Buffalo, NY (WBEN) - After several months of dwindling numbers of Canadian visitors, Visit Buffalo Niagara says it is launching a new campaign aimed at bringing back travelers north of the border.
"Back in February when the tariff talks started, we did have a winter campaign up and running, and we had to take it down because of some of the negative sentiment that was coming our way," says Patrick Kaler of Visit Buffalo Niagara. Kaler notes for the month of March, year over year, Canadian cross border traffic was down over 20% and website traffic, both in the months of March and April was down 73% on just Canadian visitors. "I will say that we did make a little bit of traction in the month of May, and we're only down 62% so we see a little bit of head away there," adds Kaler.
He says Canada Day, July 1, is the perfect day to launch the new campaign. "It's all social media and digitally based, except for a billboard that we do have on the QEW that will run for the entire month of July," says Kaler. He adds he's working with the city of Buffalo to light City Hall red to mark Canada Day.
Kaler hopes the campaign will help bring Canadians back to Buffalo. He says he's encouraged by some of the messaging from Canadians. "They realize the rhetoric is coming out of Washington, DC, not out of Buffalo or even the citizens of the United States. They are at least recognizing that. But again, when you start talking about their sovereignty and making them the 51st state, that is very upsetting to them. That's where they are putting a boycott, if you will, on the United States and travel to Buffalo," adds Kaler.
Kaler says he'll monitor the campaign, which could expand into fall and winter.