Like maple syrup and lakeside lounging, an annual influx of Canadians tourists has long been a part of life for the border-hugging New York region known as “North Country.”
“I don’t ever remember a summer where I wasn’t at the beach, hearing the French language and seeing Quebec license plates,” said Kristy Kennedy, who grew up in the area.
But Kennedy, now vice president of marketing and business development for the North Country Chamber of Commerce, has seen (and heard) far fewer Canadian visitors in recent months, as travel has dipped amid international tensions.
Reservations are down at hotels and campgrounds, she said; local marinas, which depend on Canadian boaters, have watched bookings slow.
“There’s definitely a decline,” she said. For the rural area, such losses could mean economic pain. “Our leisure travel market is about 70% Canadians — it’s a very large part of what we do.”
Business is down 30% this spring, said Paul Dame, owner of Bluff Point Golf Resort in Plattsburg, New York, in a recent interview with CBC, and pinned the “disheartening” decline on the political situation.
New York business owners aren’t alone in their concern about the tourism slowdown. But now, they’re in the vanguard of residents along the northern border working to woo Canadians back — and sweetening the message with Canadian-only deals.
On June 1, members of the North Country Chamber of Commerce launched a “Cross-Border Specials” campaign encouraging businesses to welcome Canadians by offering special pricing and perks.
“Our partners were like, ‘Absolutely yes, let’s make it affordable for those who still want to come,’” said Kennedy.
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