Tourist travel recovering but summer a concern

February 19, 2002
Source: Globe and Mail
Original story - link verified on February 19, 2002
By Keith McArthur

Travel volumes are improving each month but remain well below pre-Sept. 11 levels, according to data released yesterday by Statistics Canada. The data show that, on a seasonally adjusted basis, travel to and from Canada increased for two consecutive months between October and December. "To say our numbers are up would be lying, but to say they're way down would be lying, too," said Bill Squarebriggs, president of the Banff Lake Louise Hotel/Motel Association. "September and October were pretty devastating for Banff. It was like they shut the doors. But the winter's come along not too bad." The number of visitors from most of Canada's key overseas markets, including the United States, Britain and Japan, were up in December from the previous month. But the number of Japanese tourists coming to Canada in December was down about 20 per cent from the previous December. Mr. Squarebriggs said it's too soon to tell what will happen in Banff in the summer, when Japanese tourists make up a large percentage of the visitors. "That's what we're really a little bit nervous about because summer is when we pay the bills," he said. "And we're not sure what's going to happen yet."