[canucker]

Vancouver not friendly enough

Being rated number one may not be enough. Tourism Vancouver is worried anti-American sentiment is behind a drop in the number of visitors to our city from the States. They say if we want to keep the numbers up, we have to show a little more love to our US guests. On the street, most people we spoke with insist it's our reputation as a friendly city that keeps bringing people back, but one man admits it's not hard to let issues like softwood lumber test our manners. The number of US tourists to Vancouver dropped one to two percent last year, even though we remain a favourite with the US travel industry. Tourism Vancouver says if we want to keep them coming, we'd better check our attitude on international relations at the door.

[PluggyRug]

canucker canucker:

Vancouver not friendly enough

Being rated number one may not be enough. Tourism Vancouver is worried anti-American sentiment is behind a drop in the number of visitors to our city from the States. They say if we want to keep the numbers up, we have to show a little more love to our US guests. On the street, most people we spoke with insist it's our reputation as a friendly city that keeps bringing people back, but one man admits it's not hard to let issues like softwood lumber test our manners. The number of US tourists to Vancouver dropped one to two percent last year, even though we remain a favourite with the US travel industry. Tourism Vancouver says if we want to keep them coming, we'd better check our attitude on international relations at the door.

US to Canada tourist numbers are down everywhere it's the $ exchange rate.
We have a yearly visit from a masons lodge in Pennsylvania, the numbers have been down the last couple of years, my American brothers cite the high Canadian dollar.
I would also agree that US/Canadian relations have not been the best they can be. Maybe with the new government thing will improve things. Here's hoping.

[USCAdad]

I'm a Yank from Seattle. I have a place in Vancouver and spend most weekends there. Most folk seem to distinguish an American from the NW from the current crop of crooks in the other Washington.

Things that matter to me.... traffic. I always travel late at night so I don't have to deal with long border lines and trying to navigate Granville in heavy trafic. Get more border guards and maybe a few more turn lanes.

It is nice once I get there, I'm never tempted to use my car.

Tourism has its place but if I have to see football at the Cambie when there's a hocky game on again, I'm going to go balistic. If you want to watch college football at the bar, stay at home.

[PluggyRug]

$1:

If you want to watch college football at the bar, stay at home

.

We have the opposite problem when we go down to Myrtle Beach in November for golf.

We cannot watch hockey because all the bars have nothing but college ball.

Last November we found a bar owned by a Canadian, all the TV's had hockey feeds, WHOOPEEEEEE. The bar was packed to the seams every night.

[bootlegga]

PluggyRug PluggyRug:

US to Canada tourist numbers are down everywhere it's the $ exchange rate.
We have a yearly visit from a masons lodge in Pennsylvania, the numbers have been down the last couple of years, my American brothers cite the high Canadian dollar.
I would also agree that US/Canadian relations have not been the best they can be. Maybe with the new government thing will improve things. Here's hoping.

Good point. Even here in Alberta where there was strong support for the war and Klein spoke out in support of it, our US tourist numbers are down, fortunately, our numbers from Asia and Europe are up a bit.

[QBC]

I would have to think that the price of fuel is a big part of the drop in tourist traffic. I know up here in Quesnel, there was a real drop in the motor home crowd coming up north

[Yank-in-NY]

Relax Canucks, some of us love ya, despite all your faults

[PluggyRug]

Yank-in-NY Yank-in-NY:

Relax Canucks, some of us love ya, despite all your faults

We don't have faults, we have minor nuances.
And we love you too.

Better be careful it's legal up here

[Yank-in-NY]

[Moogle]

We only ask to be treated as well as we treat you guys when you're up here.

Maybe I'm a little biased, but I've had some bad experiences in New York State with my Canadian money.

[IkeaMan]

anything is legal here....just as long as you don't get caught doing it....what ever it is that you're doing!

[Thematic-Device]

Moogle Moogle:

Maybe I'm a little biased, but I've had some bad experiences in New York State with my Canadian money.

Why would you leave canada with a large quantity of canadian bills if you know you're headed to NY? Alternatively why not simply stop at an ATM so you have both currencies or use a debit or credit card?

And I must say the ignorance is about equal on both sides of the border.

[Q-Q]

canucker canucker:

Vancouver not friendly enough

Being rated number one may not be enough. Tourism Vancouver is worried anti-American sentiment is behind a drop in the number of visitors to our city from the States. They say if we want to keep the numbers up, we have to show a little more love to our US guests. On the street, most people we spoke with insist it's our reputation as a friendly city that keeps bringing people back, but one man admits it's not hard to let issues like softwood lumber test our manners. The number of US tourists to Vancouver dropped one to two percent last year, even though we remain a favourite with the US travel industry. Tourism Vancouver says if we want to keep them coming, we'd better check our attitude on international relations at the door.

Huh? A little more love to our U.S. guests? I don't think so--at least not unless they earn it by showing respect towards the people and the country they are visiting. However, I do believe in good manners, notwithstanding where a body comes from, but again, I expect good manners in return. If good form is not forthcoming, I walk away--quietly but firmly. I find that we all tend to treat people as they treat us.

Moreover I will certainly continue to champion strong criticism of their current administration's foreign policy and if the American citizenry object and choose to stay away from Canada in droves for that reason, I say no love lost. I am particularly opposed to Harper saying that he's going to try and get on a better footing with the U.S. if what he means by that is we're going to start going along with U.S. foul smelling foreign and trade policies. Yikes! If his motivation is so we can get more out of the U.S. I say Harper is a whore. Let's start building stronger economic and political ties elsewhere. Let's not take the easy route or give up on principles. Principles. Now ain't that a joke?!

[BartSimpson]

Hmm. Last summer my firm quietly cancelled a conference/convention in Vancouver and ended up with it in San Diego - our direct budget was US$1.5m and that was money that could've gone into Vancouver. There was a bunch of political stuff going on at the time and the past PM...who was he? ....wasn't scoring points.

I've heard no such concerns around the office this year and I expect we'll be in Vancouver although I'm personally lobbying like hell for Victoria so I can stay at the house on Oak Bay.

Overall, I'd say the factors affecting US tourism into Canada right now are:

60% related to fuel costs - a lot of travel in the USA is down for the same reason.

38% related to the exchange rate - sorry, but we love the thrill we get when we buy something in Canada and hand over a US$20 and get CDN$25 back in change. That's just too cool to explain. It also offsets the GST (none of us really bother with the silly rebate forms) that we pay.

Now it is actually a tad more expensive to go to Canada than to just stay home.

2% of the issue is lingering ill-will from years of Bush bashing. That'll go away as folks realize there's been a change of management and your government officials are no longer calling our President a moron.

I know some here will get in a dither over this, but I would like to point out that all those "eeeeeevil" Republican capitialists down here are the ones who control the finances of the corporations who fund a chunk of US tourism into Canada.

So I can appreciate the advice to tone it down, but by this summer that'll be old news and the nasty ol' conservatives will be back to leaving their dollars in Canada again. It'll blow over soon enough, no worries.

[Q-Q]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

I expect we'll be in Vancouver although I'm personally lobbying like hell for Victoria so I can stay at the house on Oak Bay.

Whyever so? Whaddya got against Victoria?

$1:

2% of the issue is lingering ill-will from years of Bush bashing. That'll go away as folks realize there's been a change of management and your government officials are no longer calling our President a moron.

$1:

But, Bart, baby, the boy IS a moron

$1:

I know some here will get in a dither over this, but I would like to point out that all those "eeeeeevil" Republican capitialists down here are the ones who control the finances of the corporations who fund a chunk of US tourism into Canada.

$1:

That's because the U.S. hasn't cornered the market on being "sellouts of their own people." Alas.

$1:

So I can appreciate the advice to tone it down, but by this summer that'll be old news and the nasty ol' conservatives will be back to leaving their dollars in Canada again. It'll blow over soon enough, no worries.

How utterly depressing.