Canada U.S. Tourism Post Pandemic

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Canada U.S. tourism jaunts.

Canada and the U.S. are reluctant cousins. They are related but always highlight differences. Canadians leave Toronto and cross the border if they want to make it big, in the film and music industry.

People in Winnipeg, Toronto or Vancouver service the car, fill up gas and cross the border to scour factory outlets for bargains. Some immigrants find Canada too slow or cannot find work, so they go to American cities. At the same time, illegal immigrants in the U.S. ran to Canada when Donald Trump started his ‘send them back’ drive. 

Then the pandemic struck and affected cross border tourism. Are things back to normal? No, make that semi-normal? Has tourism between the two countries picked up? Not fully, because Canada’s vaccination rules are tougher than the U.S.

Businesses like hotels might provide the answer because of tour buses. They bring 40 or more guests to hotels, not just four. How is occupancy? Are hotels full or still leaking like in 2020, the height of the pandemic? 

Tour buses are good business not only for hotels, but restaurants, shops and entertainment centers as well. I’m not sure about retail, because of online shopping.

Tour bus drivers also have funny stories to tell, how Canadians peep through tinted windows, trying to say hello to visitors from America.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang. 

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