What is it tourists don't like about Canada?

[GordonH]

Whatever you say CA.

Well, you tell me what's here to see to compel great number of people to fly from overseas or drive across several states.

I suspect the top one would be our natural beauty:

From Pacific shores of West Coast to BC Mountains be it coastal or the Rockies (within that are lakes & waterfalls)....... off to prairies badlands of Alberta off to Ontario and beauty within it parks like Algonquin with Niagara Falls (this is not a park)......etc etc there is so very much more CA (have not even taken in Atlantic Canada or far north as well Saskatchewan... Manitoba or Quebec).

I would encourage you to check out Canada for yourself Captain Awesome you maybe be surprised what you have been missing.

[Captain Awesome]

I suspect the top one would be our natural beauty:

From Pacific shores of West Coast to BC Mountains be it coastal or the Rockies (within that are lakes & waterfalls)....... off to prairies badlands of Alberta off to Ontario and beauty within it parks like Algonquin with Niagara Falls (this is not a park)......etc etc there is so very much more CA (have not even taken in Atlantic Canada or far north as well Saskatchewan... Manitoba or Quebec).

Oh, I'm not saying Canada has no natural beauty. Hey, mountains, lakes, etc. - very cool. But that's not exactly unique to Canada - If somebody sitting in say Portland - they have no interest in seeing lakes or mountains in Canada. They have plenty of their own, no need to drive anywhere. Endless forests can be seen without leaving Norway. Yes, somebody from Utah might fly into Churchill, MB to check out bears (something I'd like to do someday too), but nature in general isn't exactly appealing enough. Do we have plethora of museums for tourists to check out? No. Do we have a unique Canadian cuisine? No. Do we have architectural beauties to attract people? Not sure really, I think minimal amount.

[GordonH]

I suspect the top one would be our natural beauty:

From Pacific shores of West Coast to BC Mountains be it coastal or the Rockies (within that are lakes & waterfalls)....... off to prairies badlands of Alberta off to Ontario and beauty within it parks like Algonquin with Niagara Falls (this is not a park)......etc etc there is so very much more CA (have not even taken in Atlantic Canada or far north as well Saskatchewan... Manitoba or Quebec).

Oh, I'm not saying Canada has no natural beauty. Hey, mountains, lakes, etc. - very cool. But that's not exactly unique to Canada - If somebody sitting in say Portland - they have no interest in seeing lakes or mountains in Canada. They have plenty of their own, no need to drive anywhere. Endless forests can be seen without leaving Norway. Yes, somebody from Utah might fly into Churchill, MB to check out bears (something I'd like to do someday too), but nature in general isn't exactly appealing enough. Do we have plethora of museums for tourists to check out? No. Do we have a unique Canadian cuisine? No. Do we have architectural beauties to attract people? Not sure really, I think minimal amount.

Well, CA I guess you're going to have to ask as many of our foreign visitors as you can. Why they came to see Canada, to find out why they came here.

[Captain Awesome]

Well, CA I guess you're going to have to ask as many of our foreign visitors as you can. Why they came to see Canada, to find out why they came here.

I guess. Cheap meds I heard a good reason!

[GordonH]

Well, CA I guess you're going to have to ask as many of our foreign visitors as you can. Why they came to see Canada, to find out why they came here.

I guess. Cheap meds I heard a good reason!

So is this first hand information or off the internet.

[rustled]

We do have a lot to offer. But the US is a big country with a lot to offer at less cost. So Americans probably vacation in their own country or Mexico for the same reason we spend most of our vacation time and weekends in the US: it's way more expensive to travel in Canada. And I suppose people from other countries look at both, and see the same bottom line.

Down there, a couple can split a single reasonably priced meal and be full. Last time I checked, it was cheaper to fly from place to place in the States. And those renting an RV... well, down there, you can fill your tank and put some miles on without taking out another mortgage, and you can actually enjoy the scenery on their secondary highways, instead of constantly watching the frustrated drivers in the steady stream of traffic in front of you and behind you. If you're in a hurry to get somewhere, most of their highway system is designed to allow you to do just that; cross the border into the Okanagan, and even where it's finally double-laned you'll be funnelled through our most populated areas to idle away that expensive fuel at red light after red light after red light.

But I think it's mostly cost. When I lived on Highway 16, which had hardly any traffic and a lot less red lights, I sometimes asked the folks with US plates if they were travelling in BC or just passing through from Alaska. They generally told me they couldn't wait to get back across the border; the cost of our fuel shocked them.

Still, even if the price of fuel was about the same, I wouldn't expect Americans to come in droves; plenty to see "at home."

[underscore]

Do we have a unique Canadian cuisine? No.

How dare you disrespect poutine!

[SmokeOnTheWater]

How dare you disrespect poutine!

Or beaver tails.

[normaM]

Maybe they don't like Canadians. Hard to fathom I know..

[JLives]

Oh, I'm not saying Canada has no natural beauty. Hey, mountains, lakes, etc. - very cool. But that's not exactly unique to Canada - If somebody sitting in say Portland - they have no interest in seeing lakes or mountains in Canada. They have plenty of their own, no need to drive anywhere. Endless forests can be seen without leaving Norway. Yes, somebody from Utah might fly into Churchill, MB to check out bears (something I'd like to do someday too), but nature in general isn't exactly appealing enough. Do we have plethora of museums for tourists to check out? No. Do we have a unique Canadian cuisine? No. Do we have architectural beauties to attract people? Not sure really, I think minimal amount.

It depends on the type of traveler. When I think about places I'd like to visit museums and cuisine aren't high on the priority list. I want to see nature and animals and meet the people.

[grammafreddy]

Maybe American families are not coming to Canada as much because the Canadian dollar is too high and/or because they just don't have the money to travel now due to the economy, lack of jobs and how much their health care is going to cost them. People are getting tighter with their money - and it isn't just the Americans.

[Dizzy1]

- being charged sometimes up to $1.50 for "extra condiments" that are complimentary in most countries. This is actually out of control now and I have walked out of a few places because of it - as a Canadian.

You better not ask for a packet of ketchup at McDonalds with your combo or most other places next time you're in many European countries then.

[Midnite]

Canada is a tough sell across the line because so many Americans lack knowledge or interest in Canada. They can survive just fine knowing very little about us. It never ceases to amaze me how few Americans I meet have do not have passports or have not been to Canada yet live just south of the border.
When high profile destinations like California, Nevada or Utah are just a cheap flight away the Canadian tourism industry is looking at stiff competition.

[Dizzy1]

Having many friends in Europe - they've been here to visit but its not as hot of a destination as it was from the mid 90s to the mid 00s - Canada the US and Australia were the places to go. Southeast Asia, South Africa, Namibia, Maldives have taken the top spots and the Caribbean are becoming more popular again. One of the reasons Canada isn't as popular anymore is because it is becoming more expensive. Back in the mid 00s the Euro was trading at about 1 Euro for $1.60 - now its about $1.30. You were able to get a 2 week holiday with airfare and RV rental for about 700 Euros - now its closer to 1100 Euros - which is still an hazing bargain considering how much we have to fork out for a holiday. Airfares can be half as much from there to here than from here to there - but their Euro isn't buying as much here added to that the skyrocketing prices of food here - they'd rather spend less money going else where and getting more out of it.

Add to that the distances we have here - lots of them come here for 2 weeks and expect to be able to see everything from the Rockies to Niagara Falls - not gonna happen lol . Once they realize the distances involved it becomes less appealing unless they're really into the outdoors or have friends and family to entertain them

Try explaining to them where they have to go when they need to pee travelling along the highway - they're used to having rest stops every 25 kms lol

[techrtr]

Because it's super expensive and it's not as pristine as we like to pretend it is. If it moves, we have some redneck shooting it. We have yokels dumping their garbage in the woods. We're tried to create this illusion of politeness and unspoiled wilderness that just doesn't exist anymore. If I was American I probably wouldn't waste my time coming to Canada either. It's just like the US, only more expensive and not as clean in a lot of ways.