We were set to start our performance season in April. We would have had 500,000 people joining us this year. We were going to open a brand new theatre, Tom Patterson Theatre, so we were really set for a very exciting season.
Based on a study by the Conference Board, each visitor to the festival spends roughly $300. That is an exponentially higher number among our U.S. visitors, who represent about 25% of those people who come to Stratford. The people who come from the U.S. tend to be very loyal. They're very supportive of the core mandate of the Stratford Festival. They see something here that they can't get anyplace else in North America. I'm sure that's the same in Kenora. You're offering something that is so unique.
In the absence of the theatre operating this year, I'm sure we'll see a lot of the small businesses in the community struggling to stitch together a year. We are working with an economic development corporation, investStratford, to help think about the ways to draw visitors and to keep Stratford in their minds.
We are also doing a film series. We were able to film 12 of our productions. We're airing them in a free film festival that started April 23 and will run into the next few weeks. That's playing a very important role to stay connected to people and also to reach out to new people. We're seeing people from Japan, South America, across the country and around the corner view these films. I think it has exposed us to a new audience but also has kept us connected.
I think the community will see a major absence this year. We want to keep the festival sustainable. That's why we're making this request to keep the festival sustainable, so that we can be there and be part of the rebuilding of the tourism economy in this region.