Local tourism agencies shift marketing to educate U.S. visitors
Local tourism officials are taking another look at how they market to the U.S. It is a move to stave off the impacts of the pandemic.
Their plans focus on passive actions such as enlisting marketing students to review current promotions. But some tourist groups are also looking at more direct tactics, including how best to explain Canada's COVID-19 regulations to Americans.
Mark Perrin, the executive director of Tourism Sarnia-Lambton, says the latter move is necessary to help attract and reassure Americans looking to travel to southwestern Ontario this spring and summer.
“We need to make sure the message is, 'Hey, things are under control here in Canada,':
Perrin says constant changes in regulations have confused U.S. visitors even between COVID-19 waves.
That includes, Perrin says, some unvaccinated Americans unaware they won’t be let in.
In 2022, he suggests spending a bit less on promoting local attractions and more on marketing material explaining the rules to Americans before they arrive.
“It almost goes back to those passport days, when that was the new thing required to enter Canada (for Americans). Now, we need to make sure that they know they need to be vaccinated in order to come. You know what we want is positive experiences and that starts right at the border.”
Ensuring Americans feel welcome is also important to tourism officials in London.
But unlike Sarnia-Lambton where U.S. visitors account for a high proportion of tourists, Americans account for only 10 per cent of overnight visitors in the Forest City.
Natalie Wakabayashi, a Tourism London director, supports a marketing change for Sarnia-Lambton. However, she wonders if evolving COVID-19 regulations at the border will make promotions challenging.
“You’re not the one dictating the rules and they’re ever-changing, so to stay on top of them is really difficult."
So, in London’s case, the city is looking to double-down on incentives, extending the ‘Stay a little longer’ campaign.
It provides those staying two nights at a hotel in London with a $100 Visa card to spend locally.
Tourism London has also turned to marketing students at Fanshawe College, asking them to study how to get more Americans to visit the in the coming months and after the pandemic.
For its part, Tourism Sarnia-Lambton has also used incentives aimed primarily at U.S. visitors.
But a coupon campaign is just one of the tools, Perrin argues, that is needed.
“We know that Windsor, London, Sarnia, we can put all our minds together and say, ‘How do we collectively attract people to each other areas?’”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.
Pearson gold heist suspect arrested after flying into Toronto from India
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Millions of cyberattacks per hour as B.C. government investigates multiple breaches
Careful attention to government statements and legislation is required to get a handle on the level of risk British Columbians’ information is under, as investigators probe multiple breaches under a continued barrage of attacks.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Debate on abortion rights erupts on Parliament Hill, Poilievre vows he won't legislate
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Justin and Hailey Bieber are expecting their first child together
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
New 'Lord of the Rings' film coming in 2026
The Oscar-winning team behind the nearly US$6 billion blockbuster 'Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit' trilogies is reuniting to produce two new films.