The recent decision to delay reopening the U.S.-Canadian border has ended Cape May County’s hopes of recouping some of the tourism business lost from Canadian visitors, county officials said Thursday.
The border has been closed since March 21, 2020, and was tentatively scheduled to be reopened Wednesday. But U.S. government extended the closure of land borders to non-essential travelers until at least Aug. 21. That came two days after the Canadian government announced it would allow fully vaccinated U.S. citizens into Canada on Aug. 9.
“The delay in opening the U.S.-Canadian border further impedes recovery of our tourism industry, impacting visitor spending in Cape May County from Canada by nearly $2 million,” Commissioner Director Gerald M. Thornton said in a news release.
French Canadian visitors from Quebec have been frequenting Cape May County since 1968, the county Tourism Department said. The department had an office in downtown Montreal for 25 years that closed in 1995. Since then, the county has used a Canadian PR consultant to promote the Jersey cape in Canada.
The Tourism Department said the average Canadian visitor spends $1,411 and stays an average of 11 nights
The department said what drives visitors at the end of July is the Canadian Construction Holiday, a two-week period during which all construction projects are suspended. From the 1970s to the early 1990s, most Canadian visitors arrived at the end of July.
“In 2019, we experienced a record year for tourism, generating $6.9 billion, and a favorable exchange rate brought more Canadians to the area,” Commissioner Vice Director Leonard C. Desiderio said. “Cape May County has been marketing to Canadians from the Province of Quebec since 1968, and we have cultivated a visitor base that goes back two and three generations. While Canada is planning big events to entice US travelers across the border, we are shut down and losing revenue for our small businesses.”
Throughout New Jersey, over a two-week period, Canadians make up 5% to 10% of visitors to campgrounds, said Joann DelVescio, executive director of the New Jersey Campground Owners Association.
In Cape May County, that percentage is far higher, she said. In a typical year, campgrounds in the county see anywhere from 15% to 25% of their guests visiting from Canada.
Staff Writer Bill Barlow contributed to this report.
