Loss of Canadian travelers cost North Dakota $344M in tourism revenue since mid-2020, tourism leader says
Feb. 13—GRAND FORKS — The North Dakota director of tourism says although the number of Canadian travelers visiting North Dakota continues to increase, numbers have not yet recovered to pre-pandemic levels.
Sara Otte Coleman, director at North Dakota Tourism and Marketing, said many Canadians have called her office, unhappy with the requirement that all foreign nationals traveling to the U.S. as non-immigrants be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Canada rescinded its requirement that all visitors provide proof of vaccination on Oct. 1, 2022.
"We continued to have Canadian visitors call in the summer and say 'why is there still this requirement,'" said Otte Coleman. "A lot of them have cited vaccine requirements as a reason they have not traveled to the U.S."
Otte Coleman penned a letter to the Department of Homeland Security, urging the agency to rescind the requirement that all foreigners who are not permanent residents be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. On Feb. 7, she received a reply stating the policy will remain in place for the foreseeable future.
Otte Coleman said since April 2020, approximately 840,000 passengers have entered North Dakota by bus or personal vehicle through the state's 18 land crossings with the provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. According to Otte Coleman, these numbers are down significantly from pre-pandemic figures.
"Even though we saw really good progress once the borders opened, we're still only at 24.6% of passenger volume compared to the 33 months preceding April of 2020," said Otte Coleman.
Otte Coleman estimates the loss of Canadian visitors has cost the state $344 million in tourism revenue since April 2020. She says Canadians are loyal travelers to the state.
"The beauty of our Canadian visitors is that they come year round, and multiple times per year," said Otte Coleman. "We tend to see a lot of visitors during Canadian holidays that fall on long weekends."
Locally in Grand Forks, Julie Rygg, executive director of Visit Grand Forks, said the number of crossings at the Pembina Port of Entry, the main port of entry utilized for travel between Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Grand Forks, have not fully recovered either.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, in December of 2019, 37,134 passengers entered the U.S. at Pembina by personal car and bus. The number in December of 2022 was 29,623.
"There are other factors behind Canadian travel not rebounding as quickly — the exchange rate being one," said Rygg. "However, we have heard anecdotally from potential Canadian visitors, or those who used to come, that the vaccine requirement impacts their decision not to travel."
Rygg said the Grand Forks region has long been a draw for Canadian visitors, with athletic competitions drawing Canadian teams.
"We have many Canadian teams that come for the Junior Grand Am Basketball Tournament in the spring," said Rygg. "January is also typically a busy month with hockey tournaments — both youth and adult."
Otte Coleman said that in addition to her agency's efforts, Gov. Doug Burgum has been advocating for the elimination of vaccine requirements at the U.S. border, as well as for extended hours at ports of entry.
"We'll continue to pound the drum. Whether we'll see any results remains to be seen," said Otte Coleman.
