LYNNWOOD
A weaker dollar may be putting a crimp into Washingtonian’s trips to Canada.
But it’s having the opposite effect on Canadian tourism in this state and Snohomish County tourism promoters have been paying attention.
The Canadian dollar, known to Canadians as the Loonie, has jumped in value relative to the U.S. dollar since it reached an all-time low of 62 cents in 2002.
Canada’s dollar’s has hovered around the $1 mark since early this year, registering 99 cents on June 3.
As the Loonie has risen, so has travel to the states. Washington has seen an influx of tourists from British Columbia in recent months, most of them coming here to shop, said Amy Spain, executive director of the Snohomish County Tourism Bureau.
She said much of the increase in Canadian tourism came after the opening of Seattle Premium Outlets, a discount shopping center near Marysville.
She said a program called “Rooms at Par,” a city of Lynnwood-tourism bureau marketing campaign directed at Canadian travelers, has provided the tourism bureau with insights into Canadian tourism locally.
“It’s an off-season discount program and a value program,” she said.
As part of the program, area hotels offer rooms at a substantial discount to travelers from Canada. The tourism bureau advertises the program in the Vancouver Sun and other province newspapers.
Since its inception, the program has provided the tourism bureau with enough statistics to draw some conclusions about Canadian tourism, namely:
• British Columbia tourists in Snohomish County average four overnight visits annually and average between $400 and $900 in expenditures per visit;
• Sixty-one percent of the tourists taking advantage of the special hotel discount program come to Lynnwood hotels;
Mary Monroe, the city’s tourism manager, said the city’s looked into Canadian tourism trends.
“People who come down to Snohomish County on our Rooms at Par program spent significantly more money in the county than the typical traveler,” she said.
Retailers contacted for this story said they don’t keep track of how many Canadian tourists shop at their stores.
But Spain said Lynnwood hotels get the lion’s share of Rooms at Par bookings “because of the number of hotels they have and their recognizeable hotels.”
Indeed, Canadians from British Columbia represent “the largest international market”, she said, citing statistics showing that 95 percent of international travelers come from Canada.
While Canadian tourism to Snohomish County has been strong, the reverse has been true in Canada.
According to Tourism British Columbia, there’s been an 11 percent decline in the percentage of United States tourists traveling to British Columbia in 2008 compared to a year ago.
Statistics show most Canadian shoppers arrive between April and July. Spain said two upcoming events — the figure skating competition Skate America in Everett next October and the 2010 summer Olympic Games in Vancouver — present a golden opportunity for Snohomish County’s tourism.
“There is a great opportunity for Snohomish County to take advantage of Canadian travelers who want to escape the games,” she said.
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