Canadians Flock to
Arizona in Record Numbers

By Shannon Gazze
GolfArizona.com Valley Editor

They come to play golf.

They are Canadian citizens, and last year 322,900 of them paid a visit to our fair state. This according to Toronto’s Chris Ryall.

Ryall heads the Toronto branch of the Arizona Office of Tourism, which opened in July of 1996. His job is to convince an entire country that Arizona is the place to vacation, spa, golf, do business and relocate. And apparently, he and his coworkers are good at their jobs, because Canadian spending in the state (not including airfares) has increased by 60 percent since 1995, up to $252 million US dollars in 1998. It doesn't hurt that they are selling a good product.

"Traditionally, Arizona is a vacation spot for those in Western Canada," Ryall says. "But we’ve been able to target people from Eastern Canada, specifically Ontario and Quebec, who are tired of Florida and Mickey Mouse."

Ryall says Quebec visitation alone is up 55 percent from last year’s figures.

While the East is still being tapped, Ryall’s office hopes only to keep the visitation totals in the West where they are. The enemy: Canadian currency (or US currency, depending upon how you look at it). The problem is that the Canadian dollar is weak compared to the mighty U.S. greenback right now - by about a 2:3 ratio. That means a $10 meal in Flagstaff costs Canadians $15. A $200 round of golf in Scottsdale costs them $300.

"There was a fall-off last year nationally (in Canadian visitation) because of the weak dollar, but Arizona was up four percent." Says Laurel Pendle of the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce and Visitor's Bureau. "That was fabulous for us, because Canada is our biggest market. They're our bread and butter."

The Canadian golf faithful have been grinning and bearing the prices so far, especially for golf courses such as Troon North and Grayhawk, play at which entire vacations are built around. But Ryall says there has been some concern among the visitors about the greens fees at some courses that are not up to the same high standards.

He believes that while many of the state’s second-tier courses will reap a short-term gain from hiking fees, they risk losing a lot of customers in the long run if they are not careful.

Pendle sees things a bit differently, however.

"There are a variety of golf courses for visitors to choose from now," she said. "We've got desert courses, links courses and traditional courses. People come for the Troons and the Grayhawks, but they tend to forget that some of other courses we have are just as great.

"In Scottsdale, we've got a Scottish links course in Talking Stick. Eagle Mountain has some breathtaking views and the TPC course is undergoing major upgrades. Some of the traditional courses in Old-town Scottsdale are great values as well."

Interestingly, the difference in the exchange rate is also being used to the benefit of the AOT and others trying to round up Canadian visitors. While the price of vacationing in the United States is higher for Canadians, the price of advertising in Canada is lower for American businesses.

Courses, travel agents and tour guides get more bang for their advertising buck and at least around Toronto, it’s more than made up the difference in lost vacationers.

Another thing the state’s tourism boosters have going for them is that Canadians can’t say no to golf. Out of a nation of 30 million, 4.5 million Canadians golf. That’s the highest participation rate per capita in the world.

"The prospects for Arizona are very good indeed as long as the green fees don't go too far out of control," Ryall says. "Arizona offers visitors not only a great climate, but cultural and geographic sites as well. We are trying to target honeymooners and those interested in soft-adventure to try to bring in younger visitors."

Pendle points out that the state provides discounts specifically to Canadians during Canadian Cactus Days, which run From October through April. She also says that her organization has found success in packaging travel, lodging and tee times to make it as easy as possible for Canadians to get to Arizona and spend money once they are here.

Ease of travel increased in May of 1997, when Air Canada introduced daily non-stop flights to Arizona. "Canadians are spoiled," Ryall says. "They expect non-stop flights, so that opened up Arizona for more of them."

Snowbirds are Canadians that relocate to Arizona for the Winter months on a regular basis. Some stay in RVs, some rent condos, others buy homes or time-shares. Lengths of stay typically range from one month to four or five months.

All in all, the person nights generated by Canadian visitation increased to 5,835,300 in 1998.

And while snowbirds are generally over age 50 and not the targeted market in Canada, their economic contribution shouldn’t be overlooked. For several months, these Canadians are basically Arizonans, eating in the restaurants, shopping in the malls and taking in entertainment just like the locals.

Another significant group contributing to the rise in tourism is Canadian women. Ryall says 37 percent of the new golfers in the country are women, opening up an entirely untouched market for couples and family golf vacations.

• Past course reviews from GolfArizona.com • RockiesGolf.com Canadian golf coverage • Past articles by Shannon Gazze

"It's still a man's sport," Pendle says, "though more and more women are on the cutting edge."

While traditionally men's groups tend to book tee times at several courses, women are more attracted to the state's resorts and spas which offer a golf course or package. Either way, with the increasing cost of tee times, finding good deals on golf is key to a successful trip.

Not surprisingly, there is a trend among even the most visible golf courses to associate themselves with resorts. Grayhawk is planning to build it's own luxury hotel within the next few years and Troon may be working out mutually beneficial deals with existing resorts.

As Arizona Golf Resort's Director of Marketing Gerry Ashland said, "It seems like every hotel in town has a golf package."

Women or men, strong dollar or weak, Canadians are coming to Arizona. And as long as the sun keeps shining and the courses keep popping up, they will continue to make the pilgrimage to their golf mecca.

Certainly, there will always be tropical getaways and ocean cruises and Mickey Mouse to compete with, but judging by the 1998 figures, the people of Canada have spoken.

They want their golf and they're willing to pay for it.