California loves Canadians. And now, they love us more than ever.
As post-pandemic recovery continues this year, media and trade heard at a Visit California update in Toronto last week that Canada is a more important market now than even before the pandemic.
Seated at the same luncheon table as Andy Levine, the Chairman - Canada for Visit California, I had the pleasure, between bites, to ask him more about the research data he presented to the assembled group, and he was happy to oblige.
While our numbers account for fewer visits than domestic travellers to the state, Canadians stay longer and spend more. Pre-pandemic, Canada’s 1.7 million visitors to California spent an average of over $1500 pp per trip.
Levine revealed to Open Jaw that the average Canadian traveller to the state in 2019 spent 10 days in California - that’s double the domestic visitor’s average stay.
This is where the numbers get really exciting.
State tourism officials conducted a multi-national survey in JAN about international visitors’ intent to travel. It showed a 46% increase in intent by Canadian travellers to visit California.
Of the seven countries surveyed, including the UK and Australia, Canadians showed the highest intent to travel to California.
So high, in fact, he said tourism officials were asking, “Check the data - is this really right??”
“Canada is expected to be California’s 2nd largest international market by travel spend in 2022,” we were told, behind just Mexico, as visitation from previously top markets like China contract for the foreseeable future.
Lift is both “an opportunity and a challenge,” says Levine. He told Open Jaw that Canadian carriers’ flew about half the number of flights to California in FEB, but that spring schedules provided very good connections. Furthermore, Swoop, Flair, Jetlines and Transat will also begin service to CA in the coming 18 months, adding to the connectivity.
The state is predicting 99 per cent recovery by 2023, and despite its proximity, especially to Western Canadians, Levin says they are, “very interested in partnering with the trade to jointly achieve that objective,” although he notes that Canadians use travel advisors for trips to California more in Eastern Canada, where, due to the extra distance, we take longer and more complex trips to the state.
During her presentation, Jennifer Montero, Director of International Marketing for Visit California, told attendees California plans to return to direct to consumer advertising this fall to help drive demand through agencies.
Levine notes that Canadian and Californian residents - as opposed to some other states - are generally aligned in their “approach to (COVID) safety” protocols, and he believes that will also help drive recovery.
New Offerings
The day included one-on-one meetings with representatives of 16 destinations across the state, where the tourism sector has continued investing in anticipation of the return to travel.
Since the start of the pandemic, more than 80 hotels representing 12,000 rooms have opened across the state.
As a silver lining in the pandemic cloud, restrictions in the state led to new developments like pedestrian promenades and outdoor dining ‘parklets’.
Other outdoor novelties include new hiking trails in Big Bear, Palm Springs and Mendocino and expanded e-bike offerings in Tahoe, Napa Valley and Santa Barbara.
California has always been at the leading edge of new cuisine, and visitors returning to the state will find new restaurants, tasting rooms and specialty food trails from “tacos to ramen.”
Equally, its approach to arts and culture bridges generations and recent new developments have broad appeal, from the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in LA, to the Comic-Con Museum in San Diego, Presidio Tunnel Tops in San Francisco, and even Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture at the Riverside Art Museum. Palm Springs will see a new museum to its hot springs roots at the Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza later this year.
The state is also promoting “Kidfornia” - family friendly travel beyond the house of the Mouse in Anaheim. Newly opened attractions include “Avengers Campus” at California Adventure, LEGO Ferrari Build & Race at LEGOLAND, “Secret Life of Pets” at Universal Studios Hollywood, and Sesame Place San Diego.
Advisors are encouraged to go to VisitCalifornia.ca for more information.
