King Charles brought out crowds. Now Ottawa wants tourists to stay
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King Charles' royal visit kickstarted a busy tourism season in Ottawa, boosting the city's visibility for avid 'king spotters.'
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While it's unclear how many people came from out of town to see the king, many onlookers who spoke with the Ottawa Citizen went to great lengths to see the king. One monarchist, Rushad Thomas, drove eight hours from Maryland attend the festivities.
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Jerome Miousse, director of public affairs for Ottawa Tourism, said the royal visit sparked excitement for fans of the royal family, as well as tourists who were already in Ottawa.
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'While it is hard to know exactly how much of the occupancy in local hotels can be attributed to it, partly because of its timing between the Tamarack Race Weekend and the highly-attended CANSEC conference, the visit creates promotional opportunities in the British market — a trend that was noticed after the uptick in British tourism to Ottawa following the royal visit in May 2022,' Miousse said in an emailed statement.
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'The difference this time around is the new direct flight launched on March 31, making travel easier for British visitors.'
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The royal couple attended events around Ottawa on Monday and Tuesday, drawing thousands at Lansdowne Park and Rideau Hall.
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But the largest crowds were seen along Wellington Street on Tuesday morning when the king gave the throne speech, which marked the new session of Parliament. People in the crowd waved the Union Jack and Canadian flags, shouting their love for the royal couple as they rode in a horse-drawn carriage to the Senate that morning.
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More cheers could be heard after the king and queen laid a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at noon, concluding Charles' first visit to Canada as king.
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The royal visit likely came with an initial cost for the City of Ottawa. Many of the events were heavily patrolled by Ottawa Police Service officers. Set up and clean up for each event were also done by city employees.
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City staff said it is not on the hook for most of the costs associated with the visit, as it will be able to recover them from the federal government. Richard Bruxer, manager of business and technical support services for the city, said the final costs of the visit are still being finalized.
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