Slow Start To Tourism Season

This summer could be a mixed bag for tourist outfitters across the region.
The Kenora District Camp Owners Association says the long winter and quiet spring won’t help visitor numbers.
President Jacqui Hawkness says they are looking for a major turnaround in American angler numbers.
Hawkness says numbers are half of what they used to be in 2000.
She says Americans being turned away at the border for prior minor convictions remains a problem.
Hawkness notes the Fort Frances border is doing a better job processing American visitors with prior minor convictions through but notes more needs to be done.
She is calling on the Ontario and Federal governments to address staffing levels at the Canada Border Agency to get applications processed in a more timely manner.
The one upside for camp owners is the U.S. exchange rate.