A growing number of Canadians are cancelling or changing their plans to travel to the U.S.
Travel agents say while that’s costing would-be vacationers money, there’s “no pushback” amid growing tensions between the two countries over threats from U.S. President Donald Trump to impose devastating tariffs.
Amra Durakovic, the Canadian head of public relations and communications for Flight Centre Travel Group, said several of their agents have had people cancelling trips to the U.S. or changing to another country or destination in Canada.
“Since the weekend, we’ve definitely noticed a shift in Canadians sort of reconsidering ‘anywhere but the U.S.’ right now,” Durakovic said. “I think there’s a lot of this emotional sentiment attached, it’s like a friendship, right, someone’s betrayed you.”
She said the shift in travel destinations is in part due to the weakened dollar, with affordability being a big issue for Canadians, but politics are creeping in with Trump’s threat of tariffs.
“Not only is it an emotional reaction, but it’s also a financial reaction as well,” she said.
“You add the weak Canadian dollar with the tariffs, [it] sort of really has made it financially and emotionally burdensome for Canadians right now.”
Their clients included a couple with plans to go to Arizona. The pair planned to drive and stay at a hotel at the Grand Canyon but cancelled their trip, to the cost of $10,000, and they’re now heading to Portugal.
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Another couple, taking what Durakovic called a “milestone celebration,” cancelled a $20,000 vacation on board a cruise that was to start in Miami and end in Montreal with multiple stops along the U.S. coast.
Lesley Keyter, owner of The Travel Lady Agency in Calgary, said she’s seen similar with one woman cancelling a cruise that was to depart from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and another “large family group” cancelling their Alaska cruise.
“I think the politics are stronger than anything else because let’s face it, for years we’ve dealt with the fact of a Canadian dollar goes up and down against the U.S. dollar,” Keyter said. “I think the patriotism and protection of Canada is very strong with people out there.”
In addition to leisure trips, Flight Centre also found a shift by corporate clients following Trump’s election and subsequent threat of tariffs.
A survey conducted by YouGov at the end of December and in the first week of January found 85 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Canada would reduce cross-border travel for business if tariffs or trade restrictions were imposed.
The survey also found 77 per cent of SMEs were exploring alternative international markets.
The U.S. Travel Association warned in a statement on Monday, before the tariffs were paused, that with Canada being the top source of international visitors to the U.S., the impact from even a small loss in travel would hurt the country.
It said the U.S. saw 20.4 million visits in 2024 by Canadians, generating US$20.5 billion in spending and supporting 140,000 American jobs.
“A 10 per cent reduction in Canadian travel could mean two million fewer visits, US$2.1 billion in lost spending and 14,000 job losses,” the association wrote.
Even with cancellations and rebookings on the rise, both Durakovic and Keyter warn that doing so can cost you.
Keyter said while people may not want to support the U.S. economy, that won’t let you make a claim on travel insurance unless there’s a policy that allows a person to cancel for any reason.
However, she noted that in some cases, rebooking your flight may be an option to recoup the loss.
“Either going to Mexico or even Costa Rica or these other places may well end up being cheaper for them, even taking into account the change fees or cancellations,” Keyter said.
She cautioned, however, that it was still likely Canadians could face an “economic loss.”
Durakovic adds that while the premiers and the prime minister have encouraged Canadians to travel elsewhere, it’s not a “travel advisory,” meaning the policies around rebooking or cancelling travel don’t change.
“If you rebook or if you cancel, that will be at your own cost,” Durakovic said.
She encouraged people to look at the terms and conditions of their trip to see how the policies work, and if needed, call customer service for an airline, hotel or cruise line directly for more information.
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