TORONTO -- While the media did an expert job of igniting a brouhaha regarding severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Toronto, ask any Torontonian and they’ll tell you the talking heads reporting the news got it all wrong. Worse yet, as the story faded from the front pages in newspapers, major news outlets moved onto other things, completely ignoring what locals perceived was the truth.
While the newspapers got their splashy headlines, the local economy was devastated. Tourists are now staying away in droves, half the major conventions scheduled through the summer were cancelled and the city’s hotels are getting socked with near record low occupancy levels.
So what is the truth?
A Hotel Interactive investigation has concluded the major news outlets simply got it wrong in reporting the facts – and the Toronto economy was left to suffer.
It’s true SARS was in Toronto, but was really contained in a hospital about a 30 minute drive out of the city center.
It’s also true people have been dying from SARS. But not the young and healthy, almost all victims were old, infirmed and suffering from other illnesses.
Yes it’s true you can get SARS if you go to Toronto, but according to Rod Ceiling, President of the Greater Toronto Hotel Association, it’s 300,000 times more likely you’ll be hit by lightening.
“The portrayal by the media has created a real fear that people should avoid this destination because they might contact SARS despite healthcare professionals saying since day one it is safe to come here,” says Ceiling.
Douglas Coll, Client Service Director with PricewaterhouseCoopers and a Toronto resident, is frustrated with the media’s portrayal of the SARS virus and how it’s affecting the city’s financial health.
“The media didn’t do a clear job representing the story. The general sentiment in the media was this was a widespread issue affecting Torontonians. But you can simply look around and see it is not a part of everyday life. We do not wear [surgical] masks. There is a major disconnect about what people in Toronto know to be true and what the rest of the world sees,” a clearly frustrated Coll says.
Unfortunately for the local economy, the tourism industry has come to a near standstill. Occupancies were off 21% in April and 25% in May when compared to 2002 statistics.
When it’s all added up that’s a loss of an astounding $50 million a month to the Toronto economy. The entire Canadian tourism industry is about a $55 billion a year business.
The Canadian government is trying to stem the problems caused by the loss of tourism dollars. It planned to invest $120 into a campaign to boost tourism, but it’s been delayed due to several more cases being reported. That’s further has undermined the country’s attempt to put this situation in the past.
Interestingly, the World Health Organization notes on its website there are more probable cases of SARS as of yesterday in the United States than in Canada. A total of 39 in the U.S. and 36 up in Canada, Toronto country continues to get pilloried as being infested by the disease
“We’ve been living in a fish bowl,” says Melanie Coates, Director of Public Relations at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto.
To help business in the city, she said businesses have been working together to draw Canadians to Toronto to boost business. Further, Torontonians have been supportive, coming out in record numbers to help the city survive in this difficult time.
“To get people into town we have been focusing on value adding – not discounting— to communicate there is so much to see ad do in Toronto,” Coates explains.
Last weekend the “Taste of Little Italy’ festival drew record numbers and she’s selling more packages to get people into town on the weekends.
Fortunately Coates is hopeful about the future, even if the summer tourism season will get washed out, and says, “There is definitely a light at the end of the tunnel. The weather just started to get warm so that literally the clouds have lifted.”
