CANADIANS GIVE TOURISM INDUSTRY THUMBS UP

The trials and tribulations of travel and tourism worldwide during the coronavirus pandemic have shined a spotlight on the visitor industry and its importance to economies globally. A new consumer sentiment survey of Canadian and Americans suggests that the public broadly supports the tourism industries of both countries, acknowledging it provides overall benefits to their lives. Moreover, it states that most Canadians would welcome more visitors.

Conducted by Destinations International and Longwoods International, the recently released “National Resident Sentiment Towards Tourism” benchmark study for both Canada and the United States report examines how residents of both countries assess the tourism industry’s growth – including its benefits to their lives as well as the potential pitfalls.

Based on an online consumer research panel of 4,000 adults, the scale and scope of the study make insights available on the regional and generational level, allowing for both a national benchmark evaluation, as well as evaluations of nuances across the countries.

Even before the pandemic, the industry was increasingly in the spotlight for a variety of reasons. Communities debated the pros and cons of hosting visitors, weighing the jobs and revenues provided by tourism against potential overcrowding and even environmental concerns. With a growing membership in Canada and the formation of the Canadian Alliance, Destinations International sought to expand the work done around resident sentiment in the US to the Canadian market.

Canadian sentiment study highlights:

• Canadians generally believe that travel and tourism is a positive force for their province and community, improving the quality of life for residents, and they favour programs to attract even more visitors. The industry should be able to harness that public support as it seeks creative ways to survive and recover from coronavirus downturn.

• Canadians support attracting even more visitors, with 60% supporting an increase in tourists, and only 15% opposing such an increase.

• Support for the visitor industry is premised on the belief that the industry is a catalyst for economic growth. A majority of residents, ranging from 50% to 66%, believe that tourism encourages local investment, attracts new businesses, helps recruit workers and attracts new residents to their communities.

“This research is vitally important to our members and the entire Canadian and US tourism industries,” said Don Welsh, President and CEO of Destinations International. “Especially during times of crisis with the global pandemic, the way Canadians and Americans view the travel and tourism industry is vital information to our destination organization members as they continue to work with their community stakeholders to plan for continued recovery.”

“This research confirms that there is broad public support for the tourism industry in communities across the country,” said Amir Eylon, President and CEO of Longwoods International. “But the study also makes clear that the industry would benefit if it did a better job keeping local residents informed on upcoming tourism-related projects and initiatives.”

Destinations International is the world’s largest resource for official destination organizations, convention and visitor bureaus (CVBs) and tourism boards.