From the Niagara Falls Review:
A soaring loonie will mean less dollars in the pockets of the city’s tourism industry stakeholders, experts say.
“I’m shaken,” said Anna Pierce, executive director of Niagara Falls Tourism. “Everyone’s worried.”
The Canadian dollar closed at 94.07 cents (U.S.) Tuesday, down 0.41 cents from Monday’s close, and a step away from the 30-year highs of the previous week.
“You can’t plan for this. We can see the dollar creeping up but we have no way of knowing something like this is going to happen.”
Pierce said since the SARS crisis, the organization has focused on attracting more Canadian travellers to the city. But with Canadians getting a better bang for their buck across the border, Pierce fears her target market will head straight to the bridge. “(The low dollar) was always a competitive advantage,” she said. “Now we have to get really creative. We have to work harder. We have to make up that difference.”
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As of this morning I know of at least one attraction that’s started to offer American at par.
Owch!
Canadian prices used to be Canadian prices, where-as your American dollar used to be worth a new car in Canada.
Now, it may be on par… or even worse, a negative exchange! Take your old Canadian coins in a year, and you’ll get a dollar fifty American!
The problem is the price differences… you got a PST & GST tax, on top of the already inflated prices of Canada, and you sure do not have one heck of a deal anymore… Canadian restaurants are not a deal any more.
quality and comfort inn on the hill are listing all their prices at par as of last friday…
I was on vacation the last two weeks and was VERY close to NF, I called the Casino and the exchange was awful. Never would I ever have imagined I could be that close to the area and not visiting. It just doesnt make financial sense. I always seem to think negative about the area lately, and Im sorry for that…but I just spent some time reading all the post from 5/31 till now and most of it just doesnt seem good. I will be so upset if Casino Niagara closes. Add in all our brilliant government’s created passport confusion and it makes it all even worse.
i realize i’m already on the canadian side..but when you have a favorite vacation spot..exchange won’t stop you….mind you..i’ve never benefited from the exchange rate during a stay on the canadian side..but it is STILL a real bargain..at par or not to shop on the US side..not so much the department stores..altho walmarts in the US have alotta different things you can’t get at the walmarts here..but the groceries are a HUGE difference…for example…a pound of butter is $2US…here..almost $5….a jug of milk..$2US..$4.79 here…many grocery items are so much cheaper…if yur dream vacation was vegas…the money would be the same..would you decide not to go cuz there’s no exchange?…but like i said..if you enjoy the area..go for it…tourist trap??..well..almost any special desination IS a tourist trap…life is too short to not enjoy yurself…go for it and have a GREAT time..
see ya there next week…lol
sue
“life is too short to not enjoy yurself…go for it and have a GREAT time..”
Oh Sue!!!! We have been wanting to come back to the falls, and if that isn’t the inspiration we need, I don’t know what is. This thought has been going through my head a LOT recently — Lots of things reminding me how short life is — and seeing someone else type the words just reinforces it so much… Though I am not sure we will make it next week, but sometime this summer for sure! We really miss it. Thanks!
I would be lost without those American plates everywhere, it’s just not Niagara without our brothers and sisters south of the border here!!
I will always come to the falls…I love it. But I think from now on it will be off season visits. The taxes,and higher prices on everything make it harder to justify. I think you can visit alot of other places that are “touristy” for less cost at the moment.
lol bensons mom..good girl!!!!..go for it..it’s so true tho..if yur able..then do whatcha wanna do…yur welcome and i’m glad i could give ya that little push you needed…lol
sue