Canada's tourism crisis continues
Experts accuse the government of
Canada's tourism industry publishes official data that dashes hopes of a return to pre-summer levels in the near future. According to the report, tourism spending remains 34% below 2019 levels, despite significant growth last year.
The removal of covid restrictions allowed us to expect the return of domestic tourism to normal volumes, but the events of 2022 have made adjustments.
Those wishing to fly face chaos at airports: schedules change at the last minute, departures are delayed, luggage is lost, and travelers are late for their flights because of hours-long check-in lines. In turn, car travel becomes unprofitable because of a sharp increase in gasoline prices.
Bette Potter, executive director of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, believes these problems are delaying the industry's recovery for another year: "Right now it looks like we can get there by the end of 2023, but we can't say for sure."
Foreign tourists are the biggest deficit. In April 2022, the number of foreign flights decreased by 50% compared to April 2019. The number of one-day visits from the U.S. also dropped significantly: they are extremely important for the economy of border cities, and this year there are half as many of them.
Potter believes it will take at least 2-3 more years for the flow of international visitors to recover, and he doesn't expect to see a revival in the area until 2025 at the earliest.
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