Alberta tourism operators look to capitalize on weaker Canadian dollar

Some members of Alberta's tourism industry are optimistic a weak Canadian dollar will bode well for their businesses, and in some cases it already has.

Banff Sunshine Village says it's seeing more Americans hit the ski hills this winter, a bump attributed in part to the Canadian loonie that has been hovering for weeks around 70 cents compared with the U.S. dollar.

"Tourism is of course an export, so it makes travel to Canada so much more attainable for those Americans when everything is like 30 per cent off, if not more," says Kendra Scurfield, vice-president of brand and communications at Banff Sunshine Village.

A lift ticket costs $175 Cdn at Sunshine, but converted to U.S. dollars, it's a steal, says Scurfield, noting a similar ticket costs double that in Colorado.

The same bump in American visitors can be found nearby at Lake Louise.

"We see it in the online reviews. We hear it from our visitors. The great value for money is a topic of conversation among visitors and Americans in particular," says Emmett McPartlin, director of sales and marketing at the Lake Louise Ski Resort & Summer Gondola.

'We're excited, we're ready'

Others in the province's tourism and hospitality industry say they're seeing piqued interest from American and European travellers, which they hope will translate into more visits later this year.

Waterton Lakes National Park is typically quiet over the winter with only a few restaurants and hotels remaining open. But the head of the Waterton Park Chamber of Commerce says they're receiving some encouraging feedback from Americans booking for later this year.

"They book online and they see the American price … and that's where they realize that it's so inexpensive comparative to places in the U.S. right now," said Shameer Suleman, chamber president and hotelier.

"We're excited, we're ready," added Suleman.

Frederic Dimanche, the University of Toronto's director of School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, says a weak Canadian dollar on its own may not be enough to draw international tourists, but it might make a difference in how much visitors spend, if they know they're getting a deal.

"We need to let them know," said Dimanche.

Dimanche says that knowledge could translate into more extravagant holidays.

"Instead of staying in the three-star hotel, they'll be staying in the four-star hotel because they say, 'well with my budget, I can afford it.' Or once they are here, they realize once again that their dollar goes a long way, so they may be spending more on going out," said Dimanche.

Canadians a factor, too

And Dimanche says its not just international travellers who need to know they'll get more bang for their buck.

"That's the second benefit [of a weak Canadian dollar] for the local hospitality and tourism industry, is that they may see an increase in Canadian travel because Canadians, if they find that travelling abroad has become more expensive, they may decide to stay home," said Dimanche.

Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts says it's already seen that trend at its resorts in Banff, Lake Louise and Field, B.C.

"Predominantly [travellers] from Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario. But even provinces such as Saskatchewan, I've seen a huge jump," said Larkin O'Connor, president of Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts.