Passport rules seem to be discouraging some tourists from taking the trip across the US border from the Dakotas and Minnesota into Canada for the annual Folklorama event.
Folklorama is a two-week event in August that takes place in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is the largest and longest-running festival of its kind in the world and it draws several US Passport holders that are anxious to sample the cuisine and celebrate the cultural and ethnic heritage that Canada has to offer.
Last year, 22 busses were filled with American passport holders coming to Folklorama. This year only 11 busses made the trip.
Folklorama officials speculate that the new, mandatory passport rules for travel into Canada have discouraged some without passports from taking the trip into Canada.
Tour operators have seen a decrease in sales in the markets where people don’t have passports. Some blame the decrease in the American passport fee increase up to $135 USD. Others don’t blame the passport increase, but rather see the sluggish economy as the culprit.
Despite the rise in passport fees along with the slumping economy, Folklorama has had almost as many visitors this year as compared to 2009. It seems that less visitors are passport holders and more people are coming from rural Manitoba.
There’s still time to get your passport and visit Folklorama – but you’ll have to hurry up… Folklorama will be ending on August 14th. If you are interested in getting a genuine US Passport or US Passport Card, visit us at http://www.rushpassport.com or call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to speak with a Live Passport Agent. (877) 937-7277 (All 50 States) or (212) 643-9305 New York Passport Agency.
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