US Tourism Efforts Falter as Ongoing Tensions Keep Canadians Away

For over a year, Josh Loewen, a Vancouver marketing executive, has been bombarded by American tourism organizations trying to win Canadian visitors back. Despite these efforts, Loewen believes it's 'a wasted effort' due to the ongoing tensions between the US and Canada.

The US government imposed import taxes of up to 50% on various Canadian products in response to collapsed trade negotiations, prompting Canada's government to retaliate with similar tariffs. This has led to a sharp deterioration in relations between the two countries since last month.

However, state and local tourism officials continue to try to persuade Canadians to return, offering discounts at hotels, restaurants, and attractions. For example, New York state launched a 'NY Loves Canada' promotion this summer, while some downtown Las Vegas hotels are treating the Canadian dollar as equivalent to the US dollar.

Deborah Friedland, a hospitality consultant, notes that despite some improvement in cross-border traffic after the 2026 World Cup, Canadians made even fewer overnight visits during the first six months of 2026 compared to the same period last year. She believes it's one step forward and two steps back for US tourism efforts.

Some Canadian tourists are hesitant to travel to the US due to ongoing tensions between their countries. Eileen March, a life coach from Calgary, has chosen not to travel to the US since Trump's inauguration and doesn't plan to until there's a new president in office.