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Canada trying to beef up cruise biz as overall tourism reports healthy numbers
In news from Canada, tourism is slightly up and officials are looking to expand the cruise business there along the St. Lawrence River.
Last year, only 15,000 people went cruising on the St. Lawrence River (compared to the 1.5 million who sailed into Alaska).
But tourism officials are trying to sell the wildlife (whales, as well as other wildlife) and the hundreds of miles of beaches and scenery in the area. There’s also French-Canadian culture and cuisine.
In other news: Almost two million travellers came to Canada in June, a 2 percent year-on-year increase, according to the latest Tourism Snapshot published by the Canadian Tourism Commission Research department. Overall, however, tourism this year was down by one percent. Other findings:
- Uncle Sam steered 1.4 million Americans to Canada in June, 2 percent more than in the same month of 2010.
- The China market has an ever-growing appetite for Canada. It posted the largest gain in overnight arrivals (up 23 percent on June) and its year-to-date total is up 19 percent.
- There was more positive news for the third consecutive month from Mexico — an 8 percent upturn in overnighters to Canada over the same month last year;
- The Germany market rebounded after five months of decline with a 10 percent boost in arrival numbers over June 2010. India (14 percent), Australia (8 percent), and France (5 percent) were other key international overseas markets to report gains in numbers crossing Canadian passport control.
- Not such positive news from Japan, however, showing a 30 percent drop in overnight arrivals to Canada, “symptomatic of the ongoing troubles the country is suffering in the aftermath of the March earthquake and tsunami,” the report says.
In the cruise initiative, Canada, Quebec and local communities are investing US$156 to make the St. Lawrence a premier international cruise destination, according to tourism officials. New docks and port facilities are underway along the St. Lawrence.
Their strategy goes back three years ago when governments first began to invest money in international cruising expansions. The new plan also includes marketing and advertising.
By David Wilkening
David
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