MONTREAL — The dropping value of the Canadian dollar has been a boom for the local tourism industry as the number of American visitors coming to Montreal this summer has surged.
Thirty-three per cent more tourists came to the city from the U.S. northeast in June compared to the same period last year.
There was 16 per cent more American tourists in July this year compared to July of 2014.
But nationwide, in the last decade, Canada has been losing tourists.
The country has slipped from eighth to 18th place on the coveted ranking of word destinations.
A group of tourism officials is trying to change that.
“There’s over a billion people that travel the world every year, so we should have our fair share of that,” said Gilbert Rozon, commissioner of Montreal 375th.
He, along with others in the trade, want the next federal government to spent $100 million to promote Canada on the international scene.
They also want lower aviation fees to attract more international flights and they want visitor visas lifted for tourists from places such as Mexico and Brazil.
“We still have to invest more and attract more because it’s pure profit,” Rozon said.
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