U.S. tourism groups seek to win Canadian visitors back amid strained relations

U.S. tourism organizations have been trying to draw Canadian visitors back with billboards, online promotions and special offers after travel south of the border fell sharply. Josh Loewen, a 45-year-old Vancouver marketing executive, said he understands the outreach but considers it futile while relations between Canada and the United States remain strained. He said the drop began after President Donald Trump returned to office and spoke of making Canada the 51st state.

Relations deteriorated further after trade negotiations collapsed last month. Trump imposed import taxes of up to 50 per cent on a range of Canadian products, and Canada responded in kind. Trump also ordered the U.S. government to rename the border-spanning Lake Ontario “Lake America.” Prime Minister Mark Carney called insults from members of Trump’s cabinet childish and undignified.

State and local tourism officials have nonetheless continued their outreach. New York launched its “NY Loves Canada” campaign this summer, offering hotel, restaurant and attraction discounts. Some downtown Las Vegas hotels are accepting the Canadian dollar at par with the U.S. dollar. Las Vegas tourism officials travelled to Canada last month to meet travel advisers, tour operators and airline representatives, while Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority president Steve Hill told audiences in Vancouver that the city cares about Canada.

Brand USA, the U.S. tourism industry’s marketing organization, will bring its Travel Week trade-event series to Canada for the first time in October. The program expands and rebrands an earlier initiative known as Canada Connect.

Canada has traditionally supplied more overnight international visitors to the United States than any other country. Statistics Canada says Canadian residents made 25 per cent fewer return border crossings in 2025 than in 2024 and spent about $2.4 billion, or $3.3 billion Canadian, less on U.S. travel. A weaker Canadian dollar, more expensive air travel and higher hotel prices also made travel more difficult.

Statistics Canada data show Canadian air travel to the United States began declining in September 2023. Its analysts said in July that the sharper decline during Trump’s second presidency, which continued into this year, reflected a persistent shift in Canadian travel preferences away from the United States. Border crossings rose slightly in May, June and July, with the latter two months coinciding with the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. Canada’s national soccer team played in the tournament’s early weeks, and Carney attended the final in New Jersey with Trump.

The agency said most of the increase in cross-border traffic came from travel by car. Air travel to the United States remained below year-earlier levels in every month through June. The U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office estimates Canadians made even fewer overnight visits during the first six months of 2026 than in the same period a year earlier, despite those visits generally generating more tourism spending.

A day after the World Cup ended, Trump announced tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods would take effect in 30 days. The White House said the measures addressed U.S. complaints about Canadian barriers affecting American-made automobiles, alcohol and dairy. Deborah Friedland, a hospitality consultant with Eisner Advisory Group, said the sequence turned a period of high international attention for the United States negative again.

The approaching winter will be an important test for destinations that rely heavily on Canadian visitors. Canadian snowbirds usually travel to warm-weather destinations in Florida, Arizona and California as temperatures fall at home. Friedland said she would be surprised to see a major winter increase in Canadian travel within the next year.

Jennifer Adams, tourism director for Florida’s Destin-Fort Walton Beach area, said she did not panic when Canadians began avoiding U.S. travel last year. She said the area’s message was to assure Canadian families that they are welcome and that it is committed to providing a strong visitor experience. Visit Florida reported a seven per cent decline in Canadian visitors in 2025, while Visit California, citing Tourism Economics, estimated Canadian visitation to California fell 20 per cent.

Loewen said his family previously enjoyed trips to San Diego, Portland and Seattle, but he, his wife and their two children chose Mexico this year. He said the issue is not whether the United States can provide a good holiday, but whether Canadians want to spend money there while tensions remain high. His family has not visited the United States since Trump’s inauguration and does not plan to do so until a new president takes office.

Eileen March, a 41-year-old life coach from Calgary, said she reached a similar decision. Trump’s threats to make Canada the 51st state and his trade policies contributed, along with a broader feeling that she no longer feels safe or welcome in the United States. She said the latest tariffs reinforced her decision not to travel there while Trump is in office, including by refusing to book flights with U.S. layovers. March said she is prepared to stay away for longer than four years depending on who is elected next, that person’s values and the relationship they seek to build or repair with Canada.