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Canadian tourism industry goes on offensive, as US travelers ditch Great White North
Canada's tourism industry is going on an offensive — rolling out ad campaigns in US border states to lure Americans back to the Great White North.
US travel to Canada dipped by about 10% in recent months, amid the raging trade war between the two neighbors.
An American tourist looks confused as he receives a warm hug from a Canadian hotel employee in a new TV ad.
YouTube/Tourisme Cantons-de-l'Est
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In one TV ad running across New England and New York, an American tourist – sporting a baseball cap and matching sweater tied around his shoulders – sheepishly whispers to a Canadian hotel front desk worker that he's from the land of the free.
The employee looks awkwardly towards him and presses what looks like some kind of red panic button – before bursting out a smile and walking across the desk to hug him.
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Other ads take more of a practical approach, trying instead to appeal to American's pocketbooks.
One billboard campaign simply reminds Americans how much further their dollar will go north of the 49th parallel.
'$1 USD = $1.43 CAD,' reads the billboard from Destination Ontario, which has been spotted in Detroit and Cleveland, among other border towns. 'Spend less, do more.'
Americans make up more than three-quarters of tourists to Canada.
Destination Ontario
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American tourists make up the bulk of visitors to Canada – last summer, 78.5%, nearly four out of five visitors to the Great White North came from the US.
The drop hasn't been as dramatic as Canadian tourists to the US – who've boycotted the country en masse, leading to a 30-40% fall in air and land travel.
But it's sure to make a dent in the tourism industry – according to Statistics Canada, Americans spent $15.3 billion in the country last year.
