Cross border travel between Canada and the U.S. is growing, and experts see a strong recovery on the horizon.
BrandUSA, which seeks to boost travel to the United States, sponsored a virtual tourism/travel session earlier today with border, tourism and airline officials.
Tim Liu, Managing Director, Sales Planning & Effectiveness at Air Canada, said things are looking much better these days.
“We are definitely seeing strong signs of growth and we expect to return to a more normal Canada-USA air travel market,” he said. “We definitely see that recovery under way.”
“We expect it to be fast-paced recovery and expect that quarter three of 2022 especially could be very busy.”
Liu said Air Canada also is seeing a strong desire for luxury leisure trips and for visiting friends and family across the border.
Jackie Ennis, Vice President, Global Markets for Brand USA, said she has spoken with officials at major Canadian airports and that things are looking “very positive” going forward. In fact, some believe that airline schedules or lift could be back to pre-COVID levels before too long.
Julie Heizer, Deputy Director of the National Travel & Tourism Office in the U.S. Department of Commerce, said $6 billion is being spent on U.S. national parks over the next five years, including new trails, road improvements, new washrooms and improved visitor centres.
Heizer noted that next year marks the 50th anniversary of the Office of Marine Sanctuaries. U.S. waters offer tremendous coral reefs, marine life, shipwrecks and more. There’s also amazing whale-watching in Massachusetts, California and Hawaii.
Another great option for the U.S. is the Rhythms of the South program, which focusses on the music scene in Nashville, New Orleans and Atlanta.
New York City has great two-for-one programs for great savings at museums and attractions, as well as tours that take you beyond Manhattan and into the city’s other four boroughs. Broadway theatre also is back on track, Heizer said.
Another great option is the “Only in Chicago” program, which puts the spotlight on everything from women-owned breweries to black-owned book stores and German-American bakeries.
The U.S. on November 8 opened its land borders for Canadians with proof of full vaccination.
