Calgary hotel price drop entices American tourists
Hotels in Calgary are reacting to the slump in oil prices and drop in business travel by offering discounted rates on rooms — which is welcome news for some visitors from south of the border.
"I mean you have something here that's really spectacular," said Andrew Gauss, an Idaho-based businessman on his first visit to Calgary.
"Although you are having an economic downturn I still think that there's a draw to come to Canada."
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Gauss says he is already planning to come back to Calgary in the summer — likely during Stampede — and lower hotel rates will sweeten the deal.
"Definitely that's incentive for me to come back in the summer. Plus the beauty of it."
Accommodations services dropped by almost seven per cent at the end of last year compared to the same time the year before.
There are also about 25 per cent more rooms available than there were three years ago.
"It's a supply and demand issue," said Perry Wilford, general manager of the Glenmore Inn and Convention Centre and board member of the Alberta Hotel and Lodging Association.
He says corporate travel has dwindled throughout most of urban Alberta, but tourist hubs in the Rocky mountains are doing very well because American travelers are taking advantage of the currency exchange rate. He says Calgary hotels will also be trying to appeal to visitors from south of the border by offering discounts.
"This is a chance for the Americans to come up and see Canada, in particular Calgary. I think Stampede will do very well this year," said Wilford.
Gauss says he also plans to take in the scenery in the mountains, but Wilford doesn't expect there will be cheaper room rates out there.
"They're one of the bright spots of the industry," said Gauss, "people that I've spoken to in Banff are suggesting this is going to be one of their better years in the last 10 years as well."
In addition to discounted rooms, Wilford says you can expect to see more package deals and other perks as incentives to both tourists and "staycationers."
"People are still going come to come to Calgary, they're still going to do business in Calgary and they're going to vacation in Calgary... we do have to make sure that when they come, they get good value for money."
