Tourism between the U.S. and Canada has taken a hit amid trade disputes between the two countries. U.S. travel to Canada in May declined 8% when compared to the same time last year, according to Statistics Canada, while Canadian travel to the U.S. dropped 38%. 

To help change that, the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel has launched a new campaign in partnership with the University of Windsor to promote tourism in the city.

Organizers say the “40-40 Campaign,” running now through July 31, is a nod to 40 local Windsor restaurants and the nearly 40% more value per dollar Americans capture when spending their money in Canada.

Windsor-Detroit Tunnel CEO Tal Czudner and Olivia Sylvester, 40-40 project lead and a business school student at the University of Windsor, joined The Metro to share more about the campaign.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

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Gordie Howe International Bridge officials say construction work on the new span over the Detroit River is about 95% complete.

The project broke ground in 2018. The roughly 1.5-mile long crossing between Detroit and Windsor is still on track to open this fall, but an exact date has not yet been given.

Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority spokesperson Heather Grondin says crews are wrapping up paving work and putting the finishing touches on employee areas.

“We’re also doing a lot of landscaping,” said Grondin. “These are major ports of entry — the largest along the Canada-U.S. border — so landscaping is a huge part of the project.”

Grondin adds that crews have a number of final checks to carry out before the grand opening.

“Testing our lighting is a great example of that,” she said. “It’s not just installing the 5,000-plus aesthetic lights, the safety lights that will be on the bridge, but it’s also testing it and making sure it works.”

As for work residents in Michigan and Ontario may notice, Grondin says the construction cranes on the bridge have now come down — marking a major milestone in the project.

Work has also begun on testing the technological systems and processes in preparation for the bridge’s opening, according to project officials.