Sault tweaks tourism ad campaigns to hedge against COVID-19 risk

As COVID-19 infection anxiety prompts travel and event cancellations worldwide, local officials are adjusting their tourism marketing efforts to focus more on the U.S. midwest, less on international travellers.  

Jennifer King-Callon, manager of travel and tourism with the City of Sault Ste. Marie, says her market intelligence sources at Great Lakes Cruising Coalition have so far not hinted any of the 15 ship visits expected here in 2020 might be cancelled.

"Right now, we have no updates that it's affected Great Lakes cruising on Lake Superior and Lake Huron," King-Callon tells SooToday.

"We still have all our dates. We are proceeding within the cruise industry as business as usual, but we have to really keep on top of our shore excursions. Those are the numbers that will affect our Sault Ste. Marie attractions – the Ermatinger, the heritage sites, the Bushplane Museum," she says.

A global epidemic of another coronavirus – severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) – torpedoed billions of dollars worth of international travel plans when it hit 17 nations in 2003.

So the Sault's tourism officials are tweaking their marketing campaigns to hedge against COVID-19 risk.

"We recognize, historically, that there was a dip in travel when SARS hit," says Travis Anderson, the city's director of tourism and community development.

"Recognizing the risk that's going to bring – that the coronavirus is occurring – we are diversifying and expanding our marketing into the midwest, having a more concerted effort to try to attract travellers that are within driving distance of Sault Ste. Marie."

That means a greater focus of advertising dollars around places like Wisconsin, Minnesota, Detroit and within Ontario, Anderson tells SooToday.

"We do anticipate that there will likely be a drop in international travel as a whole. It might not be specifically related to the cruise ships, but the train also relies quite extensively on international travellers. We're trying to diversify that with our marketing efforts."

"We're just trying to diversify, focussing more on the [Agawa Canyon Tour] train," Anderson says. "We think there's a good opportunity to offset some of the dip that we see in international travel by potentially looking at some of the closer markets."

Under a marine security notification issued in January by Transport Canada, foreign-flagged ships must give notice four days before entering Canadian waters if passengers or crew have COVID-19 symptoms.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ordered 62 passengers on the Princess Cruise Lines Grand Princess to remain in their staterooms after a small cluster of COVID-19 cases in Northern California was linked to an earlier Grand Princess voyage that sailed between San Francisco and Mexico last month.

The Grand Princess is now being held in international waters off the California coast.

Princess Cruise Lines also owns the Diamond Princess, which was quarantined for more than a month this year off Yokohama, Japan. More than 700 of the Diamond Princess's passengers were infected with COVID-19. Six of them died.

Over the past week, the National Hockey League and Ford Motor Co. both banned their employees from international business travel, and the International Ice Hockey Federation cancelled four men's U18 events and two women's tournaments.

Globally, almost 91,000 COVID-19 cases have been reported so far, with 3,110 deaths.

In Canada, 34 cases are confirmed, including 20 in Ontario and 13 in British Coluimbia.

"While Canada has not experienced the impacts that other countries are experiencing right now, we must be prepared for all scenarios and closely follow best practices around the world," said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a statement Wednesday announcing creation of a new cabinet committee on COVID-19.

This morning, CBC is reporting that Canadian travel insurers Manulife and TuGo are no longer providing coverage to new customers whose trips are cancelled because of coronavirus, with more insurers are expected to follow suit.

The following list of 10 things you can do to prevent COVID-19 was prepared by the World Health Organization, a specialised agency of the United Nations that deals with world public health:

• clean your hands regularly – wash with soap and water, or clean with alcohol-based hand rub

• clean surfaces regularly with disinfectant – for example kitchen benches and work desks

• educate yourself about COVID-19. Make sure your information comes from reliable sources

• avoid travelling if you have a fever or cough, and if you become sick while on a flight, inform the crew immediately. Once you get to your destination, make contact with a health professional and tell them about where you have been

• cough or sneeze into your sleeve. If using a tissue, dispose of the tissue immediately into a closed rubbish bin, and then clean your hands

• take extra precautions to avoid crowded areas if you are over 60 years old, or if you have an underlying condition

• if you feel unwell, stay at home and call your doctor or local health professional

• if you are sick, stay at home, and eat and sleep separately from your family, use different utensils and cutlery to eat

• if you develop shortness of breath, call your doctor and seek care immediately

• it’s normal and understandable to feel anxious, especially if you live in a country that has been affected. Find out what you can do in your community. Discuss how to stay safe in your workplace, school or place of worship

WHO advises against slapping travel or trade restrictions on countries experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks.

"In general, evidence shows that restricting the movement of people and goods during public health emergencies is ineffective in most situations and may divert resources from other interventions," said a WHO statement issued Feb. 29.

"Travel measures that significantly interfere with international traffic may only be justified at the beginning of an outbreak, as they may allow countries to gain time, even if only a few days, to rapidly implement effective preparedness measures. Such restrictions must be based on a careful risk assessment, be proportionate to the public health risk, be short in duration, and be reconsidered regularly as the situation evolves."

"Travel bans to affected areas or denial of entry to passengers coming from affected areas are usually not effective in preventing the importation of cases but may have a significant economic and social impact," the WHO statement said.