TORONTO — Last winter’s deep freeze and even deeper snowbanks drove Canadians to seek travel to distant locations and warmer climes. But getaway travel this season will cost more, according to some travel experts.
“At this point we are anticipating that the average price for a Canadian heading south to Mexico or Caribbean will increase,” said Jason du Sautoy of Flight Centre in Toronto. “And that’s not just a question around the U.S. dollar.”
Sautoy added that inflationary costs are driving up prices for travellers, like the fees paid for hotel rooms and airfares.
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He said prices for accommodations in Havana, Cuba for example have gone up double-digits in the last year and may go higher because of increasing demand by Americans facing fewer restrictions on travel.
In October of 2014, the Canadian dollar was worth about 0.89 U.S.
This month, the value of the dollar has declined to about 0.77 U.S., leaving consumers will far less purchasing power especially for warm weather travel and excursions to ski destinations south of the border.
It’s a fact evident at the Toronto Snow Show, which opened Thursday and is an event where retailers, ski resorts and tour operators try to drum up interest in winter sports and travel.
“We do think we have something to offer that is worth the travel even if the dollar is not in Canadians’ favour,” said Daniel Cash of the regional office of sustainable tourism in Lake Placid, the tourism marketing agent for three counties in Adirondack Park, New York.
“We are hoping to spread the message Lake Placid is a great place to come,” he said.
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Other U.S. destinations are using cash incentives to lure Canadians south.
“Our Canadian dollar-at-par program is a big deal,” said Richard Savage, who represents the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Wyoming.
The resort’s program offers Canadian par on lodging, lift tickets and a $200 airline credit for travel during the early part of season.
Savage said Jackson Hole, which is celebrating its 50th year in operation, understands Canadians like the idea of dollar-at-par offers for travel.
Winter apparel and ski retailers know that snow determines how much they’ll be able to sell in any given season.
“Even though this is Canada they (the consumer) need to see it before they believe it and they’re knocking at our door the next day,” said David Cummings, general manager of Corbetts Ski and Snowboard in Oakville.
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Cummings acknowledges that while many people want to hibernate during the winter months to avoid the cold, a growing number of people want to embrace it.
“People get bored sitting inside,” he said. “They see people having fun and realize winter is not so bad.”
Cummings said friends and customers have told him that the lower Canadian dollar won’t prevent them from skiing but will change which hills and mountains they visit.
“They’re going to ski in Canada, they’ve got ski equipment, they’re just going to do it closer to home,” Cummings said.
“It’s going to be a great year.”
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