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Yet Canada is the #2 international destination for Americans. So if "most Americans" are not thinking about visiting Canada, then you could say the same thing about every other country in the world.
The fact is that Canada IS a popular destination for Americans, so I'm not sure what the issue is.
Most Americans travelling to Canada live in the immediate vicinity. Take out anyone who doesn't live within 100 miles of Canada and you'll find that very few Americans think of Canada as a vacation option, for better and for worse. I suspect the 15 million who visit Canada are strongly skewed by those living in Upstate New York, Michigan, Maine, Washington State, etc, which collectively are less than 8% of the US population.
Back when I was younger, my Mom use to drive us to Platsburg to buy stuff or go to a restaurant for the epic portions. That among many other things sells me on the USA as a better travel destination than visiting the rest of Canada. *** I've only been/lived in Ontario and Quebec. May be going over to Winnipeg for job reasons, but I otherwise have no urge to explore the rest of Canada besides one day hitting Nun-vat and thereabouts to see the scenario. Why bother with the rest of Canada when I got 50 States of adventure to discover? You tell me? Yeah, ok. American like to come to Canada. Ain't no big surprise there. They got the spending power over us. What of Canadians? Why do we flock to America year after year? I'll tell you why: America is the greatest country on earth.
I said. Yeah, I went there!!!!
I never thought someone would call the U.S. the greatest country in the world based on portion sizes in Plattsburgh.
Winnipeg doesn't seem interesting at all (In fact it sounds awfully boring, like our Wichita).
But Nunavut does have some nicer areas that I'd like to visit, like Mount Thor:
Too bad a lot of Canada's best sites are inaccessible. So the only options are basically Niagara Falls and Banff (which is relatively isolated from U.S. population centers as well. Lake Moraine is over 10 hours from Seattle, the nearest big city). Haida Gwaii is another underrated sight in Canada, largely because of the cost for Americans in getting there. So Canada suffers from poor transport options. The only things left are Toronto, Vancouver and Quebec. Quebec is a unique experience, Toronto is nothing special for the average American and Vancouver has to compete with Oregon and Washington State for tourists, limiting its reach with American tourists.
Flew to Buffalo (was cheaper and I could see Niagara Falls on the way to Toronto).
That being said, it felt like I was in Chicago that week. Cleaner than NY but similar being Chicago and Toronto are both lake side. I would love to visit more often especially now that the exchange rate is 25% better for Americans!
Most Americans travelling to Canada live in the immediate vicinity. Take out anyone who doesn't live within 100 miles of Canada and you'll find that very few Americans think of Canada as a vacation option, for better and for worse. I suspect the 15 million who visit Canada are strongly skewed by those living in Upstate New York, Michigan, Maine, Washington State, etc, which collectively are less than 8% of the US population.
Better to get facts and credible data than to suspect anything. Especially when you are talking about something whereby you probably can get more concrete stats. This isn't a discussion about String theory.
I live in a small city 40 miles north of the Mexican Border, about as far away from Canada as you can get in the US. Among my group of middle class friends and family most have been to Canada some time or another. In the western US Vancouver is a big draw for Americans, I know a half dozen people who have been. Toronto is a draw for business and conferences. I think you guys are underestimating.
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TKO
I live in a small city 40 miles north of the Mexican Border, about as far away from Canada as you can get in the US. Among my group of middle class friends and family most have been to Canada some time or another. In the western US Vancouver is a big draw for Americans, I know a half dozen people who have been. Toronto is a draw for business and conferences. I think you guys are underestimating.
Likewise, I live 3 hours away from the Mexican border and I made it up to Newfoundland and Montreal just this past July. I LOVED it up there, would go back again in a heartbeat. A couple of my colleagues here in Albuquerque went to Banff and Jasper last summer, and Vancouver is on the radar of many Americans who live well beyond the northern border. I have a number of places still left on my Canadian bucket list, including the the Canadian Rockies, Toronto, PEI, Nova Scotia, and other parts of Newfoundland that I hadn't got the chance to see yet.
Quote:
Originally Posted by fusion2
Better to get facts and credible data than to suspect anything. Especially when you are talking about something whereby you probably can get more concrete stats. This isn't a discussion about String theory.
Agreed, I'm not buying manitopiaaa's minimized stats either. Not sure what this agenda of downplaying Canada is. Odd. What's even more strange is this poster never having been to Canada before, certainly has a lot to say about it as if he or she were an expert. Again, odd.
Last edited by Champ le monstre du lac; 09-07-2016 at 08:35 PM..
Likewise, I live 3 hours away from the Mexican border and I made it up to Newfoundland and Montreal just this past July. I LOVED it up there, would go back again in a heartbeat. A couple of my colleagues here in Albuquerque went to Banff and Jasper last summer, and Vancouver is on the radar of many Americans who live well beyond the northern border. I have a number of places still left on my Canadian bucket list, including the the Canadian Rockies, Toronto, PEI, Nova Scotia, and other parts of Newfoundland that I hadn't got the chance to see yet.
Agreed, I'm not buying manitopiaaa's minimized stats either. Not sure what this agenda of downplaying Canada is. Odd. What's even more strange is this poster never having been to Canada before, certainly has a lot to say about it as if he or she were an expert. Again, odd.
You've more than adequately summed up the relevance we should be giving either camp of detractors who've spent very little time, or never been to, or from, either country.
Americans can get a criminal record for the most minuscule offenses. I have VERY few friends (even within my professional circle) who have never been to jail, at least for a few hours. It's ridiculous.
You need to change your social circle. The only friend of mine who's been to jail had a really nasty divorce and a very inventive ex, but this could happen anywhere.
I do think that Canada is not high on an average American's bucket list because no matter how you twist it, it's far too similar. I live just 40 min from the border, and visit a lot, and love Canada, but I don't know if I'd make a special trip up there if we moved South.
You need to change your social circle. The only friend of mine who's been to jail had a really nasty divorce and a very inventive ex, but this could happen anywhere.
I do think that Canada is not high on an average American's bucket list because no matter how you twist it, it's far too similar. I live just 40 min from the border, and visit a lot, and love Canada, but I don't know if I'd make a special trip up there if we moved South.
Of course it's serious.
Who in their right mind would suggest that because the US and Canada both have cities, and people in those cities who speak English, the countries and peoples are the same?
That's insane! Canadians are nothing like people in the US.
Obviously Canadians are not politicking about building a wall with the people to the South, but the US people are parading with contradiction about (they are, are not) building the wall with the Mexican. That's 100%US ... Canadians are not like that, eh.
Canada will build the wall to protect against the country to the South and the country to the South will pay for it!
hahahahaha
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What's even more strange is this poster never having been to Canada before, certainly has a lot to say about it as if he or she were an expert. Again, odd. 
You've more than adequately summed up the relevance we should be giving either camp of detractors who've spent very little time, or never been to, or from, either country.
