Canadians are outraged at US President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to annex Canada. Canadian consumers began boycotting American products and are now boycotting America in general as tourism sank by nearly a quarter this February. Statistics Canada reported a 23% decline in trips via car from the US this February, marking the second consecutive monthly decline, while trips to the US by air declined 2.4%.
Based on personal conversations with Canadian friends, I do not believe this decline is simply correlated with the falling Canadian dollar or unfavorable exchange rate. The US was the top travel destination for Canadian tourists, and many state and local economies depend on those tourism dollars. Canadian license tags nearly equate to US tags in the spring and summer months down here in Florida. Yet, Canadians are genuinely outraged by Trump’s comments on their nation becoming a US state and want to boycott the US and anything manufactured here. I have even heard of companies canceling conferences in the US due to tensions.
Hotel reservations near the Canadian border have seen notable decreases as well. Niagara Falls, New York, reported a 8.1% decline in Saturday night bookings and Bellingham, Washinton, recently saw a 10.8% dip. Canadian travel agency Flight Centre rang the alarm that booking to the US in February plummeted an alarming 40% YoY.
There were over 20.4 million visits to the US from Canada in 2024, aiding in $20.5 billion in spending. The US Travel Association believes a 10% decline in Canadian tourism could shed $2.1 billion from the US economy and cost up to 14,000 jobs. The association noted that if the current trend continues, the US economy will lose at least $4 billion in tourism. Tourism states like Florida, New York, Nevada, Texas, and California will experience the worst repercussions of this travel boycott.
Canada is a sovereign nation, and the people wish to keep it that way. We had an excellent relationship with our neighbors to the north despite political warfare. Now, it seems as if anti-American sentiments are growing across Canada since President Trump has been keen on potentially annexing it.
For our Canadian readers— as you know with Trudeau and now Carney, our leaders do not always speak on behalf of those they claim to represent. Americans have no desire to annex Canada. In fact, the majority on both sides of the political spectrum thought Trump was simply mocking Trudeau when he proposed making Canada a state. The majority of Americans respect Canada’s sovereignty and wish we could lay this topic to rest already.
