend can be traced back to Sept. 11, 2001, according to Statistics Canada analyst Paul Durk.
"Since then, there have been real or perceived issues around crossing the border, entering the United States or returning to the United States," Durk said. "The dollar has changed [and] the economy in the United States has changed."
While the number of Americans visiting B.C. has declined, the number of visitors from other countries rose by 1.4 per cent in the past year.
That shift has caused tourism operators to rethink who they target with their advertising.
"For us, it's been more than made up for with the European market. The Mexican market is coming on strong [and] the Australian market is coming on strong," said David Roberts with Prince of Whales Tours in Victoria.
Overseas visitors more than offset the decrease in American visitors, according to B.C. Tourism Minister Stan Hagen.
"We're going to focus on other markets. We've spent a lot of money advertising in the United States, the economy is tough in the United States, so that's why we're diversifying our strategy," Hagen said.
While the number of American visitors is declining, more Canadians are travelling to the U.S. than ever before. The Statistics Canada figures show those visits over the past six months are the highest since 1998.
