Other than the increase in the value of the Canadian loonie, musical concerts have been arranged in recent years that highlight Canadian musicians that have caused more Canadians to cross the border and visit the U.S. One such concert was the band Tragically Hip, which is a band that sells out stadiums in Canada. The band performed at the Grand Ballroom located in Manhattan and numerous venues in New York City.
Other efforts have been made to make visiting the United States more attractive to Canadians. Officials for New York business promotion have increased their attention on Canadians while the loonie is strong. Around $1 million was spent in 2007 on ads focused on potential tourists in the Toronto area and plans were made to spend another million to increase Canadian visitors.
Visitors to the U.S. have increased in recent years because of the buying power of the Canadian dollar and the cheaper local sales tax on the U.S. side of the border. Although many Canadian visitors come across the border for a day of shopping, the goal of the U.S. side is to have Canadian visitors stay overnight. Bonuses have been put in place to encourage Canadians to stay overnight in the U.S. The bonuses for overnight visitors are the privilege of bringing back $400 in purchases without having to pay duty at the border, compared to $50 for day-shoppers. U.S. businesses have noted that the lower exchange rate has helped increase the amount of overnight stays by Canadians.