As COVID restrictions ease, Sault tourism sector hopes for better year in 2022

Local travel agents eager to sell vacations to Saultites wanting to travel across Canada, the U.S. and the world, as well as tourist operators looking to attract visitors to Algoma, are optimistic as COVID-19 masking and travel restrictions ease. 

Saultites have shown confidence COVID restrictions would ease and went ahead and booked their vacations, said Judy Hupponen, North Star Travel & Tours owner/operator, speaking to SooToday.   

“We’ve actually been busy since last fall, booking travellers for early this year and right into March Break. We’ve been very busy ever since the COVID restrictions started to lift a bit. We’re starting to do some summer bookings too.”

“They (travellers) followed the protocols, aware that they had to wear masks at certain places, the hotels where they went. People started to travel and everything went well. It wasn’t as busy as we usually are because there are still some people who are hesitant to travel,” Hupponen said, adding many Saultites are booking vacations within Canada.

“We tried to stay very optimistic. We did hope to see a light at the end of the tunnel, and there is. It was a long two years. We did a lot of training and webinars. We took advantage of the quiet time,” Hupponen said.

If you’re looking for a hands-on outdoor vacation closer to home involving canoeing, kayaking and snowshoeing, Thrive Tours is an option.  

“Even last summer a lot of people came to the Sault because they had already done the big cities and were coming to experience something new. It was cool to see a lot of people coming to our area. They’re coming from America. I definitely think local people as well as people from southern Ontario are really interested to come and do outdoor activities after lockdowns,” said Amanda Cora, who co-owns and operates Thrive Tours with business partner Brad Robinson.

“Being outdoors is a safe way to get out and experience new adventures. It’s opening up people's eyes. Because we’re an Indigenous owned and operated business we also offer that cultural education. People are interested in having that along with their tours, to be outside and learn as well.”

The City of Sault Ste. Marie’s tourism department is eager to see more visitors flock to the Sault.

“There are really strong trends within the province in terms of people wanting to spend time in uncrowded outdoor locations. We’ve got a lot to offer in that realm. We’ve got our mountain bike trails which we’ve had a lot of people express interest in,” said Travis Anderson, City of Sault Ste. Marie Tourism and Community Development director.

“Hopefully we start to see some more of our friends come over from the U.S. I think it’s going to be an interesting year. You’re going to see easing of restrictions on both sides of the border.”

Anderson said he is looking forward to the return of cruise ship passengers spending some of their tourism dollars while ashore in the Sault, as well as a good year for the Agawa Canyon Tour train. 

Motorists have seen gas prices rise alarmingly over the past few weeks, a potential barrier that will keep people from from visiting.

“We’ve seen an uptick in visitation from Michigan over the course of the winter (to enjoy outdoor winter recreation),” Anderson said, though he added rising gas prices are now a concern for local tourism.

“January and February were quite slow. I believe we are seeing a little pick up here in March, likely due to the March break,” said Terry Bos, Sault Ste. Marie Airport president and CEO in an email.

“I would say the shift in restrictions was fairly quick and a lot of people likely were not anticipating such and therefore we haven’t seen the increased levels yet. Air travel is something generally booked several weeks in advance to get better pricing, so we would likely see a lag in pick up.”

“I wouldn’t say there is a sense of anywhere near normal for people taking off for March Break, but there has been some travel which is much better than the past two years. We are anticipating a year similar to last year where levels start to pick up in spring and continue to recover throughout the year, very similar to last year where we peaked in December.”

“The hope this time is that the recovery is consistent and continues right through into next year without another drop. I don’t see a big change due to the mask requirement as they will still be a requirement for air travel. As far as travel restrictions are concerned, there is no clarity at this time as to when there may be a further easing in the restrictions. The government has made some tweaks that should be helpful, but certainly still a long way to go before travel is as easy as it was pre-pandemic, assuming that we ever get back to it being as easy as it was before,” Bos said.