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Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Are political tensions impacting Canadian tourism in WNY?
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Tourist agencies in Western New York are sounding the alarm, saying that tourism from our northern neighbors is significantly down so far this year following political strain between the two countries. Patrick Kaler, president and CEO of Visit Buffalo Niagara, said typically 35% to 45% of tourists in the area come from Canada — adding that the recent strain between the U.S and Canada might be to blame for these lower numbers. 'The cross-border numbers for the month of February were down 14.4% over February 2025 compared to February of 2024. Very concerning to us,' said Kaler. Destination Niagara USA shared similar numbers. President and CEO John Percy said hotel occupancy in the Niagara Falls area is down 11% compared to this time last year. 'I don't think that is necessarily due to the president's actions that took place after his inauguration,' said Percy. 'I think a lot of ours, unfortunately, was due to the weather. The cold temperatures and the snow, etc., really played a role into our numbers.' Both Percy and Kaler, when talking to other industry partners — like hotels, attractions and more — said they all have noticed a drop in the volume of Canadian visitors. Statistically, Kaler said travel decreased by over 14% from January to February. Due to this strain on relationships, Visit Buffalo Niagara has paused its advertising efforts in Canada and is now targeting other markets. 'We are going to some new destinations where we've never advertised before,' said Kaler. 'Through our research, we know that they come to Buffalo and they spend a lot of time, and they do spend a lot of money. So we're starting to go to Detroit, Boston, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia.' For Percy, Canada isn't an international border — it's another neighborhood for the region, one that plays a big role. 'When we lose business for Canada, we lose business from international countries,' said Percy. 'That affects sales tax in various communities and that will affect fire and safety and police force and everything else. Our sales taxes in a lot of communities, people don't realize are paid for by tourism.' Kaler added that lingering effects from the pandemic, an unfavorable exchange rate and newly imposed tariffs are also to blame for the drop in border crossings. Percy said that drops in tourism happened after 9/11, the 2008 recession and the COVID-19 pandemic — all events the region bounced back from. 'Fortunately, this is something that was manufactured by people, not a natural crisis or a downturn in economy,' said Percy. 'We are resilient in Niagara Falls. Travel is resilient to the ebbs and flows of our world.' Percy, also a member of the U.S Travel Association Board of Directors, will be in Washington this week to talk to leaders on Capitol Hill about this, making sure international relations remain strong. Dillon Morello is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has been part of the News 4 team since September of 2023. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Affordability, Flexibility and Personalized Local Experiences Are Key Factors Driving Leisure Travel in 2025, Per New Report
TravelBoom Hotel Marketing's latest findings offer insights on how the hospitality and tourism industries can reach and engage consumers in today's changing travel landscape. MYRTLE BEACH, S.C., Jan. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- TravelBoom Hotel Marketing, a leading provider of innovative digital solutions for the hospitality industry, today released new research to provide companies in the hospitality and tourism sector with a deep-dive look at today's evolving leisure travel landscape. Its 2025 Leisure Travel Study offers actionable insights for how these industries can better reach and engage with leisure travelers today. One dominant theme that emerged was that today's leisure travelers are more inclined to pay for these types of experiences if companies prioritize affordability, flexibility and personalization. Earlier this month, the U.S Travel Association published a report that predicted that domestic leisure travel will increase by 3.9%, surpassing $1 trillion in 2025. That same report forecasted this category will hit $1.46 trillion by 2028. "Leisure travel is one of life's most fulfilling experiences and, economy notwithstanding, consumers have told us that they really want to pursue and cherish these types of adventures," said Pete DeMaio, COO, TravelBoom Hotel Marketing. "As an industry, we need to make sure we're doing our part to give consumers what they want and that was the impetus for why we originally commissioned this research." Below is a summary of the report's key findings and actionable takeaways: Prioritize value and flexibility. Rising travel costs have led to increased demand for budget-friendly options, with discounts, bundled packages and flexible booking policies being among the top requests. 28% of respondents said they were actively seeking more affordable accommodations. 72% cited generous cancellation policies as critical to reducing booking uncertainty. Utilize personalization for higher conversions. 56% of respondents said they preferred more personalized travel options. Embrace local culture and wellness. 43% showed interest in wellness retreats and prioritized activities such as spa treatments (83%), meditation (57%), and fitness classes (42%). Respondents also placed a high value on engaging with local businesses and cultural experiences—46.2% actively seek them out during trips. Tech is an important travel perk. 74% cited the availability of high-speed internet as one of their top leisure-travel work-friendly perks. Maximize social media and influencer impact. Social media, particularly YouTube (24%) and Facebook (18%), play a major role in informing and driving leisure travel decisions. Online reviews are another impactful channel, with 70.6% of respondents unwilling to book without first consulting reviews. Balance sustainability and costs. 67% of respondents value eco-friendly practices. 28% said they are willing to pay more for them. This finding underscores the potential opportunity to position green initiatives as cost-friendly, adding further value to the guest experience. Use loyalty programs to drive direct bookings. More than 60% of travelers prefer hotels with instant loyalty rewards, and this strategy may help to accelerate direct bookings. TravelBoom polled 500 respondents nationwide who have had at least one leisure trip in the last 12 months. The survey was conducted in December 2024. For more information or to download the full report, click here. About TravelBoomTired of generic marketing on autopilot? TravelBoom empowers hoteliers with customized, data-fueled strategies designed to maximize direct bookings. Our dedicated account teams become an extension of your team, ensuring agility and faster decisions to capitalize on market trends. We're laser-focused on reducing reliance on OTAs, driving higher-profit direct-customer relationships. As your category experts, we leverage advanced analytics to optimize your digital marketing spend for peak performance and increased direct bookings. Partner with TravelBoom and unlock independent growth, fueled by expert insights and transparent reporting. Visit to learn more. Media Contact: Kristi Raines, kraines@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE TravelBoom Sign in to access your portfolio
