US Tourism Groups Court Canadians as Trade War Deepens — SkimNews
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- US tourism organizations launched campaigns including New York's "NY Loves Canada" promotion and Las Vegas hotels treating the Canadian dollar as equivalent to USD, trying to reverse a Canadian travel boycott sparked by Trump's "51st state" remarks.
- Trump imposed tariffs of up to 50% on Canadian products after trade negotiations collapsed, and Canada responded in kind, with the trade war intensifying just as tentative recovery signs appeared during the 2026 World Cup cohosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico.
- Canadian travel to the US dropped 25% in return border crossings in 2025, with spending down $2.4 billion (CA$3.3 billion), per Statistics Canada, which called it "a persistent shift" in travel preferences.
- Florida and California recorded Canadian visitor declines of 7% and 20% respectively in 2025, according to state tourism organizations Visit Florida and Visit California.
- Brand USA is bringing its Travel Week trade-event series to Canada for the first time in October, rebranding an earlier program called Canada Connect to expand outreach to Canadian travel advisers and operators.
- Individual Canadians like Vancouver marketing executive Josh Loewen (whose family chose Mexico over San Diego, Portland, and Seattle) and Calgary life coach Eileen March (who refuses even US flight layovers) said they won't return until a new president takes office.
- The upcoming snowbird season will test whether the grassroots boycott extends into another winter, with Florida, Arizona, and California most dependent on Canadian winter visitors heading into their peak season.
Why it matters: US destinations most dependent on Canadian visitors — Florida, Arizona, and California — are heading into their peak snowbird season with the trade war intensifying rather than cooling, as Trump announced fresh $20 billion tariffs on Canadian goods the day after the 2026 World Cup ended. With border crossings down 25% and spending down $2.4 billion in 2025, the multi-million dollar courtship campaigns are running into a wall of public sentiment that tourism officials acknowledge may not thaw before the next presidential election.
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