High gas prices, strong dollar could make for a very... -
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Published on: 5/31/2006
Last Visited: 6/1/2006
Allan Cook, MTMA's marketing manager, said information he received from the GoMedia Canada Conference held last week at Deerhurst Resort indicates that international travel to this country - and indirectly Muskoka - might be on the rise.
"Absolutely.
...
Cook said the statistics presented at the conference show that in March 2006, Ontario had an increase in travel from its four primary overseas markets compared the previous year.
"Travel from Germany was up 4.4 per cent, Japan was up 13.7 per cent and France was up 36.4 per cent.The indications are is that these trends will grow this summer, and the anticipation is that this will grow for the next two to three years."
As for talk on gas prices and the loonie, Cook said this was not the forum for discussion on these matters.
"The media there was half Canadian and the other half represented international interests, except the United States, so [gas prices and Canadian dollar] was not a topic discussed at this conference because it didn't really impact international travel."
However, he did say he had a talk with one journalist who made him appreciate what we Canadian are paying at the pump.
"Gas here is still a lot cheaper than what [people overseas] are paying.I spoke to one Japanese reporter who told me that they are paying the equivalent of $2.50 a litre in his country."
Despite the forecast of how high gas prices will climb this summer and the impact it will have on tourism, Cook pointed out the same dire predictions prior to the summer of 2005.