The Fallout Continues

I admit to taking a certain pleasure in reporting bad news about the U.S. That it is being sanctioned by Canadians for its abysmal treatment of such a reliable trading partner seems only right and just.

Although it is not just Canada boycotting travel to the U.S., we are a sizable source of their tourism woes.

International visitor spending in the U.S. is expected to drop by $12.5 billion (U.S.), falling to $169 billion by the end of 2025, down from $181 billion last year, according to new data from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). This marks a 7-per-cent decline from 2024 and a 22 per cent drop compared to the last peak of American tourism in 2019.

The U.S., home to the world’s largest travel and tourism sector, is the only country among 184 economies analyzed by WTTC and Oxford Economics that is projected to see a decline in international visitor spending this year.

The U.S., in my view, has been a dangerous place to visit for many years, its love of guns and violence and a deeply rooted suspicion of "the other" overshadowing its many attractions. The realization of that danger has become more pronounced since Don Trump began his second term as president.

 ... hundreds of thousands of Canadians are deciding not to vacation or take day trips to the U.S. Incidents like the detention of European tourists at U.S. borders and a new policy requiring foreign nationals staying over 30 days to register have further discouraged international travel to America.

”(The decline) is not related to the economy in general,” said Frédéric Dimanche, director of Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Toronto Metropolitan University. “It’s really more a question of attitudes towards the U.S. and Trump, whether (travellers) are against the policies, against the politics, whether they’re concerned about the security issues when crossing the border.” 

It would seem that this decline will take a long time, if ever, to reverse.

The WTTC  [World Travel and Tourism Council] forecasts it will take until at least 2030 for the U.S. tourism industry, worth nearly $2.6 trillion, to recover to pre-COVID levels.

Dimanche said consumer perceptions of the Trump administration won’t change over time, and it will take years for the tourism industry to rebuild tourist confidence.

Being a relatively safe country, one hopes that Canada will position itself to be an attractive travel alternative. There is much to be said for a holidaying in a locale where every second thought isn't for the personal safety of oneself and one's family.

 

They Just Don't Get It

Maybe it's because they are the 'greatest' nation on earth, if not in the entire history of the world (he said sardonically). Perhaps  they are eternal optimists, or, more possibly, incredibly stupid (my pick). Whatever the explanation, the citizens of the United States of Amerika do not understand why the number of tourists visiting their country is plummeting.

Canadian travel to the U.S. has cratered after Trump took office. In March, trips made from Canada into the U.S. plummeted by nearly a million compared to the same time last year, comprising the second consecutive month of year-over-year decreases.

The real reason for that decline will be discussed a bit later, but the Americans are doing everything they can to reverse what for them is a disastrous economic trend. Despite Trump's recent and repeated declarations that the U.S. doesn't need anything from Canada, there are many who know otherwise.

For example, New York Congresswoman Elise Stephaniuk thinks that maybe Canadians are put off by the fact that they can't stay longer while visiting her land of milk and honey. She has a remedy, having introduced

the Canadian Snowbird Visa Act, a bipartisan bill to extend the duration Canadian citizens who own or lease a residence in the United States may stay—from 182 days to 240 days annually.

“Our neighbors to the north provide more visits to the United States than any other country, and they are critically important to North Country tourism and industry,” said Congresswoman Stefanik. “Providing Canadians who own homes and property in the United States with extra time to visit and boost our economy will help revive Canadian tourism to the United States.”

Under current U.S. immigration law, Canadian citizens can only stay in the United States for up to 182 days per year without a visa. The Canadian Snowbird Visa Act would allow eligible Canadians—aged 50 and over who either own or lease a U.S. residence—to extend their stay to up to 240 days annually.

Perhaps a little more grounded in reality is California Governor Gavin Newsom's appeal to Canadians: 

Speaking of California, Palm Springs is trying to entice Canadiana back:

Earlier this month, the city of Palm Springs, Calif., put up dozens of red banners that feature a heart with a Canadian flag nestled between the words “Palm Springs” and “Canada.”

“It was a way for us to say to the Canadians that are part of our community for so many months out of the year that we appreciate them, and in light of all the unrest and emotional up-and-down, that we’re standing by their side,” Palm Springs Mayor Ron deHarte told CTVNews.ca. “We will continue to support one another and welcome them back next season, or whenever the dust settles, and everybody feels comfortable to come back.”

All of these efforts miss a central point about a major factor, in addition to Canadian nationalistic fervour, inducing people to avoid travel to the U.S. THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE!

A Leger Marketing poll, conducted on behalf of the Association for Canadian Studies, made some interesting discoveries:

The survey of 1,626 Canadians found 52 per cent of people feel “it is no longer safe for all Canadians travelling to the United States.” Twenty-nine per cent disagreed with the sentiment and 19 per cent were unsure.

This belief was felt most strongly among respondents over 55 and in residents of Atlantic Canada, British Columbia and Ontario. People aged 18 to 54 and people in Alberta were less inclined to agree.

The dangers posed to Canadians by the U.S. has been well-known for many years, unless one has been living in a media vacuum. Finally, thanks to the hostile actions of our American 'neighbours', more and more of our people are recognizing the country for what it is: an incubator of anger, instability, violence  and death, the repercussions of which we can no longer turn a blind eye to.

UPDATE: This just in, apropos to everything.