There are signs American tourists are beginning to return to Sarnia-Lambton.
Marlene Wood, general manager of Tourism Sarnia-Lambton, said tourism partners have told her they’re seeing more U.S. licence plates this summer.
“That’s always a good sign,” she said.
Studies released in 2014 looked at Americans’ travel intentions and identified a major increase in interest among Canada’s closest neighbours in visiting southwestern Ontario, Wood said.
“A year and half ago we started saying, ‘We need to start re-investing in the U.S. market.'”
Just recently, Statistics Canada noted a 2.5 per cent increase in May in overnight trips to Canada by Americans.
“If that’s any indicator, I think things are on the right track,” Wood said.
At the same time, the Canadian dollar’s recent drop to its lowest level since 2004 has also been helping Ontario’s tourism industry.
“The beautiful thing is that does indeed encourage our U.S. travellers to come over,” Wood said.
“It also encourages residents of Ontario to stay in Ontario, rather than fly over the border.
“And that’s what we like to see.”
Wood said the county-funded tourism office was involved in a marketing campaign in Michigan this spring that led to a “tremendous response.”
A year ago, the office saw approximately 100 inquiries from the campaign but this year the inquiries are “well over 800,” and are still coming in, Wood said.
“So, a very positive shift there.”
The tourism office also plans to take advantage of an upcoming Masterworks from the Beaverbrook Art Gallery exhibition coming to Sarnia, beginning in October.
Along with partners, it plans a campaign to encouraging residents in Michigan and Ohio to come to Sarnia for the travelling exhibition stopping at the Judith and Norman Alix Art Gallery downtown until early 2016.
In recent years, the percentage of visitors to Sarnia-Lambton from the U.S. had fallen to approximately 35 per cent, Wood said.
That’s down 10 per cent from just four years ago.
“I’m sure if I went back to pre-9/11, it was much higher,” Wood said.
Tighter border controls that followed the 2001 attacks had an impact on the number of U.S. visitors to Canada, as did the 2009 recession.
But, Wood said local statistics on U.S. visitors began showing positive signs last year.
“It’s starting to have a little bit of a comeback.”
Tourism is said to contribute $166 million to the economy in Sarnia-Lambton, making it one of the region’s top three sectors.
Susan Mills, manager of the Grand Bend and Area Chamber of Commerce, said business owners there have also said this summer they’re beginning to notice Americans are returning.
But, she added, it’s not back to levels seen in Grand Bend before the recession hit.
“It think it’s a combination of things,” Mills said about what may be fueling the recent increase in U.S. visitors.
Americans may be getting used to new rules at the border, the economy in the U.S. has been recovering and now their dollar buys more in Canada, she said.
paul.morden@sunmedia.ca
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