ELLICOTTVILLE, N.Y. — After a long hiatus, Ellicottville is excited to welcome fully vaccinated Canadian travelers back to town, which locals say will be a much appreciated boost for business.
Monday marks one week since the U.S. border reopened to Canadians and other foreign nationals, and already travelers are making their way over.
Jane Eshbaugh is the Director of Marketing at Holiday Valley. She says they are looking forward to welcoming back Canadian guests who have been long missed.
"We're really excited about the Canadian border being reopened," Eshbaugh says. "Lots of people that come down, maybe 20 to 25 percent of our business in the past has been Canadians."
Although last year a majority of guests were local, due to lockdown, Eshbaugh says it will be refreshing to see Ellicottville return to the vibrant busy place it has been for so many years.
"I don't think we're going to be as busy with local people this year because you know people are going back to work, kids have school, kids have sports. So, the Canadians will come back and fill that little gap and it'll be great," Eshbaugh expresses.
Safety is still at the top of the mind, despite all the outdoor fun to be had.
Holimont is stepping up as well. The private ski club is offering free rapid COVID tests Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at the base of the sunset chairlift for those Canadians in need of a quick tests before returning home. Neither appointments nor insurance are required.
"This is to help accommodate and make things easier for our Canadian visitors," Melanie Pritchard says.
Pritchard is a member of the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce and sits on the Board of Directors at Holimont. Pritchard says it's really exciting that the border is opening, just in time for the winter season.
"These tests aren't just for Holimont members, it's for any Canadian that comes to town who needs to get a negative test before they can go back," Pritchard said. "Everyone in Ellicottville is very excited."