Corey Fram, the Director of Tourism at the 1000 Islands International Tourism Council, said numbers are promising at the northern crossings.
"We've seen a significant increase in traffic across the border, both Canadians coming south and Americans going north,” said Fram. “It's doubled and more so in many places, compared to spring of 2021."
Fram said numbers from May show traffic across the Thousand Islands Bridge is up almost 100 percent. The Seaway International Bridge is up 35 percent, and the Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge is seeing a surge of 254 percent. But those numbers are still about 20 percent down from pre-pandemic levels.
While Canada dropped its COVID-19 testing requirement for fully-vaccinated travelers April 1, the country is now requiring anyone entering to download theArriveCAN app to show proof of vaccination.
Elizabeth Carey from AAA said despite that, travel agents are seeing a lot of interest in trips across the border.
"I crossed recently, and as long as you have app, and you have that taken care of in advance, it really is pretty simple to get across," said Carey.
And Fram believes the summer forecast looks good for Thousand Islands businesses and tourist attractions.
"I think we're still seeing a very strong season on the leisure side,” said Fram. “And for the rest of the travel economy, things likes meetings, conventions, weddings, those kind of gatherings, those are coming up very swiftly."
