Vermont businesses are eager to welcome Canadian tourists, now that the border reopened to non-essential travelers on Monday after 19 months of closure due to the pandemic.
“We are very happy to see our Canadian friends again,” said Hans van Wees, general manager of the Vermont Hotel in downtown Burlington. “It’s been a long time and I know that in Burlington we’re going to roll out the red carpet.”
The United States reopened the Mexican and Canadian borders to fully vaccinated non-essential travelers on Monday.
Jeff Lawson, vice president of tourism and marketing at the Lake Champlain Chamber, said companies are closely monitoring the number of returning Canadian tourists.
“I think the hotel stay portion will be the biggest indicator of how it’s actually going,” Lawson said.
The Vermont Hotel offers its Canadian guests free breakfast, parking and a bottle of Iapetus wine from Shelburne Vineyard.
“Just a little welcome feedback,” van Wees said.
Van Wees said Canadians have been inquiring about stays for several weeks and are booking now. He said Quebec tourists typically stay one or two nights, while Ontarians stay longer.
Visitors to Canada do not have to be tested for Covid-19 when entering the United States, but must provide proof of a negative molecular test within 72 hours before returning to Canada. If they stay less than 72 hours, they can take this test in Canada before entering the United States, Lawson said.
Canada is Vermont’s largest trading partner.
“The reopening will facilitate both tourism and trade as we work to bounce back from the pandemic and strengthen our cross-border and integrated supply chains, which unite us in trade and prosperity,” said the vice president of the Vermont House, Chris Carrigan.
Vermont Governor Phil Scott on Monday chose to announce the selection of a Montreal company as Vermont’s trade representative in Canada. Under a two-year contract, CIDEP will act as Vermont’s trade and investment representative and liaison in Canada.
“Our connection to Canada runs deep, and as the land border reopens, communities and families reconnect, Canadian travelers return and businesses can once again focus on expanding operations and increasing trade with Vermont, “Scott said in a statement. “We hope this reconnection will remind Canadian companies of what Vermont has to offer when considering expanding or doing business here, while also generating interest in Vermont products north of the border.
Vermont exported $ 918 million in goods to Canada in 2020 and imported $ 1.7 billion in goods.
Almost 70 Canadian-owned companies employ more than 2,900 workers in Vermont.
Van Wees said Canadians enjoy coming to Burlington to shop, taste beers and dine out. He said they also come for the lakeside and the vibrancy of small towns.
“It will be good for Burlington to hear French spoken in the streets again,” he said.
Outdoor Gear Exchange, the massive Church Street store in Burlington, said it expects a busier weekend with the return of Canadian tourists.
“We are very happy to welcome back our Canadian friends who constitute a fairly large part of our customers under normal circumstances,” said Peter Hiskes, Senior Director of Retail Sales for the store.
Outdoor Gear Exchange sells new and consignment outdoor gear. Hiskes said some Canadian customers left their equipment on consignment 20 months ago.
“Some of them dropped off items for reshipping in February 2020 and were unable to return to collect their balance or use their store credit,” he said.
In Stowe, too, at least one business owner expects the Canadians to return.
“They seem to come out at rough times,” said Mark Ray, owner of Stowe Cider. “There were times, often in November, when we saw a lot of Canadians coming…
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