Canadian tourism drops, Utah businesses feel it

This summer, one of America’s most loyal tourist groups, Ca­nadian travelers, is staying home or head­ing elsewhere, and the effects are being felt far beyond the northern border.

Image via National Park Service.

Canadian return trips from the U.S. dropped nearly 32 percent in March com­pared to the same time last year. By May, car travel was down more than 38 percent and air travel dropped about 24 percent. Summer flight bookings have plunged by 70 percent, pointing to a deep and widespread pullback.

The primary cause is the ongoing U.S.- Canada trade dispute. After the Trump ad­ministration imposed sweeping tariffs on Canadian goods earlier this year, Canadians responded with their own kind of boycott. Avoiding American vacations has become a popular way to push back, and the message is as political as it is personal.

Polls show that 60 percent of Canadians are deliberately avoid­ing U.S. travel due to political tensions and border concerns. In Quebec, nearly half of travelers with Ameri­can trips planned ei­ther canceled or con­sidered canceling. To them it is not just about policy. It is about principle.

While the initial im­pact is hitting northern states the hardest, the effects are spreading. Utah, which sees a steady stream of Ca­nadian visitors coming for national parks, ski resorts and scenic road trips, is beginning to feel it too. Some Ca­nadian tour companies have reduced U.S. itin­eraries, and Salt Lake City International Air­port has reported a dip in inbound interna­tional bookings. That decline affects hotels, outfitters, restaurants and rural communities across the state.

Canadians are re­directing their travel dollars toward destina­tions closer to home, as well as Europe, Mexico and the Caribbean. The Canadian govern­ment has launched a “Canada Strong” tourism campaign of­fering discounts and incentives to encour­age domestic travel.

Paul Gagner, own­er of Kanab-based Dreamland Safari Tours, had this to say: “Guides and outfitters continue to see can­cellations and signifi­cantly lower bookings from international visitors. For many, international visitors comprise up to 30% of overall bookings. Costs for Canadians to visit south of the border remain high, the po­litical rhetoric is toxic and off-putting, and the gutting of funding for the US Travel As­sociation isn’t helping. The decline in interna­tional visitors is not be­ing offset by increased domestic visitation.”

With no sign of a diplomatic resolution, the slowdown may con­tinue through the end of the year. For states like Utah that rely on a blend of domestic and international tourism, the absence of Cana­dian travelers is more than just a border is­sue. It is an economic concern playing out in gateway towns from Moab to Bryce.