By Michael Baginski/ Holding to account “the big orange elephant in the room” and the “shameful way the current president has represented us on the national stage as of late,” Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker says matter of factly that he “doesn’t blame anyone from Canada whose appetite for visiting the U.S. might have soured.”
But he adds as quickly, “As… the self-designated chief marketing officer of Illinois, I want to reassure you that we’re as eager as ever to have you come here.”
To that end, Pritzker and Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity released an unprecedented new video inviting Canadian travellers to visit the state, and reaffirming its strong relationship with Canada as a key tourism partner.
“Here in Illinois, we’re ready and eager to prove that Midwest nice is the closest thing to Canadian hospitality you can get south of Windsor,” he added.
(Ed. note: See Pritker’s video HERE. )
Governor Pritzker’s message to Canada comes even as that state welcomed 627,000 visitors from Canada (2023 figures).
To help continue that momentum, the Illinois Office of Tourism (IOT) launched a new social media campaign on Facebook and Instagram in Canada. Additionally, IOT recently launched a campaign in partnership with Expedia and Brand USA targeting Canadians who are planning trips to the U.S. with ads on popular platforms like Spotify, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
Earlier this year, Illinois also showcased its outdoor adventures at the Toronto Outdoor Adventure Show, connecting with nearly 25,000 Canadian travellers.
California
Similarly last week, with the unambiguous message “California wouldn’t be California without Canada,” Visit California reached out to Canadians directly with a new campaign that not only professes to “show Canadians how much they mean to the Golden State” but puts their money where their mouth is with discount offers for travellers.
The campaign was teased last month by state governor Gavin Newsome, who co-hosted
an industry town hall with Visit California president and CEO Caroline Beteta in front of more than 1,000 attendees to address the importance of the relationship between California and Canada – “two destinations that have historically been deeply connected through shared values and cultural affinity.”
Featuring a new video from Visit California highlighting how important Canadians are to the state, the campaign also features a partnership with Expedia that provides discounts of up to 25% on over 1,000 California hotels, activities and attractions through a landing page made for Canadians.
Last year alone, California welcomed over 1.8 million Canadians, and Visit California says its message for Canadians is simple: “You are missed, you are deeply valued, and you’re always welcome in California.”
And Beteta says, “We wanted to say thank you to our Canadian friends for all they have given to California and let them know a warm welcome awaits when they are ready.”
Canadians can view the new video on the Visit California website and offers on Expedia’s ‘California Loves Canada’ campaign landing page.
Other voices
NYC Tourism president and CEO Julie Coker recently maintained to Travel Industry Today that “Nothing about New York City has changed in the last three months, since Jan. 20 (presidential inauguration).
“So, what we would ask of Canadians is, look beyond the words (of the president) and remember the relationships that we have, because the words that are being spoken don’t tell the picture of how much we value, appreciate, and support and respect Canadians. (And please don’t) make broad strokes about the country.”
Brand USA
Meanwhile, Brand USA continues its Canadian outreach with the continuation of its Canada Connect events. Having visited Toronto and Montreal late last month – and despite the devastating loss of Canadian director Casey Canaveri, who collapsed and died at the Toronto event – the organization will take the trade mission to Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver next week, May 20-22 with close to 20 state and city representatives from across the U.S.
Jackie Ennis, VP, Global Trade Development for Brand USA, said, “This series continues the work Casey was so passionate about – building and strengthening meaningful connections that drive inbound travel from Canada. As we close out this program in Western Canada, we’re proud to see our U.S. destinations and partners showcase their commitment to the Canadian travel trade from coast to coast.”
To register for the events, click HERE.
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