Ottawa's tourism industry watching and waiting for COVID-19

Ottawa's tourism sector is monitoring the spread of COVID-19 closely, uncertain of how the respiratory illness might hurt the $1.4 billion industry.

The capital region gets about 11 million tourists every year, including tens of thousands from countries with higher levels of the respiratory illness.

"No one has the crystal ball to know how quickly this could be resolved or how long it might go on," said Jantine Van Kregten, director of communications for Ottawa Tourism, on Tuesday.

The Canadian government is urging Canadians to avoid all non-essential travel to countries where COVID-19 is spreading, including in Iran, China — where the virus now affects all provinces — and northern Italy.

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About 75,000 tourists from China visit Ottawa each year, according to Ottawa Tourism.

An average of 17,000 people from Italy visit the city annually and so do 10,000 from Korea, where the number of infected people also continues to rise. 

Airport screening for visitors

The federal government says it has no plans to restrict travel to Canada due to COVID-19.

Instead, the government said it is taking steps to identify visitors who might have the illness and letting people know what to do if they feel sick after their trip.

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At 10 Canadian airports — including Ottawa's — there are new screening measures in place such as an additional question at electronic kiosks, and posters to help potentially sick international air passengers, a spokesperson for Health Canada said. 

"Travellers going through these airports will see additional signs in French, English and simplified Chinese, asking them to alert a border services officer should they have any flu-like symptoms," wrote Natalie Mohamed, a media relations advisor with the department, in an email to CBC.

Van Kregten said it's too soon to say whether COVID-19 will lead to fewer international tourists coming to Ottawa, but noted close to 90 per cent of Ottawa's tourists are from other parts of Canada.

"I wouldn't say at all that people are panicking or that there's a crisis feeling," she said of tourism businesses in the city.

"But it's definitely something that is important and serious and we are paying attention to it."

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She said Ottawa Tourism isn't advertising in China for the moment, though it's still hoping to maintain relationships with tour companies for once the travel advisories end.

 Several Canadian tourism marketing agencies have pulled all their ad money from China and are using it to double down on efforts to attract people from other markets like the United States and United Kingdom.

Outbound travel sees a hit

Martin Taller, a professor of tourism management at Algonquin College, said it took more than six months for Canada's tourism industry to show signs of an upswing after SARS spread from China in 2003.

He expects COVID-19 is giving pause to people considering a trip.

At Trailfinders Canada, an Ottawa-based travel agency, only one or two clients have cancelled trips because of COVID-19, said owner Miral Mousa.

"There's undoubtedly a lot of hesitation and concern from the clients toward travel in general," she said.

Like with SARS, Mousa is expecting travel interest to slow down particularly in COVID-19 affected countries such as Korea, China, Italy and Iran.

"I think the travel business in those countries will hurt for a while," she said.

Mousa is advising Canadian travellers to heed any warnings issued by the government and to buy trip cancellation insurance, even if they are travelling to low-risk areas.

For those who do decide to book travel, Mousa said there are increasingly more bargains to be had.

The Public Health Agency of Canada says the current risk to Canadian travellers abroad is generally low, depending on the destination.

All travellers, regardless of where they go, are being asked to monitor their health for a fever, cough or difficulty breathing for two weeks after arriving back in Canada.