DCR Supports Canada’s Tourism Recovery with Prepaid Incentives

DCR, a leading payments provider, is helping cities across Canada recover from the pandemic with prepaid incentives and tourism partnerships.

TORONTO November 24, 2021—Since the COVID-19 pandemic, DCR has helped over 15 Canadian cities drive economic recovery with innovative incentives. DCR provided each city with custom prepaid Visa® cards and a mobile wallet app that encouraged visitors and residents to shop locally. The cards were funded by tourism organizations and given in denominations of $25 to $100 to increase hotel stays, support Business Improvement Areas (BIAs), and revive small businesses.

On the West Coast, the St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce has encouraged residents to shop at businesses in their communities. The prepaid cards feature artwork from a local artist, Memory Roth, and will help hundreds of merchants draw more customers.

“As advocates for local businesses and managers of our Visitor Welcome Centre, we are thrilled to bring such an impactful program to the entire business community and tourism sector. DCR has made the process easy to use with very little administration and will provide insightful data on local shopping habits,” said Shelly Nichol, Director of Operations at the St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce.

Tourism London also launched the “Stay a Little Longer” campaign that gained national news coverage, generating nearly 600 card transactions at restaurants and food vendors. The city then expanded the program to support BIAs, connecting residents, government and businesses when they needed it most.

On the East Coast, the tourism boom began with Destination St. John’s and participating hotels. “This past spring, we ran a successful branded Visa® card program that rewarded guests with a $75 prepaid card for two-night stays. More than 1,000 cards were distributed, resulting in over 2,000 room nights, and the incremental guest spending benefitted our destination partners,” said Paul Bugge at Destination St. John’s.

Following the success in St. John’s, five tourism organizations in Newfoundland and Labrador partnered to promote travel across the province with DCR. The group included Destination Labrador, Legendary Coasts of Eastern Newfoundland, Go Western Newfoundland, Adventure Central Newfoundland, and Destination St. John’s.

Although the pandemic largely affected the tourism industry, payment incentives provide much-needed relief. “These programs touch a wide variety of businesses, including hotels, restaurants, and storefronts, so we are proud to help municipalities across Canada through innovative incentives,” said Diana Fletcher, President of DCR. Even beyond pandemic recovery, prepaid incentives drive tourism year-round. DCR’s payment solution offers physical or virtual prepaid cards, detailed spend reporting, and built-in customer service.