Where are the American tourists?

Yes, by American tourists, I mean U.S. tourists. And despite my efforts to pump up visits personally, American visits to Canada have sunk to a record low, according to a Canadian government report.

The three major issues are high gas prices, perceived hassles at the border, and a strong Canadian dollar. Gas prices haven't kept me away personally, I don't like not getting as much for my U.S. dollar, and I can deal with the border. But not everyone thinks the way I do.

The number of same-day U.S. travelers to Canada hit the lowest since recordkeeping started in 1972, according to Statistics Canada. Visits from the U.S. are 7.4 percent lower versus last year. June was the second straight month U.S. same-day car visits touched record lows.

My trip to Toronto got thwarted more by overall money for me. But I have to admit that the new "no liquids" policy made it much easier to postpone a trip.

When some of these issues gets softened, perhaps Canada will need to invest some marketing dollars and/or incentives to get U.S. residents to come to Canada. Canada is a great place to go; the world just needs to know how great it is.